I bought mine (#2 Silver Pine) April 31, 2008. I never had any idea that gas prices would zoom and that the Atlanta area would have an extended shortage of fuel. I get 45 MPH combined in the metro area I filled up before it was announced to the public about the upcoming shortage (helps to work in TV news), went 450mi or about 2 weeks, filled up again and now comming to the end of the shortage I can still make it another week or so before seeking fuel again. Buying a Prius has turned out to be the smartest decision in a vehicle purchase I ever made and with the prices we have had in Atlanta, the return on investment is comming sooner than I ever thought.
After our extensive wait we finally got our hands on now beloved Prius Wednesday evening, in the height of the Atlanta gas shortage. We picked it up with only a half a tank of gas in it (the dealership will supply the other half tank when they put in the leather seats). On Friday we made a long delayed trip to Sam's Club for household staples and found managable lines at the gas pumps so we jumped in line. Twenty minutes later we had a full tank and no further worries about waiting out the shortage. Prius is a life save in these times.:high5:eace:
We are planning a road trip in our '06 Prius from Minneapolis to Savannah on October 19th. Would you expect the fuel shortage to ease up by then? How far south should we go before making sure we are filled up to avoid shortages and higher prices? I know you can't predict the future, but your best guess would be appreciated.
I can make no suggestions about avoiding higher prices. They vary a great deal even within the Atlanta metro area. The shortages are easing up as of today. Many stations still don't have gas but some do and their are no lines. That was not true this weekend when people were running out of gas looking for a station with gas. Only shortage now is for premium and that's not us Prius owners. The areas with the shortages were in several large metro areas. Savannah should be fine. Atlanta and Nashville (if you go through there) should be back to normal by the time of your trip. Have a great trip. Savannah is beautiful:high5::high5:.
I saw a film clip from Atlanta on the news about this story & while the reporter was talking to the camera, a red Prius pulled away from the pumps, having filled up.
rcaine - Thanks for your answer. We are looking forward to our trip. We usually fly for our vacations but with the high airline ticket prices and the Prius gas mileage, we can drive cheaper than fly including gas, staying overnight, etc. : )
I live in the Atlanta area and have been thanking my lucky stars that I bought a Prius in Feb 07. I bought a full tank just before the gas shortage hit and shouldn't need to fill again until sometime early next week. Seeing those long lines at stations that did have gas is an extra incentive to hypermile!
"Supplies in Texas appear to be sufficient to meet demand and prices are falling nearly back to the level they were before Hurricane Ike. The refineries and pipelines are reopened and increasing their capacity to refine and deliver gasoline," said AAA-Texas Houston spokesperson Sarah Schimmer. Light, sweet crude oil reaching a record price of $147.27 a barrel on July 11, is currently trading between $94 and $97." http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...85F5ED-8418-43D0-838D-3FBA73264EC2}&dist=hppr
If your trip includes a stop in Atlanta let me know. I'm a volunteer tour guide for the Atlanta Preservation Center doing walking tours of several historic neighborhoods. I'll be driving my Prius to my tour this Sunday of the Inman Park neighborhood. This is the Victorian neighborhood where Coca Cola families Candler and Woodruffs lived in the 1890's. Savannah has its own walking (and riding) tours. Enjoy them.
