Fueling the falcon. When does it become too much?

[Iphido]

A what fuel price would you reconcider buying a falcon vechical and move towards diffrent sort of vechical? (Diesel/Small car etc)

Choose the LPG option if you find LPG a viable alternative.

I can see fuel being $2.5 with in the next 2 years.

[merlin]

I already did it at $1.25 a litre as I just didnt need the space/size of a Falcon. If I ever do need the space/size again I will go LPG Falcon (no rebate when I made this decision).

[AUIIIXR8]

There is a day coming where the rising cost of living will have crippled this great country and there will be real issues between us and the people in power then.

[HSE2]

Well my GTP was in the shop again so I have yet another loaner. That’s the best part about the FPV so far you get to sample many different types of cars.

This time I had a new Focus, which was great because I could see myself in the XR5.

Make that “could of.”

The focus came home (100km trip) saying it used about 7 litres. Air-con on driven not as hard as the GT-P was on the way up.

The GT-P would have used about 12 litres so had I been paying for the focus it would have been 7 dollars cheaper. That’s a fair bit considering it was largely a highway trip so the advantage will only get more around town.

But that’s all it had going for it. I thought my GT had tyre noise. Boy was I wrong. I had to have the stereo (excellent I must say) so load I think I have lost what was left of my hearing. My left leg was constantly reminded how small the cars actually is by its hardness so much so that I instantly answered this question with never. I couldn't do it.

Perhaps around town as an extra car but not replace.

[Polyal]

The new focus (and mazda 3) are SHOCKING for road noise,itsa shame because its a pretty good package.

Anyone know how the Volvo goes? being premium perhaps it got more sound deadening material?

Once petrol hits $2 a litre Ill be upset, and switching to gas. $136 a tank is insane. But by that time hopefully I am not at uni and have a full time job so I wont care as much.

[sgt_doofey]

Being on LPG, I'll only ditch the EL when it stops working and costs too much to repair.
The XE is pretty much display only at this time, so petrol isn't really an issue with that. We might consider putting it on gas if we decide on spending some money on it.

The wife and I picked up our Peugoet 307 last week. 2.0L Turbo Diesel. First tank got us 900kms at a cost of $73 to refill. Should get better once the engine loosens up over time.

[james22]

i hope it never gets there. but if it does i think $2.50 will be it for me

[GREGXR8]

last time the xr was at dealers i was given a fiesta it was good on fuel but that was its only good point. too small no power and the seats are like sitting on a milk crate. just bought my 20 yr old daughter a new kia rio ( black, alloys and tint ) $18500 on road its a nice little car to drive and she's wrapt.

[brenx]

I'm already using an ethanol based fuel in my EL. I'd happily buy a car that already has gas but I have trouble justifying $2000+ for gas on a $4000 car. Fair enough if I was going to keep it 10 years but I'm not. Compared to my other cars, I much prefer the others.

If and when I'm ready? I'll look at an AU on gas. Possibly a utility.

[S3SR]

$2/L and im calling it quits...sell or burn (more cash from insurance) the falcon and buy a mazda 3 or a focus

or if i have to get LPG ..thats last resort though

[drcook]

i am lucky in the fact i dont pay for petrol (work fuel card) so petrol costs for the next two years arent a concern. however when trade-in time comes, the choice to go for something more economical may not be mine.

[Genghis]

That is an excellent and very thought provoking question, Iphido.

Man, I didn't ever want to think about it but the day will come. I know it!

The V8 will go (swapped out for a bike or a Focus I guess) somewhere between the $2 and $2.20 mark.

I won't be happy when the day comes, but the mortage and utilities come first.

[XzLr8]

well next year they reckon there will be a drop in petrol prices...or so ive heard.

[Sapper]

Ya know, it doesn't matter how many people in the western world buy lpg or hybrid cars fuel will still run out just as quickly. Not helped by the fact that many 3rd world countries are starting to industrialise and that china now has a 'middle class' which wants what the west has got (this incluudes oil). So i figure that i may as well enjoy it while its here. 10 years of bliss followed by 'rest of life of depression' is better than just 'rest of life in depression.'

That said, i'm thinking of doing my final year project for my mech eng degree looking at ways to convert petrol engines to run on hydrogen/biomass/natural gas etc.

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by brenx

I have trouble justifying $2000+ for gas on a $4000 car.

Don't forget with the government grant, it'll be $2000 less in the end. More than likely you'll have to fork out the cost and then be reimbursed later on.

Edit: I might seriously consider putting my XE on to LPG now with this grant. Sure the car is only worth $1K - $2K and travels less than 5000kms a year, but if the cost of the conversion is only a few hundred dollars after the rebate, then it'll probably be worthwile.

[brenx]

Originally Posted by sgt_doofey

Don't forget with the government grant, it'll be $2000 less in the end. More than likely you'll have to fork out the cost and then be reimbursed later on.

Edit: I might seriously consider putting my XE on to LPG now with this grant. Sure the car is only worth $1K - $2K and travels less than 5000kms a year, but if the cost of the conversion is only a few hundred dollars after the rebate, then it'll probably be worthwile.

Depends on what you think is value. I'd rather invest that 2k into a later model car. Not a car that I could drop 2k on and have the engine/trans etc fail on me the week after. Although neither are displaying any symptoms of failing anytime soon. It's going well for now. It does have 230,000k's on it. Value for me would be converting a car that has around 30,000-50,000k's on it. Then driving it for a further 150,000k's or more. Gas doesn't make a car worth anymore but it does make it easier to sell. I never sell them anyway. I trade them ;)

I'm still curious to how the grant is payed. Not that I've looked very hard. Coming up with the $ 1st hand will stop many from going gas.

[Raptor]

When does the fuel become too expensive?

When it exceeds depreciation.

Petrol is one of the cheaper things about car ownership

[XRchic]

I said that I would get rid of the Falcon(s) once it hits $2 per litre. In reality, we are thinking of getting rid of one of them. We have my BA XR6 and the AUI XR8. The XR8 is older, has MANY more problems and is just worn out. It costs quite a bit more to run than the XR6 and also more to insure and register.

We are thinking of selling it, getting a $5K ****box for a few years, like a 1999 Festiva or something (had one before the BA, wish I kept it now, was a great little car and cost NOTHING to run) for just running to and from work. We still need a big car though, because we have 3 kids and two adults in the family - the baby is in the big car seat and the other two play sport with all their gear, and we also travel a fair bit interstate to visit relatives etc. We also like to drag race, and I dont think drag racing with a torque steering Festy would be all that much fun really.. so if we get rid of one, its a compromise.

As someone else said, the mortgage and other stuff is more important at the moment. Later, when we are earning more, have paid more stuff off then we plan on giving the Festy to my daughter in a few years when she learns to drive, and getting ourselves a brand new Falcon again - probably an FPV of some kind.

If we had loads of cash now, I would have probably fixed the XR8 properly, done some work to get it looking really nice and getting some mods done to it - stuff the fuel costs. But in reality, thats not the case.

Lets just hope prices settle down a bit over the next few years, or our days of fun are over, and days of high car sales for Holden and Ford for the big cars, are numbered. I couldnt think of anything worse than having our roads look like that of England or Europe where all (most) cars are small and poxy.

[347_XR8]

I'm one of those lucky people that have a company car. At the moment it's a 99 (i think) Triton ute 4 banger. It's good, but doesnt like going in the hills and i swear is a health hazzard in teh wet (crappy light truck tyres).
Depend on where i'm going and what i'm doing (sometimes tow a trailer, plus ladders and equipment in the back) i can get around 500k's out of a tank. Which isnt bad.

Personal car...thats another story. Worked V8, manual and i will only run premium. Lets just say i only drive it when i can afford it.......

[XRchic]

Originally Posted by 347_XR8

I'm one of those lucky people that have a company car. At the moment it's a 99 (i think) Triton ute 4 banger. It's good, but doesnt like going in the hills and i swear is a health hazzard in teh wet (crappy light truck tyres).
Depend on where i'm going and what i'm doing (sometimes tow a trailer, plus ladders and equipment in the back) i can get around 500k's out of a tank. Which isnt bad.

Personal car...thats another story. Worked V8, manual and i will only run premium. Lets just say i only drive it when i can afford it.......

Slightly off topic... were you driving through Mt Barker main street the other night (Monday night I think) at around 6 or 7pm or so? I think we were next to your car (or something similar) coming in off the freeway from the city direction and drove through Mt Barker next to you, but we turned off at the first set of lights on Adelaide Rd. We were in the black BA XR6 with custom plates... not sure if you noticed us or not.

Jac

[Focussed]

I sold the XR8 in March cos of fuel. I live in the territory where fuel is almost $1.50 per litre!
Bought a Focus & man have I noticed the difference on the hip pocket!

[Nevermind]

Its already too expensive for me, thats why I bought this:

Should be able to get the same sort of milage from 20 litres that I do from 80.

[parawolf]

We've already sold the BA XR6 sedan and BA XR8 ute and now have one Focus Zetec Manual.

[XA-Coupe]

It hurts to fill it but as long as I get an increase in my wages, I will have at least one falcon vehicle and most likely a V8. The 6s are economical enough to be a second car. There just isn't a 4 pot that suits me in my price range so I'd rather pay the difference.

[merlin]

Originally Posted by XRchic

I said that I would get rid of the Falcon(s) once it hits $2 per litre. In reality, we are thinking of getting rid of one of them. We have my BA XR6 and the AUI XR8. The XR8 is older, has MANY more problems and is just worn out. It costs quite a bit more to run than the XR6 and also more to insure and register..

Why don't you use the $2000 rebate to put the XR8 on gas? (just interested in peoples reasonings here to go small instead of LPG).

[notty1978]

Never

[svo347]

Havent any of you read the paper already... Fuel prices are expected to hit the $2.00 mark by christmas...... I can either see alot sacrifices for some families, do we splash out on chrissy presents and stay home this year, or do we cut back on the pressies and go on a holiday by car.....

[sgt_doofey]

Originally Posted by brenx

Depends on what you think is value. I'd rather invest that 2k into a later model car.

True, but the XE holds sentimental value for our family. It was my late fathers car which he owned from new. It's not one that we are going to get rid of easily, and my brother and I will probably turn it in to a project of some sort later on.
The conversion I was thinking of was a straight LPG conversion, but that might just be part of that project that I mentioned.

Edit: Having said that, you'll get the $2000 back in the end to spend on the later model car.

I'm still curious to how the grant is payed. Not that I've looked very hard. Coming up with the $ 1st hand will stop many from going gas.

Bit more info here: http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/conten...BF33B2423F9DA6

[Psycho Chicken]

Fuel prices were meant to hit $2 a litre two christmases ago. I'm not overly fussed. Prices come and go. It's only a matter of time before the seppos are out of Iraq, a government will come out of that and will need money. Iran won't be run by a complete nut job for ever. Fair enough the demand in China and India won't drop off straight away, but it won't last forever either.

I bet people were thinking fuel prices would always be high back in 1973 and 1980, but they dropped off again. Besides, it's still cheaper now than in 1980.

[Professor Farnsworth]

i will still fill it at $4 a litre and beyond, until i am broke.

mind you, i am insane, so that's a contributing factor.