Gas prices
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 675
Likes: 23
From: Texas
69.9 cents / gallon.
Brookshires grocery stores in East Texas gives discounts on their gas when you shop at the store. We had a $1.30 / gal discount for 30 gallons maximum.
My wife does a lot of grocery buying. lol
What we do is drive all three of our cars and then one of us pumps the gas so we can maximize the 30 gallons. I paid $21 for 30 gallons.
Brookshires grocery stores in East Texas gives discounts on their gas when you shop at the store. We had a $1.30 / gal discount for 30 gallons maximum.
My wife does a lot of grocery buying. lol
What we do is drive all three of our cars and then one of us pumps the gas so we can maximize the 30 gallons. I paid $21 for 30 gallons.
I read a while back that it had to do with supply and demand. Obviously the vast majority of vehicle use regular unleaded, therefore the refineries produce mostly 87 octane which ups the production cost on mid-grade and premium. Not sure why it has changed over the years though.
The same goes for 100% gas and 10% ethanol gas. The price of 100% gas used to be $0.10-0.20 more and now it's $0.50-0.75 more.
The same goes for 100% gas and 10% ethanol gas. The price of 100% gas used to be $0.10-0.20 more and now it's $0.50-0.75 more.
89 seems like a waste as the price is much more than regular and close to 93 in my state.
How many drivers actually use 89?
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 67,908
Likes: 3,839
From: Maryland
More 89 might be sold than you think...
Racer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 246
From: AZ
MPGs go down with Ethanol and it gums up everything.
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,146
Likes: 70
From: Illinois
I understand the topic of this thread is "gas prices" (not octane requirements), and there are many other threads about octane. I have driven LS's for over 20 years, nearly 500K miles on 87 octane without any: (1) knock issues (normal or WOT acceleration) or (2) noticeably reduced MPG. The only reason to choose higher octane in a non-turbo/super charged engine is if lower octane causes knock - pre-detonation of gas from cylinder compression before spark. See, e.g. http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles...ctane-gasoline
Some naive people think 89 octane is a "treat" for their engine, or that it will burn cleaner, etc. which is simply a myth. Octane ratings are a measure of the anti-knock properties of the gasoline. If the engine runs fine on 87 (no knock on acceleration), then you're good to go with 87. If it knocks on 87 octane, try a full tank of 89. If it knocks on 89, then go up to 91 octane.
Folks are passionate on this topic, and hold strong, opposing views. If you like your peace of mind and don't mind spending more for higher octane gasoline, then don't change to the lower octane.
This would be a great subject for Mythbusters.
Some naive people think 89 octane is a "treat" for their engine, or that it will burn cleaner, etc. which is simply a myth. Octane ratings are a measure of the anti-knock properties of the gasoline. If the engine runs fine on 87 (no knock on acceleration), then you're good to go with 87. If it knocks on 87 octane, try a full tank of 89. If it knocks on 89, then go up to 91 octane.
Folks are passionate on this topic, and hold strong, opposing views. If you like your peace of mind and don't mind spending more for higher octane gasoline, then don't change to the lower octane.
This would be a great subject for Mythbusters.
Pole Position
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 277
Likes: 8
From: Minnesota
I think these cars run fine on 87 octane. Sometimes I put in 89 octane when the price differential isn't too bad. I do notice slightly better freeway mpg with the 91/93 octane gas. But not enough to make it cost effective. I might get it if I were on a road trip and would spend my whole time on the freeway. But my car warms up for ~15% of my commute and I can't justify high octane gas to warm up my engine block and coolant when 87 warms it up just as well and is substantially cheaper. The only thing I could justify is ethanol free gas but I live in corn country and the farmers whine to the gas station owners when they offer it (although every farmer's co op has ethonal free gas and farmers are the only people who use red diesel which is diesel without a fuel tax on it to power their tax write off diesel trucks).
I've noticed that the price difference between the grades of gas has increased a lot in the past decade. My theory is that we're seeing more and more cars that need high octane gas. Our cars are rated for high octane gas but run fine on regular gas. Lexus seems to rate their cars on high octane gas to get better milage / horsepower ratings than the comparable Toyotas. Look at the window sticker of an ES350 vs an Avalon V6.
Turbo cars generally need the high octane gas and high octane gas turns into a pay to play sort of thing.
Also, gas stations don't have a reservoir of mid-grade gasoline, and refiners don't refine mid-grade gasoline. The station has high grade and low grade gasoline and the pump mixes the two together to create mid-grade gasoline.
I've noticed that the price difference between the grades of gas has increased a lot in the past decade. My theory is that we're seeing more and more cars that need high octane gas. Our cars are rated for high octane gas but run fine on regular gas. Lexus seems to rate their cars on high octane gas to get better milage / horsepower ratings than the comparable Toyotas. Look at the window sticker of an ES350 vs an Avalon V6.
Turbo cars generally need the high octane gas and high octane gas turns into a pay to play sort of thing.
Also, gas stations don't have a reservoir of mid-grade gasoline, and refiners don't refine mid-grade gasoline. The station has high grade and low grade gasoline and the pump mixes the two together to create mid-grade gasoline.
Haven't seen that nominal price since 2003.
Driver
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 56
Likes: 12
From: ca
LOL....high test
I was actually thinking about this today driving through a poorer area of town.
In the more expensive parts of town where I live and normally spend my time, gas is $2.15 for regular, about $2.65 for high test. Today I found where I was, gas was $1.89 for regular and I was thinking I should get gas while I'm there...then I looked at the high test price....$2.59.
I wonder if the difference is they sell more high test in the better parts of town, so they price it more aggressively. In the poorer areas they sell very little...
In the more expensive parts of town where I live and normally spend my time, gas is $2.15 for regular, about $2.65 for high test. Today I found where I was, gas was $1.89 for regular and I was thinking I should get gas while I'm there...then I looked at the high test price....$2.59.
I wonder if the difference is they sell more high test in the better parts of town, so they price it more aggressively. In the poorer areas they sell very little...
