Diesel Cheaper than Gasoline - Interesting Article - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jeremy5848 · #16 02-13-2009, 11:48 AM

I just checked . . . diesel $2.29 (also B20 biodiesel same price) and gasoline $2.07 here in Wine Country. That's the closest it's been in ages.

E300TD99 · #17 02-18-2009, 09:11 AM

Based on this thread, fuel prices of all kinds appear to be leveling off across the country. Usually fuel of any type is much higher in CA than it is in the midwest.

vstech · #18 02-18-2009, 09:18 AM

fuel has steadily risen here... from 1.49 up to around 1.90 for R, D has been fairly stable at 2.39 ish... my cheapo station accross the boarder went from 1.39 R / 2.09 D to 1.69R / 2.19D...

tankowner · #19 02-18-2009, 10:24 AM

In Columbia, MO we are at $1.77 for RUG and $1.99 for diesel - that is the closest in price that the two have been here in a long time. I think over the summer the difference was pushing a dollar. Sure would be nice to see diesel drop below gas again.

mrfeb14 · #20 02-18-2009, 12:29 PM

This past weekend I paid $2.19 for Diesel and at the same station RUG was $2.29! I was very happy to see that although it was unusual for may area. Diesel is $2.39 at most stations right in line with mid-grade unleaded currently.

Bio300TDTdriver · #21 02-18-2009, 10:41 PM

Diesel and RUG were both $2.19 on my way home tonight.

BigBen · #22 02-18-2009, 10:56 PM

Montreal area tonight,

RUG 0,899$/L
Diesel 0,849$/L

It is a new phenomenon, the past 3 yrs it's been diesel more expensive than RUG.

rcounts · #23 02-19-2009, 12:00 AM

Rug $2.03, D2 $2.32 here in Kent

You need to consider the effect of $4-$5 a gallon on OTHER people, Lance. If you can afford it and don't mind paying that price, then good for you. People who can afford that are going to drive what they want and spend whatever it costs in fuel anyway. BUT there are a lot of people, especially in the current econonomy, who can't afford $4-$5 a gallon. And in most of our contry, not driving really isn't an viable option if you want to hold a job instead of living on welfare.

Here's one for you to think about. I sincerely believe that a lot of the mortagage and banking crisis that has thrown us into this recession may well have been due in large part to the huge increase in fuel prices in 2008. How you ask? Well, there were a LOT of people who were just barely getting by month to month - just managing to keep up on making their house payments, car payment, credit card payments, etc., and keep their head above water.

If the average car is getting 20 mpg and the average commute is say 20 miles each way, that's 2 gallons of gas per day, 20 working days a month per working adult. At $2 a gallon that's $80 in gas, and if both Mom AND Dad are working its $160 a month just for fuel to get them to and from work. Gas prices double and suddenly there's another $160 a month they have to come up with on an already tight budget. Oil, tires, and other automotive expenses also went up with the price of crude just like fuel did, so let's just say a conservative $200 a month increase in the total transportation costs for your average 2-car 2-income family.

Now consider the effect higher fuel prices have on EVERYTHING else we have to buy just to live. Food prices went up 25%-50% just due to increased production and transportation costs. For a family of four spending $100 a week/$400 a month on groceries, that's another $100-$200 a month out of the budget just for food. The same applies to shoes, clothing, and all other consumer goods and essentials since they are all transported by truck. Though the prices maybe didn't take as big a jump as food. So we'll say those prices only increased 10%-15%. Now our family of four that used to spend $300 a month on those things now spends $350 for the same stuff.

So now the family that was just getting by, paycheck to paycheck, suddenly has a $350-$450 a month shortage in their budget. How long can most sustain that? With the dismal savings rate in the US (<3% of income)? The answer is not very long. You can't give up eating, or clothing your kids, and unless you want to quit your job you can't not drive to work every day, so what do you do? You get behind on your house payment. Of course the payment was probably really bigger than it should have been in the first place because the bank loaned you more than you could really afford, but that's beside the point. So with the impact of increased fuel prices, pretty soon you're getting farther and farther behind and next thing you know you're in foreclosure.

Multiply that by a few million families and you have a pretty significant contributing factor that lead to the mortagage meltdown that started this recession.

When you're 23 with no family to support and plenty of disposable income, its easy to say "let them eat cake" and believe tha gas SHOULD cost $4-$5 a gallon. But when you have a wife and kids you're working to provide for, $4-$5 a gallon fuel isn't necessarily something you can afford...

71inka02 · #24 02-20-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcounts

Rug $2.03, D2 $2.32 here in Kent

So now the family that was just getting by, paycheck to paycheck, suddenly has a $350-$450 a month shortage in their budget. How long can most sustain that? With the dismal savings rate in the US (<3% of income)? The answer is not very long. You can't give up eating, or clothing your kids, and unless you want to quit your job you can't not drive to work every day, so what do you do? You get behind on your house payment. Of course the payment was probably really bigger than it should have been in the first place because the bank loaned you more than you could really afford, but that's beside the point. So with the impact of increased fuel prices, pretty soon you're getting farther and farther behind and next thing you know you're in foreclosure.

rcounts - your writings have some valid points...IMHO, many have been living on the edge for several years and it's finally caught up. The credit issue has been way of control for several years - it's been way to easy to get multiple credit cards or credit line increases...think how many credit card card offers the average person receives in the mail -- each one bigger and better - Wonder how many average people 'jumped' on the new card offer, without transfering the balance(s) from their other cards.

The point of strong interest with this economic downturn is - this is a 'global' thing --- fuel prices in other parts of the world have been higher than ours for many years....and can be considered a factor for here in the US.

So now, crude is at an all time low - fuel prices are once again on the increase, and more folks are in an even worse financial situation than this past summer....So what are the corporate oil giants doing?? There cutting production and creating a 'supply/demand' situation with fuel --- They are hell bent to maintain the high profits they've become warm and fuzzy with the last few years...

Greed is a huge huge part of the economic situation we're all experiencing - just look at the banking executives and their bonus plans as one example. This is all in my opinion...

zu! · #25 02-20-2009, 10:14 AM

Well, weirdly enough, its been cheaper than gas for about 2 or 3 weeks now. Not sure what happened...more like the diesel price remained at about 85 cents a litre, then gas prices went up to about 92 cents and now its at about 97 cents in some places, but diesel prices hasn't moved up or down.

I just pumped a full tank for exactly $50! That's 58.20 litres. The highest tank of gas for me was $92.00 when diesel almost hit $1.60 a litre back in July.

pawoSD · #26 02-20-2009, 11:28 AM

I filled my tank with 17 gallons last night at $2.09 (plus I get reward points)....not bad! Premium at the same station was: $2.07!!! Within 2 cents! Thats how it should be. Now my relatives with their "oh but diesel costs more" statements are wrong!

$35 to fill a mostly empty tank....amazing. My most expensive fillup ever was about $88 for the same amount back last summer.

F18 · #27 02-20-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeke

Very true here in Texas...I also think it is making life hard for my local bioD brewer. People are less willing to try alternative fuels with the cost of petro so low.

Yep, I still remember the Oil Embargo of the mid 70's and all the talk of new technology, higher mileage and energy independence......it was all forgotten after the fuel prices settled back down and the gas station lines went away. It is now just a blerp in the US history books 30 plus years later. Sad really!

thayer · #28 02-20-2009, 02:51 PM

I still want a manual VW Golf tdi, (black with Tan Leather). 55 mpg on the highway. thats as good as my 86 Suzuki Intruder.

The fuel economy argument is here to stay this time IMnshO. Considering the dismal production and reputation of the companies building escalades and the general dissatisfaction with helping to build a duibai hotel everytime we go to the pump.

2.5Turbo · #29 02-20-2009, 11:20 PM

According to Gasbuddy, back home in Tacoma, WA it's 1.97 D2 and 1.99 RUG for the cheapest place in town. It's a Safeway too, so it's 3 cents less when you use a Safeway card.

Don't know what the deal is here in upstate NY, D2 is 2.60+ and RUG is 2.09.

Going home to my diesel for a week in exactly two weeks now!

BIG Doug · #30 02-23-2009, 12:43 AM

Not only is the price dropping at any one place, I found that the price was much lower on the same day, as I drove from the North Side of Chicago, (high Rent District) where D2 was selling for $248/g , but as I drive South and west towards Kansas City, it dropped down gradually to just $2.03 in Northern Missouri the same day! Now on the 22nd, D2 is $1.99 in Eastern Kansas. All that with the cost of high text gasoline going up!!
I think it is about time to see lower D2 costs. That may make the value of our old MB's jump up, if you were sitting on one, waiting to sell. Sorry to say, you may have to pay more for a MB if you are in the buying mode.