( CNN ) Enjoy it while you can , but remember it wo n't last forever . That was President Barack Obama 's message to American consumers on Tuesday as he discussed near six year-low gas prices in an interview with The Detroit News ahead of a visit to Michigan on Wednesday to tout the recovery of the auto industry and the growth of American manufacturing . `` I would strongly advise American consumers to continue to think about how you save money at the pump because it is good for the environment , it 's good for family pocketbooks and if you go back to old habits and suddenly gas is back at $ 3.50 , you are going to not be real happy , '' Obama said . The nationwide average is sitting just below $ 2.20 a gallon and many gas stations around the country are advertising gas prices below $ 2 a gallon . But instead of returning to `` old habits , '' Obama advised Americans to save their money , `` or better yet '' use the savings to buy a new car , for example . He said Americans should `` not believe that '' gas prices wo n't rise again , explaining that demand for oil in booming countries like China and India will continue to rise , kicking costs back up . Oil prices have dropped more than 50 % in recent months , falling below $ 50 a barrel for the first time since 2009 on Monday . Many members of Congress are counting on gas prices to remain low , however , as they hope to use the low prices as an opportunity to increase the gas tax for the first time in more than two decades . As he touts the results of his bailout of the auto industry on Wednesday , Obama will also promote fuel efficiency at the Ford plant he is set to visit , which produces alternative fuel vehicles and small cars , The News reported . Obama gave the newspaper a preview of his speech Wednesday , in which he is expected to tout the resurgence of the auto industry and the boom of American manufacturing -- two key points of his plan for economic recovery , and elements he hopes will become a part of his legacy as president . `` The auto industry has led a resurgence of manufacturing in America , '' Obama said . `` The quality of the cars has gotten so much better that we are competitive â€ ” not just in SUVs â€ ” but up and down the line . The branding of American cars is back to where it should be . Michigan 's unemployment rate has fallen faster than the overall employment rate . ''
President Barack Obama urged Americans to be wise about their gas savings . In an interview with the Detroit News , he reminded Americans that gas prices will eventually rise again . Obama will travel to Michigan on weekends to tout the growth of the auto industry .