Odd that noone has posted this yet...

[H3LlIoN]

Tried the search, didn't come up with anything. Perhaps it's here under a different name.

Anyway, gasbuddy.com will let you search your local area by zip code and tell you who has the cheapest gas. It's a user based website that counts on communters to report prices.

Enjoy

[H3LlIoN]

Out of curiosity, $2.46 is cheapest here ATM. What are you guys seeing around the country? Why is gas going up, instead of down? I thought it was supposed to go down when it gets cold...

[BailOut]

Hi H3LlIoN,

No one has posted that because the cheapest gas is almost never the best bang for your buck. To make a long and scientific story short, the gasoline brands are usually separated by no more than the mandated additives they use. The top tier oil companies spent billions of dollars in research and development to figure out how to make those additives combustible, meaning that they do not rob the underlying gasoline of power per volume, and also burn cleaner in your engine. The cheaper providers do no such thing, so not only does their gasoline not burn as cleanly (which can leave some nasty gunk behind) but it has less caloric content per gallon, meaning you don't go as far on a tank.

All of this means that while you may find a cheaper price at a pump you will most likely end up at another pump sooner, so you actually spend more money on cheaper fuel rather than save anything.

As to why the price of gasoline is going up right now, it is mostly due to the increasing demand in the U.S. (likely from children being back in school, and their parents insisting on shuttling them in their gargantuan SUVs).

[KCALB SIRAY]

Originally Posted by BailOut

Hi H3LlIoN,

No one has posted that because the cheapest gas is almost never the best bang for your buck. To make a long and scientific story short, the gasoline brands are usually separated by no more than the mandated additives they use. The top tier oil companies spent billions of dollars in research and development to figure out how to make those additives combustible, meaning that they do not rob the underlying gasoline of power per volume, and also burn cleaner in your engine. The cheaper providers do no such thing, so not only does their gasoline not burn as cleanly (which can leave some nasty gunk behind) but it has less caloric content per gallon, meaning you don't go as far on a tank.

All of this means that while you may find a cheaper price at a pump you will most likely end up at another pump sooner, so you actually spend more money on cheaper fuel rather than save anything.

As to why the price of gasoline is going up right now, it is mostly due to the increasing demand in the U.S. (likely from children being back in school, and their parents insisting on shuttling them in their gargantuan SUVs).

Again, Brian assumes everyone outside his world drives a gargantuan SUV. Here is a list of cars that parents from my sons pre-school drives. I see them on a daily basis:

Toyota Yaris -- Me
Toyota Camry Hybrid -- Parent
Saturn Vue Hybrid -- Teacher
Toyota Yaris Sedan -- Parent
Honda Civic Hybrid -- Parent
Honda Accord -- Parent
Toyota Prius -- Parent
Toyota Prius -- Teacher

Just a short list of the ones I see on a daily basis. If your looking for more fun facts compared to the area I live in, here the zipcodes for the school and surrounding areas : 22066, 22102, 22101. I'm sure you'll find that they can afford the big SUV's and the gas in takes to run them.

Currently the gas around my house is $2.39 at the Shell. Costco is at $2.36 and so is Sheetz.

[H3LlIoN]

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

Again, Brian assumes everyone outside his world drives a gargantuan SUV.

I'd be bitter too if I was from Nevada, given the reports from friends I have out that way, as well as the news. We Virginians on the other hand just got named in the top 5 states to start a biz, not that you'd want to right now.

Anyway, given that long thing about caloric content and additives and what not, what is generally accepted as the "healthiest" gas?

[ddongbap]

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

Again, Brian assumes everyone outside his world drives a gargantuan SUV. Here is a list of cars that parents from my sons pre-school drives. I see them on a daily basis:

Toyota Yaris -- Me
Toyota Camry Hybrid -- Parent
Saturn Vue Hybrid -- Teacher
Toyota Yaris Sedan -- Parent
Honda Civic Hybrid -- Parent
Honda Accord -- Parent
Toyota Prius -- Parent
Toyota Prius -- Teacher

Just a short list of the ones I see on a daily basis. If your looking for more fun facts compared to the area I live in, here the zipcodes for the school and surrounding areas : 22066, 22102, 22101. I'm sure you'll find that they can afford the big SUV's and the gas in takes to run them.

Currently the gas around my house is $2.39 at the Shell. Costco is at $2.36 and so is Sheetz.

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by H3LlIoN

Anyway, given that long thing about caloric content and additives and what not, what is generally accepted as the "healthiest" gas?

I hate to sound like I'm endorsing any particular oil company, but here it goes. Anything in this list should do: http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

... but we hypermilers have run millions of miles of road tests and have found that Shell and Chevron consistently offer the best mileage. This has been tested to the point that whenever someone holds a fuel economy challenge, most of the contestants show up with Shell in their tank.

[TinyGiant]

the shell station near my house started selling "tobacco use glass products" so i refuse to go there. my town is screwed up enough without them selling bongs and bowls.

so i wait until i'm at work and usually go with irving gas

[AmyV]

Cheapest by me right now is $2.89.

Ugh.

Well, that's what I hear other people say ... I drive a Yaris! So, even in SoCal (notoriously expensive gas), the most I've ever paid to fill a tank is about $28.

And I'm a HUGE believer in Costco gas! I usually get the best gas mileage on it.

[RUFFSTUFF]

Originally Posted by BailOut

Hi H3LlIoN,

No one has posted that because the cheapest gas is almost never the best bang for your buck. To make a long and scientific story short, the gasoline brands are usually separated by no more than the mandated additives they use. The top tier oil companies spent billions of dollars in research and development to figure out how to make those additives combustible, meaning that they do not rob the underlying gasoline of power per volume, and also burn cleaner in your engine. The cheaper providers do no such thing, so not only does their gasoline not burn as cleanly (which can leave some nasty gunk behind) but it has less caloric content per gallon, meaning you don't go as far on a tank.

All of this means that while you may find a cheaper price at a pump you will most likely end up at another pump sooner, so you actually spend more money on cheaper fuel rather than save anything.

As to why the price of gasoline is going up right now, it is mostly due to the increasing demand in the U.S. (likely from children being back in school, and their parents insisting on shuttling them in their gargantuan SUVs).

+1

People will drive out of their way to save $0.03/gal and buy shitty fuel. Doh!

And FTR, Hybrids are the biggest scam going.

[TinyGiant]

Originally Posted by RUFFSTUFF

And FTR, Hybrids are the biggest scam going.

+1 to that :)

[R2D2]

My Yaris hasn't had a drop of anything but Shell since the dealer tank. Anything I've found supports what BailOut said and the Shell in my area doesn't seem to be more expensive than anything else anyway. I even filled up early (half a tank) once because we were taking a family trip and I knew we weren't going to have access to Shell until we got back...

R2

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by RUFFSTUFF

And FTR, Hybrids are the biggest scam going.

I just don't see how they save enough to be worth the added cost. They save some gas but a hybrid SUV is kinda like ordering a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese combo and a Diet Coke-sure the Diet Coke helps some but you could of just ordered a salad...

R2

[TinyGiant]

it kills me that people with hybrid escalades get a tax rebate on hybrids that only get like 12mpg where we have cars that are more than double their EPA and we get squat.


as far as cost vs savings .. its like solar.. i want it on the house to eliminate an electric bill but to make enough solar to not take any from the grid would cost me about $35k at that price it would take 30 years to break even.. not to mention the amount of trash put into the environment making the solar pannels would probably negate the impact anyways lol

[Yaris Hilton]

Cheapest gas here at the moment is $2.43 at the discount place attached to the Wal-Mart. Other discount places are at $2.49 and the "top tier" places are $2.55.

[minicorolla]

2.69 here in NE OH and NW PA. Some are toying with 2.75. Shell for me, too. No proof other than good gas mileage. Winter gas here yet?

[BuildCode]

I love Shell gas, second choice is BP mainly just because their stations are usually very clean, and physically newer, around me. But Shell rocks, used their premium in my previous car, now the Yaris enjoys Regular Shell (90% of the time)

[Yaris Hilton]

Well, the prices in my town jumped up several cents today.