Let's talk fuels

Very few cars actually require premium. My parents had a 2004 Acura TL. The manual recommended premium, but they only ran regular in it.

Demand has little to do with premium gasoline pricing; it just costs more make. The higher the octane, the more dense the fuel becomes. After refining, the products take up more volume than the barrel of crude you started with, because of the density changes with making different products. These density differences mean that a refinery will end up with less premium gasoline than if they made regular. Then the market for the octane boosters, like toluene, will effect the gasoline price.

Of top of that, some crudes, eg shale oil, are just a poor source for gasoline, having a lower than average octane for its base gasoline. Bringing it just up to regular takes more energy and material.

Price spread between regular and premium gasoline has changed over time - Today in Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Why upgrading to premium gas in Chicago costs more than anywhere else in U.S. - Chicago Tribune
Benzene, toluene prices move higher in US with refinery fires, higher crude :: Chemical Week

 

You are wasting your money! The gas companies have convinced a large portion of the public that there is something magical about "Premium!" Use what your owner's manual recommends that's what the car was ENGINEERED to use!

 

What is REALLY strange: in the ranks of pumps, all the octanes get equal space and prominence.

To rank them per manufacturer's recommendation, it'd be wall-to-wall regular, and one solitary high octane pump, off in the corner.

 

Self serve soda fountains don't generally have multiples of a single selection. Like gas pumps, it's about keeping the flow of customers moving while avoiding back ups. Then some gas stations have blender pumps mixing the midgrade from the regular and premium right there; no good reason to not allow it to pump premium also.

Gas stations also dispense diesel from the gas pumps now, despite the fact that diesel car sales are lower than hybrids in the US. No station of company has tried to get me to buy the more expensive diesel I don't need yet.

 

Yep. Or even worse. I have noticed a difference in MPG with random gas fill ups at different stations. The quality of gas varies and even possibly mixing left over premium into regular gas tanks when it doesn't sell. It is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you get. Maybe some delicious poison in the candy bar made over seas.

 

Back in the 1960's when I was a gas station attendant we had to check the stations tanks for water about once a month. I wonder how much of a problem water is with the ethanol content of today's fuels?!

 

That variation is what I keep saying I expect in FL as FL is not a reformulated gaso area. My area is RFG so not much variations to speak of.

 

Yep, water is already in the 10% crap. Can't be good. Maybe! Could provide extra O2 between the chunks of fungus, mold, etc.

 

Our 2010 Prius is approaching 143,000 miles. Never had a problem with regular 87 octane gas. Never added any fuel additives as well. When the spark plugs, Nippondenso Iridium factory plugs, were changed after 106,000 miles, they looked clean and could probably go another 100,000 miles easily. MPG is fairly consitent, 45 mpg winter, 55 summer

 

Keep up the good work!

What brands do you tend to use (TopTierGas.com?)

 

I use the low tier site.

 

That could explain your variations...I think the smaller cos. probably have more freedom from EPA regs, the way they do everything these days the regs are tailored to hit the companies that can best afford it.

 

I get gas at Sams, BX, WAWA, 95% of the time.

 

WaWa wow down the FL?...we were from South Jersey where they got started. I thought maybe WaWa was moving to TopTierGas.com but so far I don't see them

 

I use mostly Costco gas because its close and the lowest price around per gallon. I have used cut rate stations as well and even 85 octane in Reno with no problems...

 

Costco is TopTierGas.com as of a few years ago so that suggests you are getting adequate dose of detergents even if you go cut rate one in a while

 

Sams is hit and miss but better this year. BX gas is always good.

 

1. No, I found with the Gen3 and Prius+(v wagon), mpg actually dropped using a higher octane fuel.
2. Maybe useful for keeping the EGR clean if it is still effective when it's burned and gets round to there, otherwise just stick to premium brands.
3. Very noticeable in the Prius, cold weather and winter fuels dropped my mpg on short journeys by a third (Gen3 and Prius+).