Fuel costs are same as in ’80s – shouldn’t we be happy?

Sorry – the vast vast vast majority ever compare any price with what it was 30 years ago – they only compare what it was a week or a year ago. (I did a simple study comparing 1970s prices to 1930s and found many prices had not risen that much different from inflation – though the perception of consumers was the opposite) – The reason for the study was because of a heated discussion with my fifth form students.

Before Suez petrol was around 1/11d a gallon (under 10p) – after Suez it effectively doubled to around 20p or 4.5 p a litre – to me it was a ripoff – because my income didn’t increase to compensate.instantly.

As far as I’m concerned – it could be good only because battery driven cars should be cheaper to produce due to economies of scale. At the moment the only reason I won’t buy an electric car is the expense at three times the cost of an ICE car

David, the fuel spend figures are based on Which? fuel economy test results, not official (manufacturer) figures.

The point you raise is a good one though – official figures are often difficult to achieve, and the EU test does not include a motorway element.

Over the past 15 or so years my fuel cost per mile remained pretty consistent at about 9-10p per mile until the latest price increases, thanks to two upgrades to more efficient (although not necessarily more comfortable ! ) cars. That is a real world comparison, hills and weather conditions included. On a longer time-scale, I remember paying £1 for 4 gallons when I was earning £8 a week, so in relation to my current pension, fuel is more affordable now. However I did have a bit of career progression in between !
What I do find disturbing is that most of today’s really efficient cars have such poor 0-62 acceleration that I would be wary of driving one down a slip onto a busy main road. Only the relatively expensive hybrids (or the LEAF?) aren’t such a compromise.

To someone who has stayed in the same job for the last 20 years yes perhaps petrol does seem astronomically high. But for those who progress and moved on to higher earning jobs as their experience increases, will not notice the difference too much as their wages have increased more than inflation.

Basically it’s all relative. Yes it seems crazy at the moment, but we have more disposable income than ever.
I chose to use the train this weekend over a long journey as the petrol cost for a full tank is now more than the train fare. But I have a 2l turbo engine and so it’s never going to be that economical, but I would rather have that power when I need it, rather than having a dangerous eco box which cannot accelerate away from danger.

Good acceleration is as good at preventing accidents as having good brakes.

It’s an interesting point. What has changed for the worse in recent years is the price of spares. Even a low tech vacuum pump for my Nissan is priced at £500 plus VAT and a cam gear £77.60 +VAT. Parts tend to last well, but these prices are utterly unrealistic and are a total rip-off. Fortunately I got a used one for £132, which is about the right price for a new one! Breakers are learning how to charge too, most wanted around £250 for this item.

While clearing out some unused junk I discovered a Reader’s Digest metric converter/motorists converter. It covers a range of 25 to 50 pence per litre, which is not a lot of use these days.

Interestingly, it also converts mpg to miles per £, and the mpg range is from 15 to 50 mpg. Thankfully, many modern cars will average more than 50 mpg, and hopefully fuel economy will continue to rise.