Scangauge II Fuel Economy Challenge

[Erdrick]

Originally Posted by maximilian

You're quite right: even if it doesn't pay it's way, it should be close enough that I shouldn't sweat the difference. I am afflicted with stereotypical Yankee cheapness! Always have been from a young age. My brother's the exact opposite, so I'm thinking it must be somewhat genetic.

Just for the record too, I am actually American. I even moved back from Japan a couple months ago... gotta update the profile!

[GasSavers_maximilian]

I forgot all Americans are called Yankees in a lot of places. I meant New England Yankee. We hardly have a nationwide reputation for thrift! Even the NE one is pretty damaged.

Where in Japan were you?

[JanGeo]

OK lets put it this way - I own TWO scangauges the original I and the II that I just paid to update - was it worth the update $25 HECK YEAH! Do I look at it every day I drive the xB HECK YEAH - can I tell when a tire is low by the MPG drop HECK YEAH. Does it feel weird driving without it HECK YEAH! Driving a friend from Vermont around one day he asked "so how much did that driving cost?" So I pulled up the current fuel cost and said $1.02 averaged 51.6mpg for 50 minutes of driving . . . pretty slick if you ask me! Now what if you drive a certain route and get great mileage and another route that is shorter but yields less mileage - you can pull up the trip cost and KNOW which way COST LESS. Did I need that $60 LED Flashlight I ordered last Wednesday Probably NOT but if I ever get stuck someplace in the dark having a flashlight that can run for 1.6 hours really bright or 80 hours dim and BLINK "S O S" automatically will sure be pretty handy.

[soda_pop503]

Originally Posted by maximilian

I am trying to prove to myself a ScanGaugeII is worth buying.

To have a Scangauge II pay for itself in four years I'd need to attain a year long average of 43 mpg (assuming average fuel price remained the same). Does this seem reasonable to any of you? It's an experienced based question, unfortunately. I did own one for about two weeks and learned to drive with it on the roads that comprise 90% (or more) of my driving, but I'm sure I'd be more consistent with it in place. My estimated yearly rate will be around 39.9 mpg, so that's a 7.8% increase needed for payback.

Fuel prices could go higher, but this last year did include some very higher prices as well, with an average fuel price of $2.53.

So my questions are these:

1) How likely is it that I'm going to be able to suck another 7.8% improvement above my already pretty tuned driving habits? (I'm getting 37.5% over EPA with 45 psi tires and driving habits alone at the moment).
2) What is a good working estimate for average fuel prices in the next four years - likely lower bound and upper bound suggestions welcome


I guess there is another way of approaching this. What is the chance that I'd get one and sell it off on ebay and break even. Since they seem to retain their value quite well, it wouldn't have to save me much to satisfy this failure case scenario.

how about you make it 5 years?

[GasSavers_maximilian]

Chances are I'll have moved to a more civilized by then area and my driving will drop to next to nothing. Actually, four years is pushing it.