SUV Sales Don't Influence Gas Prices

EDITOR'S NOTE: Gasoline prices have risen sharply this year, and as the summer driving season approaches we might see the dreaded $3 sign at the pumps. With that in mind, we gathered some letters about fuel usage sent to Jim Mateja, the automotive writer for the Chicago Tribune. Here are the readers' questions, along with his answers:

Q: If I didn't have to pay more for gas because of sport utility vehicles pushing up consumption and prices, I wouldn't care less what people drove. Gas prices should be based on mileage - lower prices for more fuel-efficient cars. That would encourage conservation of our decreasing supply of petroleum. As SUV sales go downhill, don't you think it's time you stop promoting them? - A.L., Chicago, Ill.

A: SUV sales haven't pushed gas prices higher. When gas topped $3 a gallon, SUV sales were on the decline. When gas prices declined below $3 a gallon, SUV sales went up.

Gas pumps adjust the price based on regular, midgrade and premium unleaded gas or diesel fuel. Your suggestion would have them adjust the price based on the mileage of each vehicle pulling up to the pump. Would that be the government rating or actual mileage? How would the pump know your car's mileage?

Several automakers have long insisted the way to urge conservation is to tack a huge tax on gasoline so those who use it the most pay the most. Fairer, but a gas tax won't fly because politicians realize voters would oust from office those who supported it.

Q. Regarding your review of the 2007 Chevrolet Suburban, you list fuel mileage as a minus. I have a Chevy Tahoe, and it would be nice if it could get 30 mpg, but I feel more comfortable and much safer in my Tahoe than someone in a smaller vehicle that gets 25 mpg. I think 20 mpg on the highway is very good for a 5,800-pound Tahoe. - G.N., Naperville, Ill.

A. Safety and comfort are more important to many folks than fuel economy. When last we looked, consumers still had the freedom of choice to buy whatever vehicle at whatever price and at whatever mileage they want. Until the government dictates that we all drive 40 mpg machines, that will be the case.

Q: My sister-in-law owns two Chevrolet Suburbans. She says she should get a discount on gas because she buys so much. What do you think? - P.O., Oak Brook, Ill.

A: She has a valid argument. Why shouldn't those who buy more gas, more often, get it for a lower price than those who don't drive as much?

Q. The Toyota Land Cruiser gets 13 mpg city/17 mpg highway, the Infiniti QX56 gets 13/18. Yet we hear about only Hummer being evil and the H3 gets 16/20. It seems to me GM should get an award from the Sierra Club. - G.C., Joliet, Ill.

A: The only thing Hummer gets from the Sierra Club is grief. I agree that Hummer takes the blame that others should share, but your comparison is a tad faulty. The Land Cruiser and QX56 should be compared with the full-size Hummer H2, not the midsize H3. The H2's size is such that it doesn't have to carry a fuel-economy label, but I have to suspect it would be comparable to the other two.

Q: Please don't refer to gas prices as ever plummeting. They might come down (at times), but we can't be satisfied with this scandal. The American people are being conditioned by the oil barons and our government to feel good when the price will hang around $3 to $4 a gallon. - R.J., Lockport, N.Y.

A: You can debate who is responsible for the scenario, but, yes, gas prices do tend to skyrocket and then retreat to a level higher than they were before. This is a means of slowly conditioning the public to higher prices.

Q: Your recent evaluation of the list of "green" cars that are being sold didn't include the environmental cost to manufacture the green cars? It's easy to look at the fuel consumption and emissions of a hybrid without considering manufacturing cost. You fail to cover the complete spectrum of environmental impact: the energy it takes to produce the batteries or the E85 or the biodiesel and the federal subsidies on alternative fuels. You need to report on the entire spectrum. - J.B., Arlington Heights, Ill.

A: Any mention of alternative fuels or hybrid vehicles brings folks out of the woodwork demanding to know the cost that went into their manufacture.

Otherwise, how do you know that it takes more energy to produce a gas/electric than it does to produce a gas-only version? It takes energy to build any car, just like it does to make a bicycle.

Q. My father bought a 2002 PT Cruiser with 35,000 miles on it because the stated mileage was 21 mpg city/26 highway. After a couple of fill-ups, he's getting 12 mpg. - R.R., Palos Heights, Ill.

A. For its small size, the PT has rather low mileage. The 21/26 estimate with the 2.4-liter, 150-horsepower four-cylinder compares with 21/28 for a much larger Chrysler 300 with a 190-horsepower V- 6.

That said, the mileage rating is an estimate and nowhere on the sticker is there a promise, guarantee or cross-my-heart-and-hope- to-die vow that this is the mileage you will get.

Your dad bought a used car. The mileage he's getting is in large part dictated by how the previous owner used and abused the car. You might want to have the vehicle inspected at a dealership other than the one that sold it.

Q: From an economic standpoint, hybrids make no sense because reports say it would take too long to recoup the extra purchase cost via gas savings. None of these reports, however, seems to take into account that most luxury imports require premium fuel. Assuming a decision between a Lexus ES, which requires premium, and a Camry Hybrid, what is my choice based on the economics? - I.H., Park Ridge, Ill.

A: Lexus "recommends" premium fuel. You have a few choices if you're worried about the price of gas: Skip the cars that burn premium lead-free, or buy one but use regular lead-free, which will reduce your mileage a bit.

SEND QUESTIONS ABOUT CARS AND TRUCKS TO JIM MATEJA, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 616 ATRIUM DRIVE, VERNON HILLS, IL 60061-1523, OR E-MAIL JMATEJA@TRIBUNE.COM. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND HOMETOWN.

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