Are gas prices making our 4Runners loose their value?
- Thread starter arouth
- Start date
Yeah, I really do get the urge to floor it, myself. I like to fell the power of that V8. I mean, it's smaller and has more horsepower than some SS type cars of the 70's, and it feels great to know you have an engine that's so powerful, yet economical, comparatively.
Still, though, I look at hypermiling as a challenge. I don't know how long I'll keep it up, but $80.00 per tank is ridiculous. If I were to somehow double my mileage, it would be great. As it is, I may strecth my normal 1 1/2 weeks per tank to two weeks. That makes resisting the urge for power harder. :bigok:
Still, though, I look at hypermiling as a challenge. I don't know how long I'll keep it up, but $80.00 per tank is ridiculous. If I were to somehow double my mileage, it would be great. As it is, I may strecth my normal 1 1/2 weeks per tank to two weeks. That makes resisting the urge for power harder. :bigok:
ndrwdvs said:
Yeah I hear ya'....whats funny though, is how I could be doing 65-70mph at 1500rpm and another 4cyl or 6cyl going the same speed yet they're at around 3500-4200rpm. So really, wasting about the same amount...not exactly, but somewhat comparable. In the end, especially on and off the expressway, its the same $hit! I've never been a V8 fan, but I've always been a Toyota V8 fan...from the Landcruiser to the Lexus LS, you gotta love the engineering in that 4.7liter iron block V8!!!
Not always true. I have an 04 Cadillac CTS-V with only 2400 being made that year. 52k new it picked it up last month for 23k. For a modern car that is limited but it is a GM product that most people done know.
Today I pick up an 03 SR5 V8 4Runner for $11,900. Over 5k under high book and even under low book and this is at a dealer. They kicker is its a 2wd and has been on his lot almost a year. But he even said that he is dumping prices on all SUVs just to get them off the lot.
Well, my experiment is complete! I normally get around 415 miles per tankful at around 21 mpg with my '05 v8 AWD T4R.
This time, I tried the hypermiling techniques as best I could for a novice, and I got 479.2 miles out of the tank! Right at 24.7 mpg. I figure I saved about 2 gallons of gas for about $8.00, rounded off from $3.889 that I paid to refill.
I think that's cool!:awais:
This time, I tried the hypermiling techniques as best I could for a novice, and I got 479.2 miles out of the tank! Right at 24.7 mpg. I figure I saved about 2 gallons of gas for about $8.00, rounded off from $3.889 that I paid to refill.
I think that's cool!:awais:
OK, I posted these results on another thread, but I'll post them again here, to make sure you see it.
I have a 2005 T4R Limited with V8, automatic tranny, AWD, etc. completely stock, except for the upgraded wheels they put on ALL T4R's.
I usually get 390 - 415 miles/tank, depending whether I want to feel the power and how often. I resisted that urge for nearly 2 weeks while doing this test. It is by no means scientific, but it's good enough for me.
That said, I was getting (per dashboard display) 24.7 mpg unitl the last day, when I took my wife with me to Home Depot. When I drive her around, I always use the A/C, unless it's cool outside. It was 90 degrees yesterday, so there went the mileage.
It was the last day on that tank of gas, so I filled up on the way home. The dashboard display now read 24.3mpg. According to the trip odometer, I had gone 479.2 miles on that tank of gas! At 25mpg, that was a savings of over 2 gallons or $8.00! Can't complain about that.
As far as how I hypermile, I am not a diehard. I have tried increasing speed using the cruise control (which I think is very efficient) to 60mph, coasting to 40 mph, and speeding up again, always keeping the tranny in high gear. When I coast, I don't cut the engine, but put it in neutral. I think the wear on the starter is more expensive than whatever gas I might save. I try to anticipate traffic and traffic signals. Sometimes, if I know the area, and am confident there aren't any cops around, I will do a rolling stop sign.
The last thing I did, and this didn't affect my "test" mileage much, because I did it just before taking my wife to Home Depot, was to inflate my tires to 38 gpsi. This seems to be a really big deal, because at 32 gpsi, my truck would eventually get up to around 15 mph without ever hitting the gas, but not enough to shift the tranny. At the 38 gpsi, I didn't let it go to max speed, but it shifted gears, and was going about 20 mph when I hit the gas. The truck seems to roll so much better.
The first time I backed out of my carport, I nearly wrecked into the fence, because it took off so fast! LOL
Hope this helps...
I have a 2005 T4R Limited with V8, automatic tranny, AWD, etc. completely stock, except for the upgraded wheels they put on ALL T4R's.
I usually get 390 - 415 miles/tank, depending whether I want to feel the power and how often. I resisted that urge for nearly 2 weeks while doing this test. It is by no means scientific, but it's good enough for me.
That said, I was getting (per dashboard display) 24.7 mpg unitl the last day, when I took my wife with me to Home Depot. When I drive her around, I always use the A/C, unless it's cool outside. It was 90 degrees yesterday, so there went the mileage.
It was the last day on that tank of gas, so I filled up on the way home. The dashboard display now read 24.3mpg. According to the trip odometer, I had gone 479.2 miles on that tank of gas! At 25mpg, that was a savings of over 2 gallons or $8.00! Can't complain about that.
As far as how I hypermile, I am not a diehard. I have tried increasing speed using the cruise control (which I think is very efficient) to 60mph, coasting to 40 mph, and speeding up again, always keeping the tranny in high gear. When I coast, I don't cut the engine, but put it in neutral. I think the wear on the starter is more expensive than whatever gas I might save. I try to anticipate traffic and traffic signals. Sometimes, if I know the area, and am confident there aren't any cops around, I will do a rolling stop sign.
The last thing I did, and this didn't affect my "test" mileage much, because I did it just before taking my wife to Home Depot, was to inflate my tires to 38 gpsi. This seems to be a really big deal, because at 32 gpsi, my truck would eventually get up to around 15 mph without ever hitting the gas, but not enough to shift the tranny. At the 38 gpsi, I didn't let it go to max speed, but it shifted gears, and was going about 20 mph when I hit the gas. The truck seems to roll so much better.
The first time I backed out of my carport, I nearly wrecked into the fence, because it took off so fast! LOL
Hope this helps...
TitaniumToy
New member
I keep an eye on Trader Online & CL for local 2003 4Runners and I have not noticed any increase in the # of 03 4runners for sale or large decreases in asking prices, but who knows what the sellers are actually getting for them. Does anyone have any data on wholesale auction prices?
This stuff is going to work out GREAT for used car dealers! They're giving little for the more substaintial vehicles, particularly SUV's, and charging top shelf prices for the cheapest built cars on the lots. All they have to do is wait for the speculators to get chased out of the commodities markets on wall street, which will drop the prices of oil back down to around $55-$60 a barrle, and then turn around and give little for those cheaply built econoboxes, and charge top shelf for the SUV's again. It's give and take, give and take. Anyone who thinks NOW is the time to make large financial choices, needs to take a course in Economics, and Finance 101. Who ever made the comments about the media and lemmings, my hat's off to you!
If we were discussing our Ford Exploders, then yeah, we're probably screwed a bit. But since we all own the most reliable, toughest, and best built SUV's on the planet, I'm not worried one bit about market values. And cost savings from ditching your 17-23mpg V8 4runner (or v6), for a Ford Escort, will realize the cost savings of gas, go right back into the repairs of alternators, power steering pumps, broken switches, etc... The only cost of the 4runner, is the gas. A cost that all cars have. The difference though, is for us, it's just gas, and not constant repairs and recalls like the boys at gm, ford, volvo, bmw, landrover, and others.
My 05' V8 gets about the same gas mileage as my neighbors 2.5 boxer 4 in his 06 Subaru Outback, give or take 2 to 3 mpgs. But, my 2 ton+ 4runner will take a hit that would probably crush and kill the outback.
Don't be suckered into this media hype...Just remember the word "Bubble". As in Dot.Com Bubble, Housing Bubble, Junk Bonds Bubble, Energy Bubble, Corn Bubble....and Oil BUBBLE. Congress is already putting the wheels into motion to take action against the Commodities review and financial panel on Wall Street, to get these mega investor speculators out of our refridgerators and gas tanks. They've swarmed to the "life sustaining" portion of the trading floor, to make up for their losses in the housing markets, becuase they were IDIOTS and bought junk called CDO's, without knowing what they were. Who in the hell has a $350,000 mortgage on a single wide trailer in Georgia???
If we were discussing our Ford Exploders, then yeah, we're probably screwed a bit. But since we all own the most reliable, toughest, and best built SUV's on the planet, I'm not worried one bit about market values. And cost savings from ditching your 17-23mpg V8 4runner (or v6), for a Ford Escort, will realize the cost savings of gas, go right back into the repairs of alternators, power steering pumps, broken switches, etc... The only cost of the 4runner, is the gas. A cost that all cars have. The difference though, is for us, it's just gas, and not constant repairs and recalls like the boys at gm, ford, volvo, bmw, landrover, and others.
My 05' V8 gets about the same gas mileage as my neighbors 2.5 boxer 4 in his 06 Subaru Outback, give or take 2 to 3 mpgs. But, my 2 ton+ 4runner will take a hit that would probably crush and kill the outback.
Don't be suckered into this media hype...Just remember the word "Bubble". As in Dot.Com Bubble, Housing Bubble, Junk Bonds Bubble, Energy Bubble, Corn Bubble....and Oil BUBBLE. Congress is already putting the wheels into motion to take action against the Commodities review and financial panel on Wall Street, to get these mega investor speculators out of our refridgerators and gas tanks. They've swarmed to the "life sustaining" portion of the trading floor, to make up for their losses in the housing markets, becuase they were IDIOTS and bought junk called CDO's, without knowing what they were. Who in the hell has a $350,000 mortgage on a single wide trailer in Georgia???
Last edited:
I hope you are right about the bubble bursting...it sure seems to be taking it's sweet time though...Do you really think it will drop down to 55-60 a barrel?
In the meantime I'm looking at the value of my 4runner and while it has gone down a little, it has not done the equivalent of driving off of a cliff as I was afraid it would do
I bought mine in 04 for about 32k, and I just did a check on Edmunds and it came out to right around $16,500. I think the Toyota name and the fact that it can actually be used for off-roading is keeping it from falling off that cliff...
In the meantime I'm looking at the value of my 4runner and while it has gone down a little, it has not done the equivalent of driving off of a cliff as I was afraid it would do
I bought mine in 04 for about 32k, and I just did a check on Edmunds and it came out to right around $16,500. I think the Toyota name and the fact that it can actually be used for off-roading is keeping it from falling off that cliff...
I certainly do believe prices will get to that level, or very close to it. This stuff today is nuts, and in my opinion, stinks of Enron type business practices. The investment banks are raping the commodities market to pay for thier own stupidity in the housing markets. I find it sickening that some analyst at Morgan Stanley says "it'll be $150 by the 4th of July", then 3 hours later, it's up over $11 dollars. Geee.....I wonder how much money that guy just made for Morgan Stanley?? It's criminal to manipulate investments that effect the food on American's table. But what's worse, is Congress has allowed it to happen, and would continue if the public "voters / market" weren't struggling so badly with it. These politicians are stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one side, you have the financial donors that make politicians win campaigns running wild in the markets, and on the other, you have Joe American going further down the debt rabbit hole. But you watch, and mark my words, the public "voters / market" will win this battle, no doubt in my mind. Just yesterday a panel of financial experts told congress point blank that if they would just install some caps, stops, requirements, basic RULES within the commodities market, gas would be about $2 a gallon within 30 days. When something gets so far out of whack that it causes major industry to shut down...it's action time. Perfect example are the airlines. But further trickle will be the mom & pop restuarants. You'll start seeing your local bank parking lots filling up with repos. You'll see a stall. That's when the "fight or flight" instinct kicks in. And either one of those reactions will cause harm to the financial markets. One kills demand "flight", the other creates alternatives "fight"...aka...diversions out of the market.
The other issue at the moment is the fact that those "senior" players aren't in the markets. They're spooked by all the turmoil, and are sitting on the sidelines, riding out the storm. So, it's now amateur hour. And all they hear about is how much money is to be made in the oil/food/clothing sectors. Welcome back, day traders. Same folks who ran up the tech stocks in 2000, which led to it's collapse. Same players who bought "junk bonds", and caused the recession of 92'. History repeats itself, time and time again.
The trick though, is to steer these investment banks to other alternatives. One thing we don't want is big financial institutions taking another whopper hit and start folding, like Bear Sterns did. That can, and probably would, wipe out a lot of money from the markets, and cause some serious problems. Hopefully, someone will realize the play to sell their futures contracts to Iran, right before the collapse. That would wipe them out. SOMEBODY is going to get whacked by this, that's for sure.
So, before these guys can take their profits from the commodities markets, they need to have a road map to other successful sectors. Oddly enough....real estate is quite good, if you know a little bit. Commercial Real Estate fundamentals continue to be STRONG. Understanding the differences between real estate types is key. Residential: took it on the chin, thanks to subprime regulations and used car salesmen becoming mortgage brokers. Commercial real estate however, is a-ok. You won't find any successful used car salesmen in that sector. Certainly not enough to have any impact on the sector's performance.
But for now, it's a candy-bag-grab for the next several weeks. Nothing will happen this summer, but as we get closer to election time...signs will start to show that the Bush Boys are leaving the field.
Supply and Demand only accounts for about 15% of the cause for these prices. Demand is dropping now too, thanks to folks parking their SUV, trading for econoboxes, taking the metrorails, carpooling, staying closer to home for vacations, etc.... Yet, the prices keep going up? Saudi Arabia said they'll pump 200,000 more barrells a day. Yet prices spiked again. Make sense to you? Even if the dollar is weak, that isn't supply and demand. That's financial plays of interest rates.
The other issue at the moment is the fact that those "senior" players aren't in the markets. They're spooked by all the turmoil, and are sitting on the sidelines, riding out the storm. So, it's now amateur hour. And all they hear about is how much money is to be made in the oil/food/clothing sectors. Welcome back, day traders. Same folks who ran up the tech stocks in 2000, which led to it's collapse. Same players who bought "junk bonds", and caused the recession of 92'. History repeats itself, time and time again.
The trick though, is to steer these investment banks to other alternatives. One thing we don't want is big financial institutions taking another whopper hit and start folding, like Bear Sterns did. That can, and probably would, wipe out a lot of money from the markets, and cause some serious problems. Hopefully, someone will realize the play to sell their futures contracts to Iran, right before the collapse. That would wipe them out. SOMEBODY is going to get whacked by this, that's for sure.
So, before these guys can take their profits from the commodities markets, they need to have a road map to other successful sectors. Oddly enough....real estate is quite good, if you know a little bit. Commercial Real Estate fundamentals continue to be STRONG. Understanding the differences between real estate types is key. Residential: took it on the chin, thanks to subprime regulations and used car salesmen becoming mortgage brokers. Commercial real estate however, is a-ok. You won't find any successful used car salesmen in that sector. Certainly not enough to have any impact on the sector's performance.
But for now, it's a candy-bag-grab for the next several weeks. Nothing will happen this summer, but as we get closer to election time...signs will start to show that the Bush Boys are leaving the field.
Supply and Demand only accounts for about 15% of the cause for these prices. Demand is dropping now too, thanks to folks parking their SUV, trading for econoboxes, taking the metrorails, carpooling, staying closer to home for vacations, etc.... Yet, the prices keep going up? Saudi Arabia said they'll pump 200,000 more barrells a day. Yet prices spiked again. Make sense to you? Even if the dollar is weak, that isn't supply and demand. That's financial plays of interest rates.
Last edited:
Similar threads
