Top Tier Gas

[Craigga542]

Where in KS are you where Top Tier gas (ie: QT, Shell, Phillips 66, Valero, etc) is $0.30 MORE a gallon than its non Top Tier equivalent? I spent some time on Gas Buddy looking at high/low prices in Kansas City and Wichita. There just simply isn't a 30 cents per gallon price difference anywhere in Kansas, or anywhere in America. Maybe you meant 30 cents a tank? Even then I find it hard to believe, as often the low-price leader IS in fact Top Tier. Locally QT is the lowest, at 2 cents/gallon lower than non-Top Tier competitor.

I think you are possibly confusing Top Tier with Ethanol free, or Top Tier with E85 for Flex Fuel use. Something is definitely amiss.

False, my numbers are accurate. I’m in Wichita at the moment. Regular is currently not at the gap I mention but was in the past and likely will be again. Premium is at that gap. Sam’s on the west side for premium is $2.05. Outside of 1 Conoco at $2.09, the next price is $2.25. A majority of gas stations, per report by GasBuddy on premium, are $2.35+. That’s 30 cents a minimum per gallon.... I’m not one to go 15 miles out of my way for gas, hence why I’m comparing the two closest to where I normally travel.

As for regular, Sam’s on the west side is $1.75. There’s a handful in between that and the average, but the overwhelming average is $1.99. That’s still 24 cents per gallon unless you’re traveling out of your way by at least a few miles.

 

[Flexpedition]

Could be as simple as:
Low price station sells 91 octane ethanol-blended as their premium for $2.00/g.
High priced station sells 93 octane ethanol-free Top Tier as their premium for $2.30/g.

While that is a .30/g premium gas variance, its not comparing apples to apples.

Also waging members-only prices (Costco, Sams Club, BJ's Wholesale, etc) to no-membership-required stations isn't a fair battle.

 

[Craigga542]

Could be as simple as:
Low price station sells 91 octane ethanol-blended as their premium for $2.00/g.
High priced station sells 93 octane ethanol-free Top Tier as their premium for $2.30/g.

While that is a .30/g premium gas variance, its not comparing apples to apples.

Also waging members-only prices (Costco, Sams Club, BJ's Wholesale, etc) to no-membership-required stations isn't a fair battle.

I would bet they’re both 91, the commonplace premium gas in Kansas. 93 ethanol free is very rare around here. As far as a fair battle, that was never part of the discussion. I have a free Sam’s membership and both are just as convenient. My original post clarifies the main question of top tier vs non top tier, and the accessible prices to ME that make it worth looking into

 

[2018ExpyPlatinum]

The add pack makes the fuel difference, just like with motor oil. They can be very different but you probably won't ever notice, just like with oil. I've got a vehicle that pings less and gets about 2 mpg better on QT from a new station in the area. Such differences may not be evident with another vehicle. Yeah, "gas is gas" until the add pack.

True, if you really get the "add pack". That's part of my point. You don't know. Plus the add pack is only like half an ounce per gallon. I also know we would pull whoever was cheapest. That's the other point here. We would deliver to a Sunoco station. If we didn't have allocation, or unbranded was cheaper, that's what we would load. In that case, you ain't getting add pack!

You also say you get better gas mileage and no ping from a "new" QT station. That's the third part. NEW. If a station doesn't clean filters, has a bad tank, crud in the lines, got a partial bad load, etc., your add pack don't mean poop. We delivered to one station that was so old, the lines were corroding. What do you think was going into you tank? Expensive fix that they were waiting to do.

Buy from a known station with high volume and you'll be fine. I buy gas from all different stations in a 5 miles radius. No ping, same basic gas mileage, no difference. Gas is gas is gas is gas is gas.

 

[Craigga542]

True, if you really get the "add pack". That's part of my point. You don't know. Plus the add pack is only like half an ounce per gallon. I also know we would pull whoever was cheapest. That's the other point here. We would deliver to a Sunoco station. If we didn't have allocation, or unbranded was cheaper, that's what we would load. In that case, you ain't getting add pack!

You also say you get better gas mileage and no ping from a "new" QT station. That's the third part. NEW. If a station doesn't clean filters, has a bad tank, crud in the lines, got a partial bad load, etc., your add pack don't mean poop. We delivered to one station that was so old, the lines were corroding. What do you think was going into you tank? Expensive fix that they were waiting to do.

Buy from a known station with high volume and you'll be fine. I buy gas from all different stations in a 5 miles radius. No ping, same basic gas mileage, no difference. Gas is gas is gas is gas is gas.

Outside of some PI work, is there a sure way to tell on the volume a station goes through?

 

[2018ExpyPlatinum]

Craigga542---Unless you know someone like an employee, or talk to the guy delivering, I don't know other than watching the tankers coming in and out. Though, if the stations always busy, that's probably a good sign too.

And that's part of all this too, meaning gas is gas. It's so clean today, with so few impurities, it's not like gas of decades ago. Most problems probably go back to the station. Again, filters, tanks, water, etc.

 

[flying68]

I would bet they’re both 91, the commonplace premium gas in Kansas. 93 ethanol free is very rare around here. As far as a fair battle, that was never part of the discussion. I have a free Sam’s membership and both are just as convenient. My original post clarifies the main question of top tier vs non top tier, and the accessible prices to ME that make it worth looking into

93 is non existent in Wichita. There used to be a Shell station that sold it about 15 years ago, but it doesn't now.

I use Sam's for 91 octane because it is just a $0.30 differential from 87 there (we use 87 in the 2.3 MkC). Dillon's, KwikShop, and QT are all $0.50 differentials from 87 to 91. All of those outlets blend 10% Ethanol, very few stations are ethanol free (Casey's being one example) but they tend to charge for that and is usually only on the 87 octane. E85 is also rare, but a station in Colwich just northwest of Wichita sells it, along with a bunch of intermediate blends. The ethanol plant is in Colwich though, so it makes sense. All of our gas here generally comes from either the refinery in Eldorado or from Tulsa, but am not positive.

To address the ethanol vs 100% gas, 100% gas will always have better fuel economy given the same octane rating. Ethanol has a higher octane but lower energy, thus requires more fuel volume. The higher octane allows you to run higher boost levels though so you can make more power. So if your boost is the same and power is the same gas will be more efficient due to higher energy density.

 

[Craigga542]

93 is non existent in Wichita. There used to be a Shell station that sold it about 15 years ago, but it doesn't now.

I use Sam's for 91 octane because it is just a $0.30 differential from 87 there (we use 87 in the 2.3 MkC). Dillon's, KwikShop, and QT are all $0.50 differentials from 87 to 91. All of those outlets blend 10% Ethanol, very few stations are ethanol free (Casey's being one example) but they tend to charge for that and is usually only on the 87 octane. E85 is also rare, but a station in Colwich just northwest of Wichita sells it, along with a bunch of intermediate blends. The ethanol plant is in Colwich though, so it makes sense. All of our gas here generally comes from either the refinery in Eldorado or from Tulsa, but am not positive.

To address the ethanol vs 100% gas, 100% gas will always have better fuel economy given the same octane rating. Ethanol has a higher octane but lower energy, thus requires more fuel volume. The higher octane allows you to run higher boost levels though so you can make more power. So if your boost is the same and power is the same gas will be more efficient due to higher energy density.

I thought I saw 1 93, but wasn’t positive. I haven’t been to the Colwich station in a while, well before the remodel. The new ethanol plant is a state of the art process, very nice inside. ICM that went to Element, and is now idle due to COVID. Another one out by Hugoton as well. I don’t think all the ethanol comes from there though.

Most does come from Holly Frontier, but not all. Not sure if it’s Tulsa or elsewhere, QuickTrip might haul from Tulsa since they are based there.

So I take it zero issues from the Sam’s gas? Any idea how high of volume they sell?

 

[flying68]

I thought I saw 1 93, but wasn’t positive. I haven’t been to the Colwich station in a while, well before the remodel. The new ethanol plant is a state of the art process, very nice inside. ICM that went to Element, and is now idle due to COVID. Another one out by Hugoton as well. I don’t think all the ethanol comes from there though.

Most does come from Holly Frontier, but not all. Not sure if it’s Tulsa or elsewhere, QuickTrip might haul from Tulsa since they are based there.

So I take it zero issues from the Sam’s gas? Any idea how high of volume they sell?

No other than I see tankers there every 2-3 days or so. I drive by every morning and evening. They always seem busy and are the cheapest in the area. Will be interesting once the QT opens across the road.

 

[LG_123]

And a loss of power. Ethanol is GOOD for Turbo Motors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

interesting, I hadn’t noticed any loss of power, almost the contrary. But power is more difficult to measure without the right equipment than MPG.