# I filled up my car for less than $30 yesterday! (Brag about your gas mileage here)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 19, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213 "2006-07-19T19:17:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/1 "2006-07-19T19:17:49Z")
Yesterday, when I got in my car to go home from work, I noticed that I was enough under 1/4 tank that I really needed to fill up before I went home. I did, and the total came to $29 and some change. Read it and wail and gnash your teeth and bash your heads against the walls, people who drive big SUVs just to commute, and anyone who drives a Hummer!
Note: I have nothing but sympathy for people who actually need a vehicle with the carrying or towing capacity of an SUV or minivan on a regular basis and who are shelling out a lot of money at the pumps. But the ones who have them for status, or (even worse) because they want the other guy to be the one injured or killed in an accident instead of them or their kids- I laugh at them, paying more than they need to for gas.
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### Author:  [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/2 "2006-07-19T19:19:27Z")
Ohhh yeah. People used to make fun of my car, a little four-cylindar 1990 Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. Now they wish they had it.
**40 miles to the gallon** , baby. Read 'em and weep.
It takes about $30 to fill up my tank if I’m right on empty. I only have like a nine-gallon tank.
~Tasha
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/3 "2006-07-19T19:22:51Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#):
>
> Yesterday, when I got in my car to go home from work, I noticed that I was enough under 1/4 tank that I really needed to fill up before I went home. I did, and the total came to $29 and some change.
That only tells us your car has a small tank. Are you going to tell us how many miles your car ran on 3/4 tank of gas?
> [@](#):
>
> … (even worse) because they want the other guy to be the one injured or killed in an accident instead of them or their kids…
My car weighs 3300 lb and still gets 30 mpg in the city. What does that make me?
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/4 "2006-07-19T19:24:55Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#):
>
> Yesterday, when I got in my car to go home from work, I noticed that I was enough under 1/4 tank that I really needed to fill up before I went home. I did, and the total came to $29 and some change. Read it and wail and gnash your teeth and bash your heads against the walls, people who drive big SUVs just to commute, and anyone who drives a Hummer!
Just means your tank’s too small. 😉
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### Author:  [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/5 "2006-07-19T19:29:06Z")
Modified, turbocharged, fast, sexy convertible (1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T Spyder).
30 mpg. Yeah, baby! 😉
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### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/6 "2006-07-19T19:29:08Z")
Oh yeah. For anyone who makes fun of my Honda Civic:
Let’s compare receipts next time we fill up at the gas station, how about it? Let’s compare car payments, too- mine are $0/month, because I was able to write a check for the car 😛 I managed to avoid debt _and_ spend less money on gas by getting a smaller car 😃
> [@Jackknifed Juggernaut](#):
>
> Just means your tank’s too small.
I do kind of wish my Civic had a bigger tank- sometimes I have to fill up after only five or six days, and I’d rather only do it once a week. My last car, a Pontiac Sunfire, had a bigger tank, and that’s one of the few things I miss about it. It got decent mileage, but when I replaced it with the Civic, I found I was paying between 2/3 and 3/4 as much for gas per week 😃
What kind of gas mileage do juggernauts get, anyway? 😉
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/7 "2006-07-19T20:24:37Z")
I was going to say, I usually fill up (Civic too) for less than $30 but that’s because the tank only holds 11.9 gallons (would it have been that hard to spring for .1 more gallons??) and I don’t let it get below 1.9 gallons.
36 in town, 40ish highway, and he’s eight years old. Good boy.
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### Author:  [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/8 "2006-07-19T20:26:25Z")
I walk to work, and either walk or ride my bike most places. I think it costs me about $45 to fill up all the way, and I did so, uh… two weeks ago, I think. Yesterday, I drove the car for the first time in about a week, and noticed that I’ve still got about 3/4 of a tank.
And I’m sure that people see me in my SUV and curse me for wrecking the earth.
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/9 "2006-07-19T20:32:05Z")
> [@scr4](#):
>
> That only tells us your car has a small tank. Are you going to tell us how many miles your car ran on 3/4 tank of gas?
> My car weighs 3300 lb and still gets 30 mpg in the city. What does that make me?
I’ll bite… which car weighs 3300 lbs AND gets 30 mpg/city?
At to the OP, I think I’ll stick to bitching that a tank of gas costs $30+, regardless of the vehicle. We’ve already been reprogrammed, in less than a few years, to consider it “normal” for gas to be about $3/gallon. Somewhere an oil company exec is wringing his hands and cackling madly.
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### Author:  [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/10 "2006-07-19T20:36:08Z")
We own two Suzuki Aerios. 30 mpg, day in and day out, on our mostly rural commutes.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/11 "2006-07-19T20:39:53Z")
Not fair. How can we join in?
:: paid the eqivalent of $6.76/US gallon earlier today ::
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/12 "2006-07-19T21:06:55Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#):
>
> What kind of gas mileage do juggernauts get, anyway? 😉
Heh. New '06 Pathfinder owner here. 4700lbs. I get 19 mph going over the continental divide (11,500 feet) on my way back and forth to work. Flat open road, probably about 21. Not sure about in town. I never really drive ‘in-town’.
It has a V6 in it. I’m really surprised at how well it does power-wise. They’ve come a long, long way in engine performance and gas mileage. I’m am truly happy for that.
I almost bought a 4-runner with a V-8. The vehicle that I test drove had a little less bhp and a little more torque than the Pathfinder. It also did not offer the features I needed (adjustable pedals for one).
> [@Anne Neville](#):
>
> Note: I have nothing but sympathy for people who actually need a vehicle with the carrying or towing capacity of an SUV or minivan on a regular basis and who are shelling out a lot of money at the pumps.
Thanks to the OP for the acknowledgement to those of us that need and have real use for bigger cars. Love mine. So far it’s been doing everything I need it to. Haven’t had much chance to check it out in the snow as I purchased it in May. Though we did have a few small snow storms towards the end of May.
It replaces a previous Pathfinder. I was well aware of the price of gas, and the type of vehicle I needed when I purchased it. I looked for a long time, and approach it this way…
First and foremost, the car needs to be able to do the things I need it to do that is in my price range. Range Rovers where right out.
I also look at vehicle reliability. That’s often a crapshoot and sort of falls into the first group above.
For my last purchase, I had narrowed it down to two different vehicles. At that point I will start looking closer at cost and convenience options. Gas mileage doesn’t really come into the picture since the vehicles I could choose from are pretty close at this point. It’s not like I was looking at a Civic or an Expedition.
I also looked at more of the little comfort and convenience issues. Since I bought a brand new car this time, I was able to do a little bit more customizing. I was really, really glad to see that Nissan made the new Pathfinder a bit bigger. It’s perfect for me.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/13 "2006-07-19T21:08:25Z")
I fill up my SUV about \*once a month \* (I don’t need to drive very far or very often) and when I do, I use this gas station called [GetGo](http://www.gianteagle.com/main/article7.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=1127885&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1127873), which is right next to one of the places I drive to regularly.
GetGo is tied to a local grocery store chain. When you use your customer bonus card thing, you get 10 cents off per gallon at GetGo per $50 you spend. I share a card with my mom, who has no interest in driving out to GetGo. We rack up between 60 and 120 cents off per gallon in a month. These points can be applied from pharmacy and gift card purchases too (gift cards for other local stores like Applebees or Sears).
So tonight, when I go to get gas (for the first time in over a month), I’ll be paying **$1.87/gallon** to fill up about 14 of my 16 gallon tank. That’s \*\*$26.18 \*\* a month for gas in my **SUV** , baby!
I think I need to go get a less fuel-efficient car, just so I can stick with the status quo 😉
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/14 "2006-07-19T21:12:54Z")
I can usually fill up for $20 (2003 Sentra here), but I consider 1/4 tank to be “empty”, so I only ever purchase 3/4 of a tank at the most.
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### Author:  [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/15 "2006-07-19T21:15:13Z")
> [@scr4](#):
>
> That only tells us your car has a small tank. Are you going to tell us how many miles your car ran on 3/4 tank of gas?
I don’t know exactly (I don’t have a trip odometer), and I don’t remember exactly when I filled up the car the time before this (I fill up about once a week). But I commute 30 miles each way, in stop-and-go Bay Area traffic.
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### Author:  [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/16 "2006-07-19T21:25:02Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> It has a V6 in it. I’m really surprised at how well it does power-wise. They’ve come a long, long way in engine performance and gas mileage. I’m am truly happy for that.
Isn’t the VQ35DE great? I am amazed that in a 5000lb car, with 280 hp, and being as quick as it is, I am still averaging over 20 mpg (2005 Infiniti FX owner here). Good on ya, Nissan!
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/17 "2006-07-19T21:58:09Z")
97 Toyota Corolla.
Gas tank: 13 gallons.
Gas Mileage: 30mpg
Daily Work Commute: 4 miles.
$35 to fill er up lasts me about 3 months.
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/18 "2006-07-19T22:26:09Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> I’ll bite… which car weighs 3300 lbs AND gets 30 mpg/city?
It’s a 1983 [Mercedes 240D](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_240D).
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### Author:  [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/19 "2006-07-19T22:44:44Z")
99 Toyota Corolla
City - 30 mpg winter, 35 mpg summer
10 gallons to fill, lasts 2 weeks.
Seriously angered me when we bought a 04 minivan and the stinking underpowered POS gets about 20. My 71 GTO 455 H.O. got 15 (unless there was no traffic/cops, then it got considerably less). 5 mpg improvement from a tiny little engine and over 20 years of advances - no wonder the big three are losing money.
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### Author:  [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-filled-up-my-car-for-less-than-30-yesterday-brag-about-your-gas-mileage-here/365213/20 "2006-07-19T23:07:33Z")
'04 Honda Civic hybrid.
~13 gal tank capacity.
48+ mpg so far this summer, and I generally only use it for my 26 mi round trip commute across 520 on weekdays, although that’s changing as I get around to this thing called a social life. 😃
Costs me $30 to fill it 4/5 of the way – I get paranoid about running out of gas – and that seems to last me about 2 weeks. I’d have to check my credit card bill to be sure, though.
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