cluedweasel

What? The average UK petrol price is 142p per litre. There are 3.78 litres to a US gallon. The current exchange rate is $1.59 to 1 UKP. According to my calculations, that's around $8.53 per US gallon.
As for comparative fuel economy, my Volvo S60 diesel I drove in the UK got 50mpg imperial, which is 37.5mpg US. My current Infiniti G37 can barely manage 16mpg US.
I did have a BMW 335 diesel for a while over here. That barely got 20mpg around town, which is 90% of my driving. Also, diesel in my area runs around 35 to 40c more than petrol.

shallishanti

Everyone seems to like the space, travel and outdoor pursuits that the USA offers. No one mentions any of the real life stuff ie the thing that you have to do at least 40 hours per week, work?! Is the quality of life when not at work so good as to overcome the stress of always being at work, bad/expensive healthcare etc etc?

We all love skiing, being at the beach, nice sunsets, friendly people but do the positives actually outweigh the negatives?? I get 6 weeks holiday, dont have to worry about getting ill and being covered etc etc and if I get on a plane I can be anywhere in Europe in 4 hours.

I am totally open minded about moving to the USA with my US citizen GF.

Imagine you are in charge of marketing for the US government and you are looking to import more hard working, law abiding tax payers into the country, how would you sell living in the USA to me? And bear in mind Im not a lottery winner so would be coming over with a view to working a full time job.

shallishanti

Does anyone actually enjoy driving in the US? There are no bends, draconian speed limits and cops everywhere. Is there anywhere you can put your foot down and let fly?

SultanOfSwing

Montana. A few other states have 70+ speed limits if I remember correctly.

I like to drive fast, too, well on motorways and dual carriageways anyway, not in the middle of a town or near schools. No criticism on the USA but there is something remarkably depressing about a freeway with a 55 mph speed limit. I have to drive a bit outside the Chicago metro area to see a 65 (or just over the border into Wisconsin) but even that feels too slow .

Bink

You've clearly never been to Houston!

This is why I have an SUV; comfortable, nice stereo, no corners to worry about... Just sit back and enjoy a nice ride chilling to some tunes!

And as for cops, get a radar detector...
(I'd like to add the caveat that it's only for out of town driving, can't stand people that speed in urban areas or school zones)

tonrob

Plenty of windy roads where I am, and also Interstates where people routinely drive at 90mph and above.

cjreisen

I'm simply quoting the prices listed in the article that I linked. Either way, there's no way in hell gas is cheaper in the UK.

Sally Redux

Cheaper gas

cjreisen

Haha, in Texas there's talk of making a highway with a speed limit of 85 mph. In many places in Texas you can go extremely fast, and I'm sure in the very sparsely populated states (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Eastern Oregon and Washington, Alaska) you can go as fast as you want.

SultanOfSwing

No chavs, pikeys or white dog turds either.

cjreisen

Chevy Cruze
http://pricinginsider.carsdirect.com...-least-40-mpg/

SultanOfSwing

Do you actually get the 42 mpg out of it? Fuel economy greatly depends on the type of driving you do. My car was advertised as being capable of 31 mpg, but that was the highway number and I keep track of my petrol/mileage and with all the stop/start in-town driving I do, I'm lucky to get 24 mpg.

Conversely, if I do a long trip involving lots of motorway driving, that goes well up over 34.

cjreisen

Cry me a river. If greater distances driving, and lower fuel economy are your primary concerns, then ditch your Escalade, or just get rid of your car and move to NYC. You can't factor in lower fuel economy just because you don't want a fuel efficient car.

Bink

But then I'd have to put up with New Yorker's Eugh!!!

Sally Redux

Great telly.