# Trade-ins losing huge value for SUVs due to gas prices?



## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Sales of new pickup trucks and SUVs aren't just slowing-folks are *desperately trying to unload the SUVs and pickup trucks* they already own.



> After paying $75 to fill his black Dodge Ram pickup truck for the third time in a week, Douglas Chrystall couldn't take it anymore.
> Feeling pinched at the pump, and guilty as well, Chrystall, a 39-year-old father from Wellesley, is putting ads online to sell the truck, and the family's other gas-guzzler, a Jeep Grand Cherokee. He knows it will be tough to unload them because he is one of a growing number of consumers downsizing to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars&#8230;.
> 
> "The SUV craze was a bubble and now it is bursting," said George Hoffer, an economics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University whose research focuses on the automotive industry. "It's an irrational vehicle. *It'll never come back*."


I no longer own a pickup...

How much are all of you paying in gas per month now? I heard one guy recently say he was spending almost $500 a month for her personal pickup.... Is that true? I can still remember filling my entire truck for $22. I think I have the old receipt somewhere framed...

Anyone tried trading in their truck lately? Has the prices dropped thru the floor on resale value? What are they offering for trade in value?


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## Decoyer (Mar 2, 2002)

I've thought a lot about buying a more fuel efficient car and bounce around on it a lot. After crunching some numbers, this is the conclusion I've come to:

Gas is going to cost a lot no matter what you drive. The real question is what is the ultimate cost of downsizing your vehicle? Say 5 or 6 thousand if your buying a newer vehicle? How much gas will you have to buy before you are out of the red? That roughly translates into 33000 miles at 22 mpg and 3.50/gal before you are actually gaining anything. Plus not having a 4 wheel drive in the winter up here sucks IMO.

My two cents, take it for what it is worth.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I would say from $500-1000 a month.. Rather gay


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I have a car. Oldsmobile intrgiue GLS. Great car with a ton of room for all of my hunting stuff. I was going to get a truck when I wrecked my other car, but after calculating the gas cost for the truck I wanted, the car was cheaper in the long run.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Yes the market is dropping, and dropping fast. Many used car lots will not even accept one on trade in as it will not sell. The bigger the engine, the worse it is.

Us older guys remember the late 70s when we had $1.75 gas which is = to today $3.50 a gal gas when inflation is factored in. Back then the same thing happened, the gas hogs dropped in value by over 30% while fuel efficient ones rose by 30%. Yup the 8- 10 MPG gas hogs were a dime a dozen back then. Today the 10-14 MPG are considered the gas hogs.

Anything with 20+ MPG is what folks are wanting. 30+ even better yet.

More than a few economists are saying $5 to 6 by 2010-12 range. That is 2 to 4 years away, but something to consider when buying.

What stinks is even if you go to a smaller PU like a Dakota or Colorado, the mileage is not that much better than a full size PU like 18MPG, not the increase one would hope for.

Also no matter how you slice it, "power" means bad gas mileage. Everybody wanted power, and that meant they built engines with 8 cyl and put them in small trucks. Just plain stupid for a 1/2 ton to have a 5.7l engine driving around the city. I remember speedometers used to go to 120, after 1980 they went to 85,some even to 75, as they went to smaller motors and higher gear ratios on the differential to get better gas milage, but you do loose pick up and go and high crusing speeds. You just can not have it both ways. I bet they start offering the same thing by 09 models as the customer demand shifts back to good mileage.

I have a 7.4l Ford 2 ton work truck, it gets 8 MPG


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> remember the late 70s when we had $1.75 gas


or the 90's when it was $.98 cents a gallon Mr. encyclopedia, where were you??


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

I was hunting in ND :lol:

My point was this is not the 1st time this has happened where values on gas hogs dropped as gas price soared.


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> I was hunting in ND


 :eyeroll: MN the land of 10,000 lakes and no fowl, that is what there license plates should say


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Try running a dump truck, two diesel's and a car... Oh and a bike!

More power doesn't mean less milage. I just put a test drive chip in my truck. AKA after 4 days it deletes itself... well it added 200 horse and gave me three MPG better... What up now?


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## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

I am buying a white Yaris. It will double as cheap transportation and a snow goose blind.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Man just checked how much fuel for my bike will be..... $21 a Gal. good thing we aren't burning that crap!


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## Sparky477 (May 4, 2004)

Dumped my wifes Mercury Mountaineer about a year ago and got her a nice front wheel drive car that gets more than twice the milage.....guess I timed that about right.


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## gunattic (Jan 9, 2005)

I got rid of a bad gas mileage Ford explorer with all the frills 2 years ago for a Honda Fit.. it's great! 45,000 miles later, a difference of around 1870 gallons of fuel, at say an average of $2.65 over the 2 years.. only a savings of about $5000... not bad.. Shoot, the darn little car has almost as much room as the explorer too...
Anyone want to buy our '05 Tahoe?


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## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

I still have my pickup that i pretty much only drive when I need to. My gf and I got a new car this summer that gets around 30mpg and we kept her old car too and I drive that, it gets around 30mpg as well. I drove my pickup the last couple weeks as I was waiting for brake parts for the one car and for the time to put them in. It cost me at least $100 to drive it during that time.

I drive truck for work and I'm sure glad I'm not the one forking over the money for fuel. The truck goes through like $9,000 in fuel in one month and thats running number 2. Through the winter when there was number 1 going into it i didn't even want to figure it out with the mileage/power loss.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

I think its funny how 5 years ago every "soccer mom" had to have a Suburban or Tahoe and every guy had to own a pickup for no reason other than drive to their office job or to haul their golf clubs around once a week. 
These are the people who are realizing they don't need these kinds of vehicles and are trying to "dump" them.

My wife and I both drive pickups and we commute about 20 miles (one way) a day. We spend about $100/ week just driving to work and back. Figure scouting and hunting and other trips into account and we can have a $1000 gas bill per month
We have two pickups because we need them. Between my wife hauling her horses around every weekend and my hunting, fishing and home/lake projects we have to have two pickups, We tried sharing on at one time ..What a mess.

We have made a few changes in the last few months carpooling ..cutting down on extra trips to town, etc and I am seriously contemplating getting a small car for scouting and commuting.

Gas prices are a pain, but I think many of those who are getting rid of these type of vehicles are those who had no use for them in the first place.



> Just plain stupid for a 1/2 ton to have a 5.7l engine driving around the city.


Take a look at the mpg of similar half tons with small v-8's or v-6's. not much difference. If you want fuel economy drive a car. Trucks are never going to be economical. If you have the use for a truck your are going to have to pay for it. If you cant justify the cost of driving it..get rid of it and drive a Neon .Plain and simple.


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## varmit b gone (Jan 31, 2008)

We have a car that gets about 25. The funny thing is we have an 03' Dodge dually that gets about 22 miles per gallon, and it's a diesel. And when we have our six horse trailer fully loaded it gets about 18. The new Dodges don't get very good mpg though. We have 06' Dodge dually, the same size as our other one just in 4 wheel drive, and it gets 13 empty.


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## fargodawg (Sep 20, 2005)

hasnt it alsway been said that the reason fuel is so high is due to demand?? I personnally want to encourage everyone to sell their trucks so I can afford to drive mine. Thanks all, have fun this winter. dblklk...this is what I read behind what you said: those that dont need SUVs or trucks will sell theirs so those that do need trucks dont have to sell theirs, I LOVE IT. 
let those who are concerned with gas mileage, and the environment for that matter, help my costs go down. shoud be back below 3 bucks in no time. maybe these are the same people that are not investing in their 401ks, or ivesting at all anymore, because the stock market is soo low.

buy low sell high, if people are giving away trucks...snatch them up...they will be back when gas is less expensive. keep investing at a low cost, the world continues to turn.

I may get another diesel just cause of the upside 5 years from now.

:beer:


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> hasnt it alsway been said that the reason fuel is so high is due to demand?? I personnally want to encourage everyone to sell their trucks so I can afford to drive mine. Thanks all, have fun this winter. dblklk...this is what I read behind what you said: those that dont need SUVs or trucks will sell theirs so those that do need trucks dont have to sell theirs, I LOVE IT.
> let those who are concerned with gas mileage, and the environment for that matter, help my costs go down. shoud be back below 3 bucks in no time. maybe these are the same people that are not investing in their 401ks, or ivesting at all anymore, because the stock market is soo low.


Not what I'm saying at all. I'm just replying my opinion to Ryans original thread. 
I'm just saying I bet alot of the people who are "dumping" these vehicles right now are the ones who started driving them a few years back when it was "trendy" to drive a big Suburban or a crew cab pickup when in reality they had no real use for one.. (They don't hunt, or pull a boat or horses or haul construction equipment or similar.) 
Sure the resale will be hurting on these "gas guzzlers" but I don't think you'll see as dramatic of a change here in Nodak compared to other parts of the country. Rural states have always seen lots of pickups on the roads, I wouldn't expect to see a huge change here. (at the current gas prices)
As far as my own use goes, I have made changes in my driving habits and will continue to do so, but for my families lifestyle (and livelihood for that matter) we need pickups. Gas will continue to climb and we will still own them. Changes will be made in other areas to make up for it, financially.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

ac700wildcat said:


> I still have my pickup that i pretty much only drive when I need to. My gf and I got a new car this summer that gets around 30mpg and we kept her old car too and I drive that, it gets around 30mpg as well. I drove my pickup the last couple weeks as I was waiting for brake parts for the one car and for the time to put them in. It cost me at least $100 to drive it during that time.
> 
> I drive truck for work and I'm sure glad I'm not the one forking over the money for fuel. The truck goes through like $9,000 in fuel in one month and thats running number 2. Through the winter when there was number 1 going into it i didn't even want to figure it out with the mileage/power loss.


9 K a month? I did some math! So you put on over 300 miles a day with a rig that gets 4 MPG? I take it you truck?


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I traded in our SUV in January.....new car gets 28-32 mpg vs 19-22.

Still have a pickup,but I mainly use my 94 Honda Civic for tooling around.....40-45 mpg.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

I was going to buy a new 150 when I come home but realized the truck I have now is plenty good. Instead, I should invest in a used car to drive around in and scout with and such. My dad has an 07 Ford 150 that gets at best 13-14 mpg-He just bought a used ford fusion and saif he should be able to save around 6000 a year


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## diver_sniper (Sep 6, 2004)

Maybe I'm just young and naive, or I don't drive enough, or maybe I just haven't been driving long enough to appreciate affordable gas, but I don't see a car anywhere in my near future. It's not fun filling up, but I can handle it for now.

However, a Geo plastered in hunting stickers to the point where you can hardly see out of it for scouting wouldn't hurt either. If I'm gonna do it I'm gonna go all out though. Tear out most of the interior, get some performance stuff and a wing on the back, 50 mpg, lets do it baby


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## SDwaterfowler (Mar 2, 2006)

Along with my truck, I also have a "hooptie"... a 94 Saturn 4cyl (the White Knight) that gets 35 mpg. I paid $1000 for it a few years ago and it has easily paid for itself several times over in the amount of gas it has saved me on scouting trips and just day to day driving. My friends keep telling me I need to paint it to look like a snow goose but I haven't quite built up the balls to do that yet.


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## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

hunt4P&Y said:


> ac700wildcat said:
> 
> 
> > I still have my pickup that i pretty much only drive when I need to. My gf and I got a new car this summer that gets around 30mpg and we kept her old car too and I drive that, it gets around 30mpg as well. I drove my pickup the last couple weeks as I was waiting for brake parts for the one car and for the time to put them in. It cost me at least $100 to drive it during that time.
> ...


Yeah I drive a truck for my job. The truck runs 7days a week around 515 miles a day. I drive 340 miles a night 5 or six nights a week and a couple other people take the nights I don't drive plus the other run during the day that is about 175 miles. We actually get pretty good mileage compared to a lot of trucks on the road. I know we have backed off a bit to try save some more on fuel too.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> Us older guys remember the late 70s when we had $1.75 gas


Ouch, now I am really feeling old. I remember my dad having a fit because of the huge jump gas had taken. It went from .13 to .17 per gallon. Yup 13 pennies. That was on the farm of course. The poor suckers in town were paying .20 per gallon. Can't remember somewhere around 1955.

I am afraid my new Yukon will not be worth much when I want to trade it in two years. My other vehicle???? GMC Duramax. Maybe I need a cheap 1980's 4 cylinder for a run around.


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

you guys are going to hate me when i say this, but I tell ya its really nice, I usually use a vehicle to drive to work once every about 2 months, I live 2 blocks from the school where i work. I usually get free gas during the summer through work.  sorry just had to brag a little


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

With gas near $4 a gallon, people *are buying smaller cars, *selling-or attempting to sell-their *gas guzzlers, *moving back into cities, and, in the aftermath of the bursting of the housing bubble, driving up the price of houses along established mass transit lines in larger cities...

So here comes today's latest nugget of fun&#8230; what do you think is going to go down when *gas hits $7.50 a gallon?*



> *A scary thought: Gasoline at $7.50 a gallon*
> Posted May 06 2008, 09:14 PM by Charley Blaine
> 
> I'm really not here to scare you, but, get ready, I AM going to scare you.
> ...


Anyone invested more money into Big Oil recently? Think you might want to now?


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Ever get that feeling??


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

dblkluk said:


> Ever get that feeling??


Yep I think there is definitely an element to that in these articles...

I'll give ya that.

Nice pic btw...


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

> That's more than the estimated $720 million a day spent in Iraq.


Who came up with that ridiculous number???????

Where does this crap come from? I was believing most of this article then they come out with a totally untrue statement at the end of the article? WTF


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

ac700wildcat said:


> hunt4P&Y said:
> 
> 
> > ac700wildcat said:
> ...


Well as long as you can still charge enough to make it worth it! It is a good thing!

I can't even imagine what some of the big trucking companies put into fuel a week. Just talked to the Owner of Master construction, damn near fell over when he told me what they have put in. And they haven't even started running everything yet.... WOW


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Here's an idea that might have some merit a decade from now...



> *Heading skyward to beat gridlock *
> By Maggie Shiels
> Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley
> 
> ...


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7384788.stm

Can you imagine hundreds of planes flying around overhead at low altitude pulling into an office near you?

I wonder if this really could be the next great thing?

Ryan


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> Can you imagine hundreds of planes flying around overhead at low altitude pulling into an office near you?


I'm trying to picture some of my co workers flying a plane...
No thanks I'll walk...


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## T Shot (Oct 4, 2002)

Just doesn't seem feasible for daily commutes for us simple folk don't live in a large metropolitan area. It would be great for longer trips though. The Jetsons have been doing it for years...


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Inaccurate Numbers in above posted article:

_If crude hits $150 a barrel, we could be looking at $5 a gallon or so for the retail price of gasoline. That's based on Tuesday's $3.61-a-gallon national average and the rule of thumb that, for every $1 increase in crude oil, the pump price rises 5 cents a gallon. _

Based upon the last line, it would be $7.50 a gal if 5cents per $1 of crude.

Thus it is inaccurate. What is in error is that crude accounts for 2.5 cents per gal. Meaning if crude is $100, 2.50 of the price at the pump is for the crude oil, then there is 50 to 75 cents on top of that for refining, trucking, taxes, and retailers.

Get rid of the oil futures (specualtion, and the price would drop by 1/3 by years end. I am not kidding, as what is driving the prices are oil specualators on futures. About 5 years ago it was 8 billion in trading, last year it was 248 Billion. See the corralation? It is these buyers and sellers playing the futures on margin, meaning they do NOT have to buy the oil as they only have 10% of the actual $. Instead make it so you have to pony up 50% of actual value, and that would stop the runnaway price increases which are 75% due to oil futures speculators.

As always, follow the $ if you REALLY want to know what is going on, and the single biggest change has been these oil speculators. Without these speculators, the price of crude oil would be 60-70 range. another words 2.25 to 2.50 range at retail.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

H20 is right, most of the price increase is caused from speculation


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

Living the lifestyle I live now. I cannot imagine not owning a truck. How do you drag a boat, sleds, wheelers, materials, ect without a truck? The minute mine is paid off, I'll be buying a used Jetta to go to work and to the city and whatnot. But I've got to keep the truck for my hobbies.

Yep, those damn speculators are the worst chicken littles I've ever seen. If they'd keep their pie holes shut, we'd be in a much better situation.


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## G.P. (Jun 17, 2007)

i agree with the fact that some people need trucks. I have a Dodge Dakota and i couldn't imagine not haveing the hauling capacity of a truck. Also i love having four wheel drive. I guess there is a simple trade of system that you have to think about. Do i value having towing capacity and hauling capacity and four wheel drive enough to justify the gas bill? Granted my Dakota gets 18 mpg so it is not as bad as some of you have. Highway it is relatively good. but i value the four wheel drive and the ability to be able to haul all kinds of gear and equipment over the gas bill. i work at a construction rental store and i was talking to a guy who owns a welding company, and he told me his company spends anywhere from 20 to 25 thousand dollars a month on fuel costs alone. That is crazy!


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Here's another up and coming alternative:



> http://articles.moneycentral.msn.co...r/FillUpFor5DollarsYouCanInUtah.aspx?page=all
> 
> *Fill up for $5? You can in Utah*
> _Cars that run on compressed natural gas are taking advantage of the lowest prices in the nation, and that's driving up demand for both the fuel and the vehicles that run on it._
> ...


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

I already posted that Ryan  Get a clue


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

USSapper said:


> I already posted that Ryan  Get a clue


 oke: damn townies 8)


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

I set you up for the GFY but DBLKLK is laying the hammer down-Dam commie


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

USSapper said:


> I set you up for the GFY but DBLKLK is laying the hammer down-Dam commie


lol no worries ! Thanks for the freebie!


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

Another choice for your work commuting options..

*the Uno.*



> The electric Uno is the brainchild of 18-year-old Canadian Ben Gulak who spent several years developing the bike, which is controlled entirely by body movements.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

My truck gets 10 mpg in town and 14 on the highway. Sticker on it when I bought it a little over a year ago, I believe right when gas dipped to 2.00/gal, was $11,000. Now I could maybe get 7 for it. Not to mention downsizing costs of a nicer car. I would probably be 6-8k in the hole and now not have 4wd, a box, straight pipes and mud tires, or my pride when I drive. :wink:

Guess I'll have to deal with it. It take $15 to fill up my bike!!!


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## Sawyerbob (Apr 24, 2004)

In the 60's I can remember going on vacation to visit Kin in Nebraska. We lived in Hamilton MT about 850 miles away and back then there was no freeways. Mom use to budget $45.00 for gas....round trip.


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## goosehunternd (Mar 10, 2006)

> straight pipes and mud tires


If you ditch the tires and pipes you would get better mileage


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

goosehunternd said:


> > straight pipes and mud tires
> 
> 
> If you ditch the tires and pipes you would get better mileage


Ya maybe 1 mpg more which isn't worth it when you're already close to single digits. It would take 5 mpg in town to ditch the pipes and tires. :lol:


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