$3-$4 a Gallon for Premium Gas + 18 mpg Mustang

GM Dude · Mar 7, 2004

I know, I know, the latest rumors again this year, are that Gas prices will hit $3 a gallon this summer and stay high. Of course everyone with a good ole' v8, no matter what make, will be hit hard, unless your rich, course my grand prix with a 3.1 gets 17-20 mpg and I'm 17. Anyways, think of high gas prices in a good way, if gas prices hit $4 a gallon, there goes half of the sales for the Mustang right there, Ford will drop the prices like a boulder from a building, the cars will become real cheap. Course only rich people will be able to feed a gas pig at those prices. Of course this will be me, if gas prices hit that high with my grand prix

Ron Jeremy · Mar 7, 2004

If gasoline does go to $3 and $4 a gallon, EVERYTHING that's made from or with oil and petroleum will be more expensive. Everything which will be transported to the stores will cost much more to buy. Also, automobiles and trucks with V8's will be cheaper. They will definitely not sell well or even not sell at all. Just like the big gas guzzler American cars during the mid and late 70's. There were hundreds of thousands of them that were unsold that were sitting in dealers' lots and in the manufacturers' lots. This will happen again when gas prices hit $3 and $4 a gallon. This is bad for the auto manufacturers, but good for the consumer who can buy a gas guzzler for really cheap money.

I'm hoping that the Mustang does go down in price. A nice car should not cost more than $10,000 to $12,000 at the most. It's just a peice of metal that depreciates 100% after 5 to 10 years and it needs constant maintenance and repairs. I think that America will have a "rude awakening" when gasoline prices go to $3 and $4 a gallon. I can't wait until this happens. I'm going to buy a nice car for cheap money because the dealer will not be able to sell any of them. They will give really good deals on cars that burn too much fuel.

GM Dude · Mar 7, 2004

Another thing that one could do, I know it would cross breed it, but Chevrolet LS1's get almost 30 mpg hwy, put the ls1 into the mustang, put real low hwy gears, like 2.55's in, 20 mpg city, 30 something hwy.

Flexia · Mar 7, 2004

Ron Jeremy · Mar 7, 2004

I have no clue ab0out what you mean here. Are you saying to put a Camaro/Firebird engine inside the Mustang GT's engine bay? Is the LS1 engine the Corvette engine or the Camaro/Firebird engine? There is no way that a V8 LS1 engine can get 30 mpg on the highway. Maybe more like 23 to 25 but not 30 mpg.

Postmortem · Mar 7, 2004

looks like GM is making hybrid LS1

skywarp · Mar 7, 2004

If the price of gas does go that high. The V-6 car looks like a better deal then. To add performance, do the boltons and a blower. The car is cheaper to get into and probably has less insurance. Alot of people would say they would rather have a V-8, but if this scenario happens people might change their minds.

el_kid_1 · Mar 7, 2004

What are your guays currently paying, on average, for a gallon of premium gas? I know it could vary a lot across zones.

GM Dude · Mar 7, 2004

Premium varies, but mostly near $2.00 a gallon, and California is past $2.50 a gallon.

SadbutTrue · Mar 7, 2004

GM Dude said:
Premium varies, but mostly near $2.00 a gallon, and California is past $2.50 a gallon.

I am concerned about the hit mustang sales will take, but... GM Dude keep in mind the only reason the LS1 gets those mpg numbers is the T56 tranny. Thats it.

Eventually, Ford will need to to adapt the engine to improve gas mileage, and with minor changes I believe the Mustang could be in the 25-30 mpg department. Would just be a bit slower :/

SVTdriver · Mar 7, 2004

If gas stays that high your going to find this countries economy in even more trouble. The cost for everything in the stores will be passed on to the consumer. And about the only thing that doesn't have truck deliver it is a baby. You garbage rates may go up. This is will have far more repercussions than mustang prices.

Z28x · Mar 7, 2004

Ron Jeremy said:
I have no clue ab0out what you mean here. Are you saying to put a Camaro/Firebird engine inside the Mustang GT's engine bay? Is the LS1 engine the Corvette engine or the Camaro/Firebird engine? There is no way that a V8 LS1 engine can get 30 mpg on the highway. Maybe more like 23 to 25 but not 30 mpg.

The manual tranny GTO is rated at 29 mpg highway, Z06 is 28 mpg. I used to get 26 mpg highway in my 1994 LT1 Z28 when I had it.

Gas will not hit $3+. the people will riot . All those people that said the Iraq war was for oil must have been talking about something else, maybe oil was code word for sand?

mustang sallad · Mar 7, 2004

lol, you guys trashed my thread about a hybrid mustang...
just think of it, instead of a supercharger, top that v8 off with an electric motor. get better performance and better fuel economy. Just look at the hybrid highlander. Gets 275 hp with the v6 hybrid drive system, but gets 4-cynlinder fuel economy (don't have exact numbers, that's just what i've read in motor trend or something). Road and track also mentioned a 300hp hybrid supra coming to the states some time.
some guys in that short lived thread were saying the mustang should just hold out untill hydrogen comes along... with these rumored gas prices, maybe a hybrid drive could help out till then.

anyways...
electric motor=crazy low end torque

Stangston · Mar 7, 2004

Has the 2005 Mustang fuel economy even been rated yet?

Wylde · Mar 8, 2004

Premium gas here in Edmonton, AB (Canada) is already at $4.50 a gallon. We make the damn stuff but our goverment taxes it to death. We are used to that kind of price since it's been in that area for at least 3 years. That doesn't mean we like it, it's a constant item of complaint by anyone who drives.

I am still going to buy a v8 since it will NOT be a daily driver, just a toy. I have a 4 cyl mini truck as my daily driver. I consider it the price to pay for enjoyment.

PimpDaddyGT · Mar 8, 2004

The Mustang won't be my daily driver and my wife's non-daily driver is a premium required Lincoln Navigator. So, the Mustang is the least of my problem. We commute 50 miles round trip in a 4-banger Dodge Stratus.

Eric

falchulk · Mar 8, 2004

I think a new car will be the least of our worries if gas jumps that high. Look at the price hike that happened on everything in the stores 2 years ago. Gas prices were under 2.00 for regular here in the DC area. If the spike to 3.00, we as a country will be in big trouble. Lower income people wont be able to even afford to eat that alone buy gas.

Stangston · Mar 8, 2004

What if the new Mustang GT gets 20/28 mpg? That would be on par with most cars out there, and well above the fuel economy of SUV's (Hummer anyone?).

To be honest, I don't find our current V8's too bad (18/24mpg)...the only reason why the gas seems to drain quickly is because I've never been able to put more than 13 gallons in it, even slightly below the empty line.

Let's do a little math:
Let's say our current V8 averages 21mpg overall.
10,000mi/21=476.2 gal
Now let's take the average of a Pontiac Grand Am: 24.5mpg overall
10,000mi/24.5=408.2 gal

A difference of 68 gallons in a year, or 68($3)= $204

Also, I doubt gas prices will be $3-4 a gallon. I heard 2 summers ago the same thing, last summer the same thing, but my city maxed at $2/gallon, and has averaged about $1.60.

So do you want to be driving some old grandpa car or enjoying your Mustang GT for a couple hundred $$ more per year?

Z28Marcus · Mar 8, 2004

Ron Jeremy said:
I have no clue ab0out what you mean here. Are you saying to put a Camaro/Firebird engine inside the Mustang GT's engine bay? Is the LS1 engine the Corvette engine or the Camaro/Firebird engine? There is no way that a V8 LS1 engine can get 30 mpg on the highway. Maybe more like 23 to 25 but not 30 mpg.

Say what?

My 99 C5 hardtop has gotten 30 mpg averaged on the long drive out to Nevada from Wisconsin. This is six speed car and all I do is jam that sucker in 6th to cruise. Voila 30 mpg. Car is stock apart from exhaust and a Haltech tric intake.

On my drive to from work in my C5 I get consistent 23-24 mpg averages over a tank of gas. This involves a mixture of driving speeds from 25 to 55. Contrast this with the same drive in my 4 banger 98, Honda Accord with auto tranny which gets me 28 mpg.

Now before you say that the C5 is lighter than a Z28, let me tell you that my previous LS1 car... a 98 Z28 (six speed car) was able to consistently manage 22 mpg averaged over the same drive to form work.. Highway driving... going out east to New York state I was seeing 26-27 mpg, again a lot of 6th gear cruising.

Clearly this in part has to do with driving style which in my case is pretty relaxed and staying within +5mph of posted speed limits. Netherless, I think it's funny how so many of the recent 'performance' import 4 bangers get worse gas milage than the LS1 which can just pull you along at 1100 rpm in sixth gear, sipping gas.

skywarp · Mar 8, 2004

Z28Marcus said:
Say what?

My 99 C5 hardtop has gotten 30 mpg averaged on the long drive out to Nevada from Wisconsin. This is six speed car and all I do is jam that sucker in 6th to cruise. Voila 30 mpg. Car is stock apart from exhaust and a Haltech tric intake.

On my drive to from work in my C5 I get consistent 23-24 mpg averages over a tank of gas. This involves a mixture of driving speeds from 25 to 55. Contrast this with the same drive in my 4 banger 98, Honda Accord with auto tranny which gets me 28 mpg.

Now before you say that the C5 is lighter than a Z28, let me tell you that my previous LS1 car... a 98 Z28 (six speed car) was able to consistently manage 22 mpg averaged over the same drive to form work.. Highway driving... going out east to New York state I was seeing 26-27 mpg, again a lot of 6th gear cruising.

Clearly this in part has to do with driving style which in my case is pretty relaxed and staying within +5mph of posted speed limits. Netherless, I think it's funny how so many of the recent 'performance' import 4 bangers get worse gas milage than the LS1 which can just pull you along at 1100 rpm in sixth gear, sipping gas.

Your car fairly stock is great. Add the real performance pieces that make the LS1 an awesome performer and watch the mileage go down. Do the cam and head swap that virtually every Ls1 owner does and the car won't be so hot.

$3-$4 a Gallon for Premium Gas + 18 mpg Mustang

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