Rising gas prices is certainly a sensitive issue right now. And the question that comes to everyones lips is will gas prices ever go down to the level they used to be last year ?  Even if small price cuts are possible, a return to reasonable gas prices doesn't seem probable. With the potentially bleak economic outlook and an impending recession, high gas could will pose extra problems for workers who are unlikely to see an increase in pay in line with the inflation in the consumer price index. So what does the future hold for gas prices and how will people change their motoring habits.

Gas prices may go decrease in the immediate future. Fuel costs may actually go down in the interim if the need for gas decreases sufficiently. People will think of ways to reduce their dependence on car travel, be it car pooling, riding a bike to work or working from home more often. Cars may become more efficient with new fuels appearing on the horizon. Thus supply and demand factors will consequently keep prices stable, even if on the high side.

However, one reason that gas prices will remain high is that oil refineries will continue to spend millions of dollars finding new ways to refine gasoline so that it burns more cleanly. This is so that it can comply with the stricter emissions standards required. They also have to educate staff and to implement research and development for advances in the future.

So this begs the question, will the government take action to regulate the gas price in some way? In some countries they have tried this but it has proved difficult to implement given the varied political agendas at stake and the vast amount of taxes that are applied to gasoline use. So as the prices of most items in the United States go upwards due to the high cost of fuel, it is up to people to make the difference to answer the question will gas prices ever go down.

People will travel less and spend less, hurting our economy even more, and as the cost of food rises, the quality of food people purchase will decrease which will probably result in higher health care and insurance costs. People will also have to get organized, for instance, by shopping once a week rather than driving down to the shop each day for groceries, traveling time and fuel consumption can be reduced.

The way to act is to let your voice be heard. Don't mutter on to your neighbors or even your work colleagues, go to the people that can act for you - your elected officials. Get in touch with them by any means possible, be it by snail mail, email or the good old telephone, after all, your taxes pay their salary so they are on your payroll. Unfortunately big oil companies may hold great sway with our elected leaders, but many voices raised as one can initiate the changes needed.

So will gas prices ever go down to more comfortable levels? Unfortunately, the things that determine the price of fuel are varied and often work at cros purposes, so the chances that they will all work together to bring about change in the gas price is unlikely. Even so, with your views added to the rising list of people who want change, our country’s administraters may take heed and implement a plan to halt to the out-of-control, inflationary spiral.

Regardless of government or oil companies responses to increased gas prices, you can do something to improve your fuel consumption with auto hydrogen conversion kits. Effectively they change the mixture of fuel that  your car uses by mixing it with hydrogen gas. This is thought to improve fuel economy. Ther are plenty of manuals around that give you step by step instructions on how to install such a system in your car. Learn more about the leading hydrogen conversion kit guides, including gas4free review at www.waterforgasreports.com

Lexus is a name that is very easy on the tongue and seems that it took some long and hard effort to coin it. It sounds perfect and perhaps too perfect to the point of being unable to evoke real driver emotion.

The IS 250 range is the entry level model which hopes to compete directly against the German offerings BWM 3 series, Mercedes C class and Audi A4. Although the IS has been around since 1998 and is only in its second generation, it has done a steady job technically and does not lag behind the big three.

All in all there are three main choices for the IS range namely IS250 (153 KW) , IS 220d (130 KW) and the IS350(228 kW). Other models are the performance version IS F (V8 311 KW) and the convertibles(IS250 C and IS 350C).

South Africa has at present only the IS range with pricing starting at R328 900.00 (manual) with the  most expensive model being R410 700.00 (SE auto). In general the IS250 is a good car and technically perfect as it was indented but for some reason the human elements seem to have been left behind.

Firstly the engine options for the IS250. The entry R328 900.00 price is arguably okay for a 153kw engine but how would Lexus justify paying R420 000 for exactly the same engine?

Furthermore the difference to put it in very simple terms between the models costing R330 000.00 and R420 000.00 is really just extras for comfort and convenience. These are better headlamps, Electronic Multi Vision display with dvd navigation, seat heating, park distance control, Mark Levinson digital surround audio system, memory for seats and steering configuration. Consumers should be give a wider choice of engines besides just the extras?

Besides the odd(in my opinion) pricing arrangement, the rear seats are also a little too cramped. In fact some owners of the car feel the IS range is overall noticeably smaller than its German competitors.

Finally the looks. It is a little difficult to distunguish the IS 250 as more prestigious than say a Mazda 6. This is where things get odd for the Lexus IS. If the car was launched without the L badge it would be a little difficult to identify it as a competitor to the 3 series or C-class never mind as a Lexus. The car looks too sporty and with very little hints towards elegance and seriousness.

In the end you have a technically perfect car that wins quality surveys, does not break down nor causes any controversy in its styling but just a little odd to normal people. Normally people would expect at least a power increase if paying close R100 000 more on the base model. Space inside the Lexus IS would be a concern considering that competition has this aspect covered. And finally people expect a car at this price range to look the part without needing its badge.

In its pursuit for perfection Lexus has then produced a car which is a little removed from the driver and fails to invoke genuine excitement.

We are in the midst of a full blown credit crunch, yet people are still wanting to have the most extravagant new Cars under there belts. No matter how much people are struggling they still love to go out and splash out on a fully blown top of the range vehicle.

Let’s have a look at a few reasons why people love Cars so much and why they have to make themselves struggle to drive in luxury.

Social Pressure
This is definaltey the reason why people are buying new Cars. What is worse than going out in an old banger and then seeing your friends or a family member driving a top of the range vehicle. People do not want other people to see that they are struggling, so they go out and buy a new vehicle even though they cannot afford to show people they have made it in there lives.

Showing Off
A lot of people want to purchase a new vehicle to show off, they adore all the attention they get from having people look at them when they stop next to traffic lights or pull up in a crowded area.

Speed
Some people love vehicles that go fast, they know that by buying a new car, it will ultimately fill there thirst for driving at fast speeds. New vehicles run a lot smoother. Even diesels are quite quick off the mark.

Relaxation
A lot of people just buy a new car simply for the relaxing feel. This is 100% true if people are travelling long distances. They want to relax and have all of the latest technologies that are available.

Collectors
Some people are quite lucky to be well off, these people tend to have a habit of just buying new Cars and collecting them, they usually end up sitting in the drive and then get sold off after a few years. But to the buyer it does not really matter as they have the money to effectively feed their collection habit.

There is nothing wrong with purchasing a new car; alot of people look at new vehicles. But make sure that you have the right finances in place to actually afford the vehicle as if not you will probably end up getting yourself into a lot of debt and effectively the debt company may well take back the vehicle from you, leaving you with zilch.

Buy a BMW and Buy a Mercedes

It seems highly unlikely that by simply fitting a water container in the engine compartment of your car, inserting some electrical plates and using the gas that is generated to add to the normal fuel in your engine, you can greatly improve your fuel MPG. However, many thousands have already done it. There are now plenty of guides and manuals showing you what to do to build and install a system. Guides like Gas4Free offer full instructions on how to build a system, install it in your vehicle and tune it for optimum fuel mpg.

The internet abounds with very positive testimonials and there seems little doubt that the concept definitely works. But if that is the case, why don’t the mainstream manufacturers build it into every car they build? Even if the hydrogen generator system has already been patented, a simple licencing arrangement could easily resolve that issue. And there are bound to be many environmental advantages too. So why don’t the auto manufacturers incorporate this simple technology into their vehicles to increase fuel mpg? And it’s difficult to believe that any car offering twice the fuel mpg of its competition wouldn’t completely dominate the market. 

There must be something preventing the car companies from taking the plunge.

Are they being pressurized by the global oil companies not to introduce new fuel saving technology because sales would fall? 

Are they in a cartel? Are national governments involved in this? Does OPEC play any part in this and what is the political agenda on this type of thing? It’s not at all clear is it?

A quick search of the web will reveal numerous testimonials from satisfied drivers who have fitted the systems and report remarkable results. 

Hey, I’m not so naive that I believe everything I see in the Web so I’m going to go ahead and a fit a hydrogen generator into my 2002 Honda to see if I can achive the fuel mpg savings promised. 

Fortunately, although I’m not a mechanic by any means, I do enjoy doing DIY projects and from everything I’ve read so far all the systems look pretty simple to build and install. In the fullness of time I daresay you’ll be able to find companies offering ready-made systems that you (or they) can fit in a very short time. To check out the market leaders, you might find this review helpful.

We all have heard the old story about how driving a new car off the lot will cause the car to loose 2/3rds of its value instantly. Everyone knows this, but people still buy used Cars constantly. If people understood that depreciation will actually cost you more over the life of the car than the gas will, people might behave differently.

Allow me to tell you a story about my own car experience. I drive a 1990 Honda Accord with over 200,000 miles on it. It cost me $1700 six years ago when I bought it, and I've been driving it ever since. It fuel efficient, is big enough for most of my needs, and as been generally reliable all things considered.

As you might expect, some repairs have been necessary. I've needed to swap out an alternator, replace some brake pads, and change some hoses that were leaking. On the whole, though, I've probably put only $800 into the car over the years (not including gas, of course).

My insurance is cheap. Since the car is so old, I don’t need comprehensive and collision insurance, which save me a lot on my monthly premiums. On the whole, this car is amazingly cheap. Is it sexy? Heck no, but it does it job while letting me spend my money on more important things.

Let’s think about what a new car would cost to get us the same point A to point B functionality. Say you spend $20,000 or so on a new Accord. Already, you've spent over ten times the cost of my car. Add more to that if you didn’t pay in cash, and took out a loan.

You're going to need insurance. Since you just bought a shiny new car, you’ll need both comprehensive and collision insurance, which can be high, especially for younger drivers in newer Cars.

A new car still needs to be maintained, which will cost money. All this time, the car will be loosing significant amounts of its value. Aren't there better ways to spend your cash?

Buying used will allow you to save a lot of money on the expense of owning a car. Think of how much better your monthly cashflow will be without car payments or overly high insurance rates. Buying a cheap used car buys you financial freedom.

A couple of months back I was sent a request to evaluate a new bunch of ebooks on hydrogen systems that greatly improve the fuel mpg of your car. This mixture of the two gases would then be introduced into your car’s engine and would effectively double your car’s fuel mpg. This got me thinking about all this alternative energy thing, and the more I looked at it it seemed to me that there are lots of different technical solutions to all sorts of problems that have never even been considered by the car makers. 

It seems that some had not been able to attract any funding to continue their research or they had been the subject of various sorts of threats.

Some, it seemed, have been offered large sums of money to halt their work or, most sinister of all, they had died in mysterious circumstances. Now, if these claims had been made by just one or two people then it would be simple to dismiss them and ascribe them to vivid imaginations or sour grapes. However, claims like this are popping up all the time. So what’s happening?

Just think about the average fuel mpg of the average car. It’s only increased by a paltry 25-45% in the last 4 decades. However, if you look at the Cars that enter economy trials and competitons, you’ll see that well over 100 mpg is achievable with little difficulty by ordinary Cars. With all the technology now available to car manufacturers it’s difficult to believe they are unable to develop engines that are both economical and powerful. You’d have thought that they leap way ahead of their competition if they came out with a car like that.

I need to do a lot more digging to see what’s going on here, but, before I do, I’m going to put a system in my 2001 Honda to see if it does what it’s supposed to. Luckily, both the guide book and the components are easy and cheap to buy. I feel fairly sure that it’s going to work because the actual theory seems to make sense and the e-books are selling well across the market. 

Of course, all fuel mpg economy systems have come under close scrutiny recently because, as the oil price has rocketed, improving fuel mpg has become a top priority for many drivers. There are numerous fuel saving offers out there and it pays to tread carefully and not rush in to anything. That said, there’s no point in delaying either and for my money, the hydrogen injections systems that I’ve been talking about offer the best bang for your buck that you’re likely to find anywhere.

Have a look at this review and make your own mind up