Buyers say no to gas hogs
PANAMA CITYWhen DJ Smith started selling automobiles nearly 20 years ago, the price of gasoline was not a huge consideration for prospective buyers. Usually, only high-mile drivers, those logging 100-plus miles per day, took fuel economy into account.These days, it's different.#149Click here for a map of area gas prices"I've got people coming in here with calculators and charts, and you find out they're driving 8 miles a day," said Smith, sales manger at Panama City Toyota.With the price of a barrel of crude oil breaking records daily, and a gallon of gas at the pumps closing in on $4, drivers increasingly are concerned about how much of their budget is being funneled into the gas tank."I don't even have a quarter-tank, and it's already $47," Ken Kruger said as he pumped $4.25-a-gallon diesel fuel into his behemoth of a pickup truck at a U.S. 77 gas station Friday.The pinch felt at the pump has rippled throughout an already weak economy. The most obvious toll of rising gas prices can be seen on car lots across the country."The gas crisis has got people in a frenzy," Smith said. "Everybody's trying to get out of their big trucks."Over at Tommy Thomas Chevrolet in Panama City, finance manager Chris Cramer said he believes it's been more than gas prices driving people away from buying larger trucks."It was a combination of fuel prices and the economy," Cramer said, describing particular stalls in the construction industry that have led to a dip in truck sales.People working in the construction industry often need larger trucks to perform their jobs or more powerful vehicles for towing capability. During a booming period of development in the area a few years ago, these types of trucks were quite popular."Three years ago, guys were coming in here and buying two or three trucks at a time," said Scott Struebing, general manager at Cook-Whitehead Ford, adding that the lot's truck sales still were strong.There are buyers who require a truck for their particular job, though many are switching from diesel to gas or downsizing to a smaller model. There are other loyal truck buyers who simply enjoy a good pickup."You still have the folks that are going to buy what they want," Cramer said. "In this part of Florida, people are going to buy big trucks and SUVs. It's just our Southern culture."Going hybridSome people, however, are looking toward the opposite end of the automobile spectrum. Shying away from larger vehicles, these drivers are placing a big emphasis on fuel efficiency.Smith said that though full-size truck sales on his Toyota lot have dipped up to 15 percent, the company's gas-electric hybrid, the Prius, has enjoyed a 200-percent increase in sales."It's a waiting list just to get the car," Smith said.The Prius is a small, unassuming vehicle that boasts 50 miles per gallon. Other full-efficient small cars, such as the Chevrolet Equinox or Ford Focus, also have seen rising sales."Have you seen the engines on these things?" Bob Allgood asked as he opened the hood of his 2005 Prius and pointed out two neatly contained boxes. "Electric, gas."The retiree bought his fuel-saving car a few years ago. He said it consistently gets more than 50 miles per gallon. His wife, Evelyn, swears it once reached 100 miles a gallon on a trip to Gainesville.Allgood started up the hybrid in his driveway. It emitted a calm hum like an aggressive humidifier."You don't even know it's on sometimes," Evelyn Allgood said.Automobiles such as the Prius might be a quieter direction for fuel-thrifts to heed, but there are other alternatives that make a little noise.Starting up his car in downtown Panama City on Friday, Arnold Mintz said the topic of gas prices has become "an everyday conversation." He has friends who are shedding two wheels in pursuit of a cheaper ride. Forgoing the downsize to a car, the former truck owners are turning to the considerably more fuel-efficient transport of a motorcycle."Some of these guys have never ridden on a motorcycle in their life," Mintz said with a laugh, describing one friend hunched unnaturally over his handlebars, "but they're getting one just for that purpose."Meanwhile, most drivers continue to deal with the vehicular cards they are dealt."It hurts," said Kruger, his diesel tab still climbing at the pump.
NewsHerald.com  –  May 12, 2008 04:51 AM [GMT]
found in Local: Florida: Panama City