Fuel Prices - $US100 a barrel

[AMG69]

Oh dear.      I guess it had to happen but I still cant believe it was only $US12 a barrel in 1999. Sigh.  I suspect the $A150 per Tank fill up of your W116 isnt far off.

[Brian Crump]

Where else can yopu get so much bang for your buck?
Fill up and enjoy it!!
How much does a night on the town cost? Or a meal down the pub? Or ..........(fill in yr own space).
One can not put a price on joyment.
Regards,
BC

[Andrew280SEL]

I know when I've filled up my W116 it usually takes over $100 worth. I wish it was cheaper obviously, but I'll still pay it.

Nothing's too expensive for my old girl! *pats car*








*okay, that was probably a little weird...

[OzBenzHead]

After a quick return run Lismore-Brisbane today (in some of the wildest weather I've ever driven in, with visibility about three car lengths ahead and 80 km/h+ wind gusts!) I topped up (90 litres) for just over $133.   Glad the friend I went to collect offered to pay!  98 RON @ 147.9 per litre.   

[CraigS]

Don't feel so bad. Here in Turkey, the government raised the price of regular unleaded on January 1 to 3.15 YTL/LT. That is A$ 3.05/LT. That is in addition to the 8% increase in gas prices and 15% in electricity charges from the start of the new year.
With an empty 6.9's fuel tank (of 109 litres including the 13lt reserve), this would cost A$332.45 to fill up ! As Brian says, go and enjoy it will you can. The prediction now is that it will go to US$115/barrel.

[oscar]

I still cant believe it was only $US12 a barrel in 1999.

You're joking   Man I never knew !!
I suppose I started to take notice during Gulf War II when it was between $40-50USD a barrell but in Aus, once the regular bowser price consistently stayed over a $1.00/L I kind of lost interest, went numb, and just handed the credit card over.  Even though Aus is still up there as having one of the cheapest bowser prices, I still hope we get invaded by Venezuela and Chavez implements a similar fuel pricing policy.

[s class]

Fuel prices have been steadily rising in South Africa.  We are now around US$1,00 per litre.  Thoug the public complains I gather this is still reasonable in international terms. 

[oscar]

SA prices do sound reasonable, comparatively speaking.  Huck280 mentioned in the "wolfgang" thread about effective public transport in Germany and I suppose the UK as well.  People don't drive as much and the fuel is heavily taxed. -

Public transport in Oz is only effective in the metro areas.  I'm a 1 hour flight away from Sydney or Melbourne in a turboprop which is convenient and affordable if your travelling alone.  Take a family of four and it's out of the question. 
The train is exhorbatant and is once a week. Buses, again expensive for a family and slower.

Example, a trip to Syd -
350se with fuel @ AUD$1.45/L here.  A 6 hour, 600km  trip to Syd would cost around $130 @ 15L/100km one way. 
Flight costs about $105 pp during the specials, so about $420 one way for the family then taxi, train and bus fares on top.
Train costs $300 and takes 11 hours.

This is all to a capital city, if I want to travel to another regional centre or town, driving is the only option.

Considering the ever increasing freight being hauled by road around the country I reckon our economy would severly falter if the Oz govt taxed fuel to the same tune as some European countries for example.

It's intersting though that oil is still very cheap.  It's the governments that make it expensive.

[CraigS]

It's intersting though that oil is still very cheap.  It's the governments that make it expensive.

It is when you compare it to bottled water ! A "barrel" of crude oil is 42 US gallons, or 155 litres, so even at US$100/barrel, this is still only US$0.65/litre. Compare that to the cost of your 1lt bottle of Coca Cola supplied bottled water, then look at the investment required to locate and pull the oil from the ground compared to filling a bottle of water from a supposed spring ! Easy to see who is making the better return on investment.

[SELfor50]

I've been filling up with Shell V-Racing which is the 100RON fuel.  Only sold at 2 servo's in canberra, luckily one is on the way to work.

Usually it's $1.56/L lately it's been $1.59-1.62/L.  From pretty much empty to fill up is pretty much right on $150.

HOWEVER, the needle seems to take forever to go down due to the better fuel quality...  I prob get about 50-80km's extra out of the tank.
Not to mention the accelerator feels more responsive.

I'm with BC, what price do you put on enjoyment?!  Europe's been paying high fuel prices for so long, it was only a matter of time.

Oscar, you're spot on.  My housemate (who's a pilot) and I worked out that if you're travelling alone it's well worthy to fly instead of drive (apart from the convenience of a car).  But with a family it's well more costly.  BUT, either way - there's less fuel burnt on a full flight to sydney than if every person on that flight drove....

Eh......  I recycle, I can drive a V8!!!

[OzBenzHead]

[...] if you're travelling alone it's well worthy to fly instead of drive [...]

Only if one flies on a discount airline and is therefore prepared to pay the difference in health and comfort.

I recently flew J*tSt*r from Sydney to Geelong - about 1.3 hours in an Airbus A320. The next day I did the return trip in an identical plane.  There was absolutely NO wriggle room, and I had pins-and-needles from the hips to the toes for about 10 days as a consequence.

I can drive a Benz from Lismore to Melbourne in less than 16 hours and arrive feeling not at all fatigued or uncomfortable - except for being a tad sleepy.  The same trip by air = an hour at my local airport; 2 hours in a ReX Saab turbo-prop; 2 to 5 hours waiting at Mascot; close to 2 hours on another plane; and an hour's taxi ride from Melb or Geelong (Avalon) airports.  That comes to about 11 hours - then I have no independence of movement at the other end.

Bugger it!  Next time I'm driving!  (Well, unless whoever is paying for my flight is prepared to foot the bill for a bit of wriggle room so that I don't get DVT or gangrene!)   I have told the organisation that sends me around the country that I refuse to travel on another economy flight and that they had better make budgetary provisions - or be prepared to pay my hospital, medical, and premature death bills.

Those aerial sardine cans ("cheap" flights) are an atrocious way to travel.

[Brian Crump]

I've been filling up with Shell V-Racing which is the 100RON fuel.  Only sold at 2 servo's in canberra, luckily one is on the way to work.

Usually it's $1.56/L lately it's been $1.59-1.62/L.  From pretty much empty to fill up is pretty much right on $150.

HOWEVER, the needle seems to take forever to go down due to the better fuel quality...  I prob get about 50-80km's extra out of the tank.
Not to mention the accelerator feels more responsive.

I'm with BC, what price do you put on enjoyment?!  Europe's been paying high fuel prices for so long, it was only a matter of time.

Oscar, you're spot on.  My housemate (who's a pilot) and I worked out that if you're travelling alone it's well worthy to fly instead of drive (apart from the convenience of a car).  But with a family it's well more costly.  BUT, either way - there's less fuel burnt on a full flight to sydney than if every person on that flight drove....

Eh......  I recycle, I can drive a V8!!!

Don't put Shell V Racing in your 116!!!! If I am correct it is 10% ethanol. Sorry if I am wrong on that point - but if I am correct then use it up and don't do it again!!! You wanna see your lines etc disolve into sludge? 
Regards,
BC

[Martin 280s]

Oh dear.      I guess it had to happen but I still cant believe it was only $US12 a barrel in 1999. Sigh.  I suspect the $A150 per Tank fill up of your W116 isnt far off.

I spend R$250 to fill up!...Obviously, I don't fill up too often.

[AMG69]

This is the first time I've heard the Tank is 109litres.....I always thought it was 96 litres (inlc 13 litre reserve) not 96 +13 = 109.  Same as the 6.3 then?

[WGB]

Saturday morning and no queues at the Servo - Marvellous.

Bill