What happens when gas costs $4? There's a stampede for small cars

[depakid]

Ford Motor Co.'s $14,000 compact has been called the Freaky Focus. Complaints about the Focus line have ranged from a lackluster interior to a hollow, bumpy ride. One reviewer dubbed the cushiest model the Ugly Betty of little cars.

For years, the fuel-efficient little auto has taken a backseat to flashier, heftier rivals.

But as gas prices have charged upward -- crossing the record milestone of $4 a gallon for regular gasoline in Oregon on Friday -- Focuses and other shrimpy cars are the hottest rides around town.

Compacts sail off new-car lots. They pull in higher-than-usual prices on used-car lots. And as rental-car companies find it harder to keep compacts at the ready and track down additions to their fleets, some travelers are playing a new game: reservation roulette.

"They reserve something at a cheap rate, but when they get here, we have to offer them an Impala or an SUV. I have to ask, 'Can you take a van?' and they're very upset," said Tracy Chambless, manager of the Avis car rental office in downtown Portland. "I just cannot get small cars. I've just got one Ford Focus out there right now.

"I can't stop my brain from thinking, 'Ok, what to do, what to do?' "

In April, year-over-year sales of large pickups dropped 17 percent and sport utility vehicle sales fell 29 percent, according to Autodata Corp. Sales of subcompacts rose 33 percent.

Though SUV sales have been slipping for three years, industry analysts say a weak economy and fuel prices that jumped 10 percent between March and April alone have spurred the nation's gravitation to cheaper, more fuel-efficient wheels. Oregon passed the $4-a-gallon mark Friday, and the national average stood at $3.96.

For local auto magnate Ron Tonkin, the shift has been stark and sudden.

Experiencing a rush on small cars, Tonkin said, it's hard enough for him to get his hands on the compacts for retail customers without worrying about sales to rental-car agencies.

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/121220433076690.xml&coll=7

[doc03]

1. Gas goes back to $3.00 maybe even $3.50 Americans will go

back to the pickups and SUVs, the arrogance and stupidity of the American people knows no bounds. Take any car model, say a Honda Accord look at the size of them today compared with the first Accords. Remember the little Ford Bronco and Bronco II, the much larger Chevy blazer outsold them so they finally made the Bronco that size. Look at today's Ford Explorer its now much bigger than the first models. Now you have the Ford Expedition, the thing is like a Greyhound bus. I remember the first Japanese pickups, the Datsun and Toyota, the ones of today are twice as big. It amazes me how even though gas prices are going through the roof if they back off a little we go back to buying the largest vehicles we can afford. The Honda Civics back in the early 70's were practically as small as that Smart For Two car.

[trof]

2. We bought a Focus wagon a couple of years ago.

Cramped, poorly built, uncomfortable and it got 24 mpg.
My Dodge Caravan gets 22-23.
In November we traded the Focus on a Prius.
It's very well made, comfortable, and I'm able to squeeze about 50 mpg out of it with hypermiling.
We're taking it on a 1500 mile road trip Tuesday.
MUCH mo betta!

[Dr.Phool]

4. I just made a 1200 mile round trip in mine.

A nice, quiet, comfortable, 47.5 mpg.

My father was impressed. He's getting rid of his Crown Vic, and buying one.

[trof]

5. A friend just traded her Escalade on a new Prius.

I'm SO proud of her.

[Warpy]

3. I stopped seeing temporary tags on new monster trucks

and "room for a family of ten" SUVs here about a year ago. This is the wild west, so there are still plenty of the stupid things on the road, but people first started to buy sedans and now the temporary tags are on econocars like the one I got when I retired a truck that was old enough to vote.

I've even seen one brave soul in a Smart Car.

Things are changing the way they did in the 70s, when land barges suddenly went out of fashion and smoky groups of guys in driveways started to swap lies about gas mileage instead of horsepower.

Unfortunately, then as now, the big gas hogs will be sold at bargain prices to the people who can least afford to feed them, meaning little or no maintenance will be done on them and their lifespan will be shortened.

Let's hope this finally kills off the dinosaurs for good. The benefits will be cleaner air and eventually a cooler planet.

[depakid]

6. Noticing the same thing around Portland, Oregon

The tipping point seemed to be around $3.50 poer gallon.

Not sure where the doves of huge SUV's went, but you simply don't see them around in anywhere near the numbers that I saw just last fall.