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Americans, to automakers' horror, are reacting to gas prices
Filed under: Opinion, Ford
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When will the American driver reach the breaking point concerning the higher price of gasoline? Previously, as the price of gas has gone up, Americans have simply sucked it up and continued to buy anyway. But what is the price level that will get us to change our driving habits?
Apparently, we are getting to that point (and some pundits argue we already have). Drivers can see that the price of a gallon of gas has exceeded $3; now there is talk that gas will soon be $4 a gallon. And that appears to be the tipping point for drivers.
The price is influencing the type of vehicles we are buying. Such vehicles as the Ford Edge crossover are beginning to sell better than other vehicles. Same with General Motors vehicles like the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave, which are also selling well compared to other more gas-unfriendly vehicles.
Moreover, the cost of taking a long car trip is rising as a result. People who drive such vehicles as the Hummer H2, which gets around 10.5 mpg, are feeling the heftier costs while drivers of better fuel economy cars, such as the Edge or Honda Pilot, are able to experience some savings.
Our take? So does that mean that if a family owns a gas guzzler they are less inclined to do long car trips and families with more gas friendly vehicles are more inclined? With the way the economy is now people can’t easily trade in their gas guzzler for a more gas friendly vehicle. They have to live with what they got.
And they have to change their routine accordingly.
via Detroit News
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