Bargain Buys on Gas Guzzlers

Gas prices hitting new records every day. Filling up the tank of a great big, gas guzzler SUV or pick-up truck feels like it is costing your entire week's paycheck to drive to the supermarket, where simillarly rising prices eat up another week's paycheck.

It's even a problem for Toyota, which is offering bargain interest rates on certified used Tundra trucks and Sequoia SUVs.

Certified pre-owned anything is a great deal. I'm a great believer in CPO vehicles. These are leased cars and trucks, and the conditions of the lease mean they are in better condition, and with lower mileage after two or three years. They come with new-car manufacturer and dealer warranties, even some brands even include 24/7 roadside assistance. Much more reliable than a 'plain vanilla' WYSIWYG used car.

Toyota is offering a low 2.9% interest rate for up to 66 months. That can save you $50-$60 a month in interest payments -- or the price of filling up the thirsty tank one time. "We're excited to offer this special program for our customers and dealers alike," said Norm Olson, sales operations manager of Toyota Certified Used Vehicles.

He's probably excited that maybe -- just maybe -- there's a sucker out there who thinks $4 gasoline is a good time to buy a 6500 pound hulk that gets 14/17 mpg according to the EPA, even less by the automotive website Edmunds.com. Let's do the math.

$60 a month interest saved, monster Sequoia that gets around 15 MPG, gas $4-plus. Wow, thank you Toyota, for giving me the gift of around 200 miles a month for this great drive. That makes all the difference.

Give me 2.9APR on one of your fuel efficient CPO models, like the Camry or even the RAV4 small SUV, and I'll run, not walk, to the nearest Toyota showroom. Or, maybe I would even drive.

Honda and NBC's Last Comic Standing

Honda is introducing its 2009 Pilot in TV commercials that have comics doing 30-second stand-up routines while sitting down, in the passenger seat.

The commercials appear on segments of "Last Comic Standing" for the last few shows of the season, through the end of May. the NBC show allows viewers to vote for their favorite comic.

Comedians who are not in the show do their shticks while one of the show's hosts drives and cameras roll.

Will viewers think the funny commercials are enough to overlook gas prices that can make you cry, not laugh, and buy the 2009 Honda Pilot?

The current 2008 Honda Pilot is rated at 15-16 MPG city and 20-22 MPH highway. That is not a great drive -- that is a great gas guzzler.

Top Tips to Save Money at the Gas Pump

Gas prices are causing sticker shock, and perhaps indigestion, too. But there are some simple ways you can reduce your pain at the pump. You'll travel green and make your car more fuel efficient.

Slow down. Driving 65 MPH, rather than at 75 MPH, can increase your fuel economy by 15 percent. On the highway, use your cruise control setting -- it can give you two more miles per gallon.

Behave. Aggressive driving, such as 'jackrabbit' starts and slam-dunk braking, can reduce your highway mileage by a whopping 33 percent.

Keep your tires properly inflated. Under-inflated tires waste gas, and wear out the treads, too. Tire pressure changes one pound for every ten degree Fahrenheit change in the outside temperature, so if you haven't checked your tires since you stopped wearing winter mittens, you are wasting gas. And money.

Get rid of the junk in the trunk. Manufacturers are squeezing out every spare ounce from body parts to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. So why are you carrying around everything but the kitchen sink? Junk in the trunk reduces fuel efficiency.

No idling. Get in the car and go. Sitting there with the motor running gets you zero MPG. That's why hybrid cars are so much more fuel efficient than their comparable-sized gas only siblings -- when a hybrid is not moving, it switches to the electric motor, which doesn't use gas.

Get regular tune-ups. Just replacing your air filter can improve mileage by 10 percent.

Check your gas cap. Be sure there’s a tight seal, to prevent that high-priced octane from vaporizing. Nearly 20 percent of vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are damaged, loose or are missing altogether, wasting some 147 million gallons of gas every year.

Fill-up in the morning or evening, not mid-day. Why? Because gasoline expands with warmer temperatures. You'll get more gas and less air when the temperature is cooler.

Pump your gas slowly. Use the slow setting on the pump trigger to minimize the amount of money-wasting vapors you are putting into your gas tank.

Of course, you could also drive less, carpool, take the train, walk.