This weekend I saw a commercial for a Chrysler car that would come with $2.99 gas for three years (up to 12,000 miles a year). They announced the deal last week and Suzuki soon followed with a deal for up to three months of free gas, up to $470 for the summer.The Union of Concerned Scientists called Chrysler's offer a gimmick that tries to "fool consumers into overlooking its vehicles poor fuel economy and environmental performance." The concerned scientists figured that the deal would only save consumers $400 a year. Boosting mileage by just three miles per gallon would give drivers the same financial bonus -- and would add up to $3,000 over the life of the car.
Of course, the worried scientists came up with these stats all the way back when gas was only $3.61 a gallon. Now it's $4, so the savings would be more like $650 a year. But their point about the lifetime savings from fuel efficiency is even stronger. (I don't know all the parameters they used in this part of the formula, but my guess is the lifetime savings would go up to about $5,000).
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