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As others have said, probably dependent on where you live, but I use 93 octane since I've never seen 91 here, and I only buy from Top Tier approved brands. https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/
Seems to be a big love affair with Shell, but I don't like that the ones near me play the game of the prices for regular unleaded being the same as the BP across the street, but premium is often more than 20 cents higher at Shell vs BP.
At one time when port injection was de riguere top tier might have made sense. Today with DI engines, you're just as well off with a good brand of correct octane fuel with an occasional FI cleaner but halve the manufacturer's oil change interval to minimize or eliminate carbon buildup in ports. It's interesting that without port injection there is no fuel to build up deposits on intake valves, only pcv mist that may deposit there. And top tier fuel with direct injection cannot clean those deposits. So keep the oil as clean and correct additives in that fresh oil and that's about the best you can do other than an occasional bout of alcohol/water injection.....
Last edited by SloopJohnB@mac.com; 10-31-2018 at 04:03 PM.
In the Chicago area the price difference between the typical grades of gas used to be around .10 to .15 cents.
Over a year ago the gas companies decided to take advantage of the auto industries greater use of turbo engines, and many requiring minimum octane of 91.
Gas retailers in the Chicago area are charging from .25 to .30 cents more per gallon for each grade up.
A local station is charging 2.69 for 87, 3.25 for mid 89, and 3.55 for 93.
That's an .86 per gallon up charge from 87 to 93.
For 15 gallons the price increase is $12.90!
From 87 to 89 per gallon difference is .56 cent.
15 gallons upcharge is $8.40!
From midgrade 89 to 93 the difference is .30 per gallon.
15 gallons, difference is $4.50.
Most stations are .25 for each grade.
If mid is 2.90, then premium 93 is 3.15.
15 gallons difference is $3.75.
Not hard to see why profits for the oil and gas industry has skyrocketed.
The thing that ticks me off is not that those companies are making a profit, the thing that irks me is the growing level of greed for more profit.
There was no reason to increase the price differences between the grades to more than double what they were just less than 2 years ago, when profits were also at record levels.
The US has become a large oil and gas producer. We produce so much oil and gas that we import much less than we did 10 years ago.
The arguments for allowing all of this oil "production" was that our country would then need to import less oil, and that would then lower our oil and gas prices.
Yeah....right.
Now that the oil companies have received access to all that oil, they now compete with the international markets and sell to highest bidders.
So, we Americans gained nothing to our advantage in terms of lowering our fuel costs, as we are still paying the costs to compete with the rest of the world's demand for oil and gas, and
the American oil and gas industry is quite happy to sell our nation's newly opened access to the rest of the world, driving our prices even higher, not lower.
When the wool is pulled over your eyes, keep looking as you can still see out, it's just more obscured.
In the Chicago area the price difference between the typical grades of gas used to be around .10 to .15 cents.
I am far from a corporate apologist, nor a fan of large companies that have near monopoly status and take advantage of it, but your post - in my opinion - is missing a lot of information and facts.
I remember paying under a $1 for a gallon of gas, and back then premium gas costs 10-15 cents more. I would assume that cost would rise proportionally, and if that's the case, at 15 cents per grade, 2.69 as the base price would be 40 cents per gallon upgrade, or 80 cents to jump to 93 octane. Not that far off from the 86 cents we see in Chicago.
Originally Posted by TT-S4
Over a year ago the gas companies decided to take advantage of the auto industries greater use of turbo engines, and many requiring minimum octane of 91.
Is there any facts behind this, or just your opinion?
Originally Posted by TT-S4
Not hard to see why profits for the oil and gas industry has skyrocketed.
Again, any facts? Are the profit margins of BP, Marathon, et all a lot higher now vs. when there was a 10-15 cent increase in gas grades? (I don't think they are.)
Originally Posted by TT-S4
There was no reason to increase the price differences between the grades to more than double what they were just less than 2 years ago, when profits were also at record levels.
Clearly, all the oil company executives got together at the local country club, and decided that we'll collude on prices in the Chicago area. (Just kidding - although I have no doubt that occurs at some level - thinking OPEC in my head.) Maybe it's due to:
"The premium paid for higher-octane gas in Chicago is a byproduct of several factors, but analysts attribute it mostly to a fracking problem. Shale production has created a glut of crude oil in the U.S. But that source offers a lower-octane base for refining gasoline. Most Midwestern refineries use shale crude, according to Green."
from: https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...223-story.html Story was written in 2015, so it'd be more than just 2 years ago that the premium price difference allegedly doubled and/or the grand conspiracy against all those drivers of turbo vehicles.
Originally Posted by TT-S4
The US has become a large oil and gas producer. We produce so much oil and gas that we import much less than we did 10 years ago.
The arguments for allowing all of this oil "production" was that our country would then need to import less oil, and that would then lower our oil and gas prices.
Yeah....right.
Ask everyone else in the world what they pay per gallon. I think I recall paying over $4.50 a gallon not so long ago. Point being, if we were not the large producer we are, gas would likely cost more than $2.69 right now.
I understand your pain. Would I rather pay $0.30 more for my 93 octane vs 87 octane? You bet - I'm right there with you, but I think it's more than evil capitalism at play here.
Last edited by Trade_it_all_4_more; 11-02-2018 at 02:56 PM.
Welcome to “what we’re told versus Reality.” There is almost no real nationalism (and I’m NOT talking about the GOP’s cry of “nationalism” in today’s politics) in the business world today — it’s all about profit, profit, profit from anyone and everyone!
Ask everyone else in the world what they pay per gallon. I think I recall paying over $4.50 a gallon not so long ago. Point being, if we were not the large producer we are, gas would likely cost more than $2.69 right now.
I cannot quote the article but I do remember reading that in Saudi Arabia several years ago the price of gasoline in the kingdom was well under a dollar a gallon. In my mind, this was due to their being such a large crude oil producer. To the OP’s point, many, many years ago (1980’s gas shortages) the oil companies sold the public on the idea of “oil freedom” if only they were allowed to drill in restricted & protected areas and that gas would be cheap.
And to what other people in the world pay, there a number of reasons that other countries pay what they pay and I’m not sure it’s germane to this conversation.
And to what other people in the world pay, there a number of reasons that other countries pay what they pay and I’m not sure it’s germane to this conversation.
I can agree with that...
Originally Posted by Nikon1
I’m certainly not looking to start a flame war.
Originally Posted by uberwgn
Guys, I'm hoping this conversation can remain technical and on topic. Thanks.
Neither am I, was just making conversation, if the post come off as confrontational, my apologies.
I am far from a corporate apologist, nor a fan of large companies that have near monopoly status and take advantage of it, but your post - in my opinion - is missing a lot of information and facts.
I remember paying under a $1 for a gallon of gas, and back then premium gas costs 10-15 cents more. I would assume that cost would rise proportionally, and if that's the case, at 15 cents per grade, 2.69 as the base price would be 40 cents per gallon upgrade, or 80 cents to jump to 93 octane. Not that far off from the 86 cents we see in Chicago.
Is there any facts behind this, or just your opinion?
Again, any facts? Are the profit margins of BP, Marathon, et all a lot higher now vs. when there was a 10-15 cent increase in gas grades? (I don't think they are.)
Clearly, all the oil company executives got together at the local country club, and decided that we'll collude on prices in the Chicago area. (Just kidding - although I have no doubt that occurs at some level - thinking OPEC in my head.) Maybe it's due to:
"The premium paid for higher-octane gas in Chicago is a byproduct of several factors, but analysts attribute it mostly to a fracking problem. Shale production has created a glut of crude oil in the U.S. But that source offers a lower-octane base for refining gasoline. Most Midwestern refineries use shale crude, according to Green."
from: https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...223-story.html Story was written in 2015, so it'd be more than just 2 years ago that the premium price difference allegedly doubled and/or the grand conspiracy against all those drivers of turbo vehicles.
Ask everyone else in the world what they pay per gallon. I think I recall paying over $4.50 a gallon not so long ago. Point being, if we were not the large producer we are, gas would likely cost more than $2.69 right now.
I understand your pain. Would I rather pay $0.30 more for my 93 octane vs 87 octane? You bet - I'm right there with you, but I think it's more than evil capitalism at play here.
In Washington state we have one of the highest state gas taxes and premium is right at $4.00 a gallon at this time. Generally there is a ten cent jump from regular to mid, and a twenty cent jump from mid to premium. What gets me upset is what is called neighborhood pricing. The same gas (I use Chevron Supreme) can vary FIFTY CENTS a gallon depending on where you buy it. My work takes me south of seattle were gas is always at least 30 cents a gallon lower for the same top tier stations. I do not like Costco gas, for some reason my cars start to run rough on their product. My best option is the indian casino owned stations, they do not pay some of the state taxes and pass it on to the pump.
I have had SAAB turbos for 14 years. Periodically the 87 vs. premium, 91 or 93, comes up in our forum
1. 91 is premium in most of the Western part of the country, 93 not available
2. We buy these cars for the most part for performance and spend $50,000 or more. Why detune your performance car and use 87 or 89 octane? Will it run on that? Sure. But it will not perform as well and may actually get lower gas mileage.
3. Let's say you drive 10,000 miles per year. For ease of calculations let's assume 25 mpg. And assume $3 per gallon for 87 and $3.60 for premium. That's 400 gallons per year at a 60 cent premium per gallon. That's $240 per year. Double that if you drive 20,000 miles per year. $20 per month to use the full potential of your car, possibly better gas mileage and avoid possibility of damaging the engine due to misfires etc.
Simple choice for me
Last edited by Wildcat UA; 11-02-2018 at 04:16 PM.
10-31-2018, 04:00 PM
