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Posted: **Sat 25 Sep 2004, 21:57:06**

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Oct 17, 2005, 4:40pm CDT Updated Oct 17, 2005, 5:40pm

People are changing their driving habits based on the higher gas prices, according to surveys by Maritz Research's Automotive Research Group.

In 2005, 79 percent of those surveyed said they are reducing unnecessary driving, up from 65 percent in 2004; 52 percent are not going on long trips on vacations, up from 39 percent in 2004; and 73 percent said they drive more conservatively, up from 63 percent in 2004, the research group found.

In another Maritz Poll survey, two-thirds of the respondents said gas prices had an effect on the size of vehicle they would consider buying. In terms of sales, according to the research group's New Vehicle Customer Study, trucks still made up more than 50 percent of new sales, although the trend was moving toward smaller vehicles.

More than 94 percent of consumers said they intend to drive less when gas prices reach $2.76 per gallon; 85 percent said they would think about purchasing a more fuel-efficient vehicle at $2.75 per gallon; and 93 percent would shop for a more fuel-efficient vehicle as soon as possible at $3.22 per gallon.

The New Vehicle Customer Study was conducted when the reported last price paid for a gallon of gasoline was $2.15, which was consistent with the U.S. average price.

Toledo, Ohio-based Maritz' Automotive Research Group specializes in automotive research. Fenton, Mo.-based Maritz Inc. is the 10th largest privately held company in St. Louis.

Posted: **Sun 04 Feb 2018, 22:54:25**

I wonder how things will change this time around? It was almost like magic where I live, just as soon as gasoline price fell below $3.00/gal the sales of SUV's and Pickup trucks went back to 2005 like levels as if the new prices were a permanent condition. Now gasoline is bouncing between $2.35/gal and $2.75/gal so I am wondering, with $3.00/gal be the cut off going up the same way it was in prices coming down in 2015?

Posted: **Mon 05 Feb 2018, 00:27:50**

Tanada wrote:I wonder how things will change this time around? It was almost like magic where I live, just as soon as gasoline price fell below $3.00/gal the sales of SUV's and Pickup trucks went back to 2005 like levels as if the new prices were a permanent condition. Now gasoline is bouncing between $2.35/gal and $2.75/gal so I am wondering, with $3.00/gal be the cut off going up the same way it was in prices coming down in 2015?

Doesn't matter at all to some of us!! $1/gal, $2/gal, $5/gal, we're already getting free fuel of another type, so let the price go as high as it wants!! The wife will be trading up as soon as that happens I imagine, turns out her new boss at work is the one who parks a Tesla S model beside her in the free EV fueling area! Currently, there are more EVs at the work than charging stations, the cat fighting has begun over who gets priority!

Posted: **Mon 05 Feb 2018, 13:10:20**

Tanada wrote:I wonder how things will change this time around? It was almost like magic where I live, just as soon as gasoline price fell below $3.00/gal the sales of SUV's and Pickup trucks went back to 2005 like levels as if the new prices were a permanent condition. Now gasoline is bouncing between $2.35/gal and $2.75/gal so I am wondering, with $3.00/gal be the cut off going up the same way it was in prices coming down in 2015?

The interesting thing is that without even going to a pure EV, the response can now easily be different than driving far less, IF $3 or $4 or whatever price is truly a problem for new car buyers or expensive car buyers.

Real world, a midsized mondern HEV (no plug needed) that can cart around 5 people comfortably can get well over 40 mpg. Over 50, if one is willing to drive a small, efficient car.

So for everyone who doesn't "need" a big SUV or truck to haul large loads or do heavy work (over 80% of folks? maybe 90%?) there are now plentiful middle class solutions that can easily deal with that problem.

(The main problem thus far with low gas prices is that makers like Toyota for the new hybrid Camry and Honda for the new hybrid Accord don't seem to WANT to sell many of those, having very few on many lots, much less in a variety of trim levels to try to give customers a real choice vs. the ICE version. I'm hoping if higher gas prices become a reality, that economics (e.g. competition and customer demand) will force them to get serious about stocking and marketing such high mileage alternatives).

For truly poor people, that's more of an issue, but if you're on food stamps, can't afford your rent etc, then things like taking the bus, riding a bike, living close to work, carpooling, etc. should at least be considered by rational people who truly need to save money.

...

OTOH, I'll contend that for the vast majority of people in the first world, it's more an inconvenience than a major issue. Last time I checked, median household income in the US was approaching $60,000 a year. The average transaction price for a new car was well over $30,000. With numbers like that, most people can well afford an extra few hundred or even several hundred dollars for fuel, even if they don't LIKE it.

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