$100 fill-up coming to a pump near you

By Bankrate.com

With speculators running up the price of a barrel of oil to the $100 range, there can be little doubt that the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline is headed for $3.50, and maybe even $4, before there's any sort of fallback.

While such price increases will pressure new-vehicle buyers to look for more-fuel-efficient vehicles, there's a real sticker shock awaiting those who need or want a big sport-utility vehicle or pickup.

• Talk Back: What's the most you've paid to fill up?

Those vehicles are among the thirstiest gas guzzlers, delivering an average of 14 to 16 miles per gallon in combined city-highway driving if a driver is judicious with the gas pedal.

The real shock for drivers of these automobiles will come when the tank approaches empty and it's time to fill up.

Because they burn a lot of fuel, these vehicles have larger gas tanks, which can mean that the final total at the gas pump can be frightening.

• Video: Adding up the costs

How frightening? How about $100 per fill-up?

At $3.50 a gallon, getting change from a Ben Franklin is not likely to happen very often.

And on some vehicles, it will cost more than $100 to fill up.

Here's a list of some of the biggest budget busters on the market, including tank size and how much it costs to fill an empty tank at $3.50 a gallon.

Fill 'er up

Make and model	Tank size	Cost of a tankful (at $3.50 a gallon)
Chrysler Aspen SUV	27 gallons	$94.50
Ford Expedition SUV	28 gallons	$98.00
Infiniti QX56	28 gallons	$98.00
Cadillac Escalade ESV SUV	31 gallons	$108.50
Chevrolet Suburban SUV	31 gallons	$108.50
Chevrolet Avalanche SUV	31 gallons	$108.50
Hummer H2 SUV	32 gallons	$112.00
Ford Expedition EL SUV	33.5 gallons	$117.25
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD pickup	34 gallons	$119.00
Dodge Ram 2500 pickup	35 gallons	$122.50
Nissan Titan pickup	37 gallons	$129.50
Ford F250 Super Duty pickup	38 gallons	$133.00

As the price of gasoline rises, owners of more economical vehicles like the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry will also get wallet shock. Both cars come with 18.5-gallon gas tanks that would cost $64.75 for a fill-up.

Most of us need to drive, and while the ultimate measure of economy is the number of miles that can be squeezed from a gallon of fuel, it's worth considering what you're likely to spend when that tank runs dry and to factor it into your budget.

This article was reported and written by Terry Jackson for Bankrate.com.