Based on what most have noticed or measured, including myself, you have about 2 gallons left when the last pip starts to blink. I hate to run out of gas so I usually fill up before that but I would feel safe going for another 50 miles if I needed to. I agree with the majority, use regular. I use Costco when I'm around home, when I travel I just pick a nice clean looking station that appears to sell a lot of gas. BTW I wonder how long BP will stay toward the top of the "politically correct gas station list"? It would be more interesting if the list included political contributions. As previously noted the gas you buy in any given geographical area comes from the same refinery regardless of what oil company puts their name on it.
So based on the social responsibility rankings chart, Valero and Citgo are about as good as you can get (aside from BP, which in light of recent events may have been de-rated) - so I'm not sure I get why people refuse to buy Venezuelan despite their overall higher rankings. It's not like Nigeria, Burma, or Saudi Arabia are exactly bastions of democracy... They are just in a different hemisphere. [OOPS - CORRECTION: I didn't see "Sunoco" at the very top because it's in dark blue and the black text is almost illegible. Whoever designed this table needs to take a class in graphic design.] Anyway... I digress and this doesn't need to become a political discussion (and for those of you who evidently don't believe your choices about where you spend your money makes a difference, like a previous respondent to Azimuth's post: don't bother with the snide comments, you would be wasting your breath). I believe the Toyota owner's manual goes beyond advising Prius drivers to "use regular gas"; I think it actually says that higher octane gas contains less energy (?) and thus should be avoided. I don't have the manual handy but that's my recollection. My dealer also advised me when I bought the car to just use regular gas.
I guess you mean carbon build up? If the car is designed for regular gas, using a higher octane will not reduce carbon build up or any other kind of build up. An additive might, but I think you are taking pot luck on additives. The fancy names that are used by the companies in describing their additives aside, I bet most companies have an equivalent additive. As I understand it, carbon build up results from unburned stuff when a lower octane gas is used in a car that is designed for higher octane. That doesn't happen when it is designed for 87 octane.
Never heard of Top Tier until I read Stream's post. A quick web search reveals that the TT standard is controversial. Can discount gas crimp your ride? - USATODAY.com Of all the retailers on the TT list, only Shell seems to be commonplace where I live (Northeast Ohio). And I would have to go hunt for a Shell near my house (mostly BP and Speedway around here). When I took delivery of a 2005 Dodge Magnum, the dealer told me to steer clear of BP gas. Then when got my 2007 Ford Fusion, "Ford recommends BP" was right in the manual. And BP is not on the TT list. Such conflicting recommendations seem politically motivated, or maybe just a matter of opinion, rather than based on any scientific fact. Mr. Frala's quote in the attached article seems to hit the target best IMHO, "...he's never seen a breakdown due to engine deposits." I don't know about you, but in 40 years of driving cars, I have never heard anyone blame the brand of gas they were using for any problem whatsoever. Yes, you want to stay in the mfr's recommended octane range, and yes, there are differences in the amount and type of additives by brand. But I don't see any real evidence that any particular brand makes a bit of difference in the efficiency or longevity of a passenger car's ICE, despite the marketing hype. So for me, price and convenience are the deciding factors.
More likely economically motivated? Who knows if dealers get kickbacks for recommending for or against certain types of gas? Before I drove off the lot my dealer told me to make sure to put nitrogen in my tires; they even put special chrome "getnitrogen.org" valve caps on my tires. Then I see here & elsewhere it's just a scam.
I see some are people refueling at two bars. My low fuel light comes on at 3 bars, but it only takes 7.8 gallons us to fill up. I have a gen III , the owners manual talks about 1.6 gal remaining for the light to come on. Is mine off or is it normal to come on with about 4 gal left? Barn
Mine behaves differently than that. The few times I have gotten it that low I noticed the last pip started to blink at about the same time the "distance to empty" indication reached 0 miles. One time I pulled into a gas station just as it started blinking and it took almost exactly 10 gallons to fill the 11.9 gallon tank.
You have 400 miles and 4 bars left?? Holy I barely have 360 miles and I am down to 1 bar. My miles till empty read 41 miles. How do you drive? I want to get your numbers, what am I doing wrong? Tomorrow I will be refilling my tank for the first time. Luis
I coast whenever I can, rarely turn on air conditioner. Even climbing hills, I do only 20mph. I never accelerate fast when the traffic light turns green. A lot of drivers, including Prius owners here, accelerate fast...go over potholes and road gaps hard, and brake immediately. Thus, their cars make rattles and all kinds of noises. Unfortunetly, these are the same drivers that keep tailgating the good drivers who take care of their cars. I think I can do about 600miles per tank. Basically, I only fuel once per month.
No wonder why you have problems with tailgaters. The best hypermilers accelerate very briskly and don't baby the pedal to get up to speed for pulse and gliding so I suggest you learn this technique.
But can the hypermilers get 600miles per tank? There is absolutely no reason to accelerate briskly because there is traffic ahead 100 ft away (I drive in the city during rush hour). Also, there is numerous potholes and very poorly design roads (the vehicle is wider than the lane or due to construction, lane width is reduced). No reason to take unnecessary risks. A recent study stated that potholes costs owners over 1K of repairs every year. That didn't take into account the reduced MPG due to more wear and tear and more expensive repairs like suspension and structure and accidents.
Unfortunately here in Los Angeles driving like that may get me more than tailgaters. Might get me shot It is awesome to get 600 miles though, I got to try it someday. I am at 371 and have only one bar left. I want to see if I can get at least 400 miles. Luis
Of course, they're hypermilers by definition! Obviously it's different when there are traffic lights (see the thread on maximize MPG between traffic lights). They don't drive like Grandmas, so it's possible to learn to drive more efficiently and still get at least the same number of miles. Then you don't have such a problem with tailgaters.
