With fuel prices dropping, what's going to happen to Mirage sales?

[MetroMPG]

Image: A Siegel

Fuel prices are dropping with declining oil prices. They're near 4 year lows lately.

Makes me wonder how it's going to affect Mirage sales, since fuel economy is one of its main selling points.

Americans (and probably Canadians as well) have "high gas price amnesia". When fuel prices drop, they buy a lot fewer efficient cars and head for thirstier crossovers, SUV's and pickups, without thinking of what's likely to happen to prices in the future:

> The Truth About Cars: Quote Of The Day: Gas Price Amnesia

All this makes me a bit concerned about the Mirage hatch and the prospect for the Mirage sedan making its way overseas, too.

Would you still have bought a Mirage if you knew gas was only going to cost 2/3 of what it did when you got the car?

[cookiemonster]

I'm not too worried. Frugalists will continue to be frugalists, and a fill-up of $30 dropping to $20 will make the Mirage even more attractive to people like us.

Besides, I attribute the drop in gas prices to the upcoming November elections; I fully expect the prices to rebound soon afterwards.

[fatcat]

people still have to buy the gas for their cars...I myself do not like the fact that I pay all this money for gas that just gets burned up. Sure others that drive SUV's or big trucks are paying less than they used to for their gas, but will still be paying out at least twice as much as I do when it is time to fill up. My Mirage does it's job at getting me where I need to go for what I feel is a fair price to pay for a vehicle and the gas it needs to get me there. It is a fun little car and I love it!

[MetroMPG]

It doesn't affect me -- I've been interested in efficient cars for a lot longer than gas has been expensive.

And I like the idea of "frugalist" as a market segment.

That article talks about hybrids specifically, and sometimes people buy those because the gas price math makes a clear case for getting one (when prices are high), even though they cost more to buy upfront.

[Basic]

I refuse to drive a "daily driver" that gets less than 30 MPG. I have real toys if I want to go play (72 & 73 Dodge Chargers, 78 Ford Mud Truck, Jeep, etc) I will never understand wanting to beat myself up trying to daily one tho...

I hope gas continues to get cheaper and cheaper... I want to see it back around a buck a gallon like when I was in high school... 10 bucks to fill up the Mirage?!?!?! I will love it even more.

[Yttrium]

Well, if gas was 6 cents a gallon in the USA, I probably would have just kept driving older $1000 trucks into the ground instead of driving the Mirage. But, gas prices probably won't get that low here.

[DonHoot]

Not only do we save money with better fuel economy, we also emit less pollutants! Don't forget that point.

[Charlie]

Even if gas had been 50 cents a gallon when I bought the Mirage, I would have still bought it. It's still amazingly cheap to buy new, and I do care more about the fact that oil is a finite resource, so using less if you can is still important to me.

-Charlie-

[m4v3r1ck]

Damn your gas prices are way too cheap .... I keep on filling for 50 euro (65 USD-ish?) for one tank!

[kissfan]

That just means it's even cheaper than ever to drive a mirage.