Will Gas Hit $4 by Spring?

People tend to drive less during the winter, which may be one reason why gas prices remained relatively calm even as oil broke the history-making $100 per barrel mark at the end of 2007.

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

With oil now at a record high of $102.88, gas prices look like they’re ready to catch up, perhaps reaching $4 a gallon in some places by late spring or early summer. The Energy Department says the pain should peak at a national average of $3.40 sometime during the summer, but according to a report by the Detroit News, other experts warn of a $3.50 to $3.75 national average during the height of the summer driving season.

Needless to say, this is not good news for a U.S. economy already hit hard by the twin crises in credit and housing. A newly minted energy shock is the last thing the average American needs right now.

If all of this is depressing you, you’d better skip the rest of this paragraph: The Detroit News also points out that gas prices have quadrupled in the past six years, and that if the world remains on its present course of consumption, oil could reach nearly $140 per barrel by 2015.

Gas Spike Adds to Troubles (Detroit News)

Comments

Good.
Faster prices will go up, faster we'll see gone: Big SUVs, 8 cyl sedans, and V6 Jettas.
Faster we'll see some Euro-economical cars, including diesels.
Right now every "average Joe" drives big engine, big car, even that he goes to work in it alone. But soon he'll adapt to Honda Civic. In Europe only wealthy people drive big engines, in USA every little pizza maker drives powerful car.

that last bit reminds me -- i have to agree that it's sick to see fat SUV's all over; even sicker to see fat SUV's delivering pizza and sitting with the engine running. but, sadly, SUV drivers will continue to trot around for the "bling" factor. besides, people will always need something to haul people/stuff and it's all about form over function when it comes to big haulers that people will buy.

Gotta agree here. As much as I hate paying higher prices on fuel, it may be enough to eventually convince the general popualtion to smaller vehicles and diesels that are fully capable of meeting their needs. Europeans have been dealing with it for years. Sure they'll be people who still need a van for hauling people and goods, but it'd be nice to see fewer 3-tonne SUV's driven by a sole middle-aged women in suburbia.

Where I live, the pizza delivery guy delivers pizza using a Hummer H2!

Keep it rising, and I'll see more morons burning their paycheck like they've never done it before.
V8 overweight SUV with only the driver flooring the gas pedal just to pass a slow accelerating compact car doing his part to reduce gas consumption, and hitting the red light every single time while the compact passes it when the light turns green.

Just yesterday I drove into the Gas station with empty tank. There was a woman already fueling her Sequola. I cam in, fueled up and left. She was still there, holding to her "life line".

Tony, that is an every time thing when I go in for fill-up.

I even get done faster than some mid-size sedans.

There was one time an Explorer driver came over to look at my pump and see how many gallons I filled then asked me how many MPG did I get. Answer: 34.3
He dropped his jaws.

J,
Nice to know. What car is this?
My brother claims, his Accord makes 34mpg on highway.

Nameless,
It is an 8th Gen Civic.
Average 34MPG on 100% city driving.
It also depends on how the driver drives it. I've seen people getting 19MPG on 100% city.

It will take along time for the large SUV to cycle through there lifespan. Actually large SUV last longer than most cars. Plus large SUV usually survive accident better, at least the BOF. I see most SUV/CUV moving into mid tweenties which isn't all that great. I got a 94 intrepid that gets 20 city / 30-31 highway. Unfortunately new cars aren't that much better cause of supersizing. I am going to have to move down to compact (use to be midsized) to get reasonable gas millage for future.

New cars are actually showing higher mileage than previous model years and there is really nothing to show that SUVs last longer than cars.

J,
what kind city is this that you get "Average 34MPG on 100% city driving" in Civic?
A city with 2 traffic lights?
Just kidding.

I had 2 civics. 83 and 90.
90 was a rock-solid car. 160K miles with $420 worth of troubles. Then a head-on collision and everything fine. car was totaled but it absorbed all the energy and I came out like new.
That when I've got 240sx and the world changed...