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04-02-2007, 03:34 PM | #1 |
Engineer/Artist/House-Dad
Drives: 2006 Toyota Sienna XLE Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: California
Posts: 419
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branded (chevron) or generic (costco) gas??
kaotic's topic led me to thinking about the brand of gas we all put in our cars. is there any research or information about the quality of brand (shell, chevron, etc...) and non-brand (costco, etc...) gas?? with prices the way they are, i've been putting costco gas for quite some time (might as well since we pay for membership already, and theres one 1.5 miles away). performance and mileage have been exactly the same with what we used before, which is strictly chevron (love that techron). i was thinking of simply using costco gas and throwing in some concentrated techron (or any fuel cleaner) every few months with my gas savings. can i stick with this "cheap" course of action, or should bite the economic bullet and go back to good ol' chevron?? thanks again for any input and advice...!!
--B ps: all in all, we will save just under 200 bucks a year by going the cosco route, for both of our cars, so its not just a couple of bucks we're debating over...
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His: 2006 Toyota Sienna XLE Arctic Frost Pearl, FC Package, 2007 Solara Nav unit, Spoiler, Running Boards & Auto-dimming rear mirror Hers: 2007 Toyota Yaris LB Black Sand Pearl, Auto, Power Package, Side Airbags, VIP security, USDM center armrest, and accessory 7 spoke 15" alloy wheels |
04-02-2007, 03:43 PM | #2 |
Drives: 2005 Scion xB Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Black Hills of South Dakota
Posts: 1,059
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Yes, I think brand does make a difference. BP Amoco is supposed to be good. Around here however, every station uses ethanol for all three grades. Every station, 10% EtOH, it pisses me off... I don't want to start an ethanol debate on your thread but it is a fact it decreases mileage. Walmart and Sams Club are a couple of the few that don't use ethanol. So, by using cheaper fuel without ethanol, you can actually get better mileage here.
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04-02-2007, 03:52 PM | #3 |
Engineer/Artist/House-Dad
Drives: 2006 Toyota Sienna XLE Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: California
Posts: 419
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thats why i stay away from arco. thats what buggin me though, i know why arco sells their gas soo sheap, but dont know why sams club and costco can sell so low without using ethanol. i know that the brand name gasolines use more and better additives (v-power, techron, etc...), but im curious to know whether the base gas is the same.
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His: 2006 Toyota Sienna XLE Arctic Frost Pearl, FC Package, 2007 Solara Nav unit, Spoiler, Running Boards & Auto-dimming rear mirror Hers: 2007 Toyota Yaris LB Black Sand Pearl, Auto, Power Package, Side Airbags, VIP security, USDM center armrest, and accessory 7 spoke 15" alloy wheels |
04-02-2007, 04:26 PM | #4 |
Banned
Drives: LB Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: OH
Posts: 7,787
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15,000 miles +, all but three tanks were Shell 87. 33 solid MPG the life of the car, 80% city. I'll take it.
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04-02-2007, 05:22 PM | #5 |
34-35MPG using a mix really. For a while I put Marathon fuel but I changed routes and the gas station became a little out of my way, so I started using Mobil. Same mileage really. I'm kinda concerned about the "sludge" effect, but I think it's a Shell gimmick really.
Citgo gas royally sucks. I had to use it last Friday and I probably lost 5mpg! :( |
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04-02-2007, 05:39 PM | #6 |
The Beautification of Car
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how about Kroger? spend 100 bucks from Kroger get 10 cents off for your gas? That's what i did.
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04-02-2007, 06:51 PM | #7 |
The Hated One
Drives: 07 White Manual Sedan Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Oregon,USA
Posts: 390
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Heh, I used to work for fred meyers (kroger owned company, that chain has gas stations too) and the gas they use is pisswater...I would stay away from cheap gas...you are more likely to get what you pay for. There are some cheap gas stations where I live that have had problems with water in their gas and other bad fuel issues.
Remember kiddies, you always get what you pay for!
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04-02-2007, 07:50 PM | #8 |
Drives: '14 GT86, '08 Vitz Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Central Valley, CA
Posts: 9,873
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i would like to know too since Safeway gas is pretty cheap in comparison to Chevron. however, all my friends and their families use Safeway gas, and they have more problems with their cars than me and my family. we only use Chevron. so that's why i'm hesitant to use Safeway in my Yaris. but then again, when i had my GTI, the best mpg that i got was with Safeway...
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04-03-2007, 09:39 AM | #9 |
Drives: 2005 Scion xB Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: The Black Hills of South Dakota
Posts: 1,059
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I don't know about Safeway gas, but Safeway diesel blows.
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04-03-2007, 10:00 AM | #10 |
Modded Moderator
Drives: 07 Toyota Yaris, 71 Galaxie Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Wenatchee, WA
Posts: 3,670
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I think it also depends on what type of vehicle your driving. My old '87 Chevy astro van would run the same no matter what you put in it, except for arco crap. Same for my '89 Chrysler LeBaron turbo. My ex has a Toyota matrix and she was putting safeway/costco gas in her car and after 10,000 miles it was running pretty slow. You would romp on the accelerator and the car would almost die. She took it to the dealership and they asked her what type of gas she was using. She told them Safeway and Costco. They said try 2-3 tanks of Chevron. Sure enough that 1.8L came back to life in about a tank. They said Toyotas don't like cheap gas. In my Yaris I put 7-11 (citgo) gas in once and noticed a decrease in performance, so I never used it again. The dealer here gave out free gas cards for conoco when I bought my car and that is mostly what I use along with Shell and Chevron. I haven't been able to afford chevron lately because gas went up 30 cents in a week
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04-03-2007, 11:21 PM | #11 |
Drives: 2007 4door Yaris Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 3
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Top tier, standards vs. unknown
This site identifies and explains what the top tier gasoline producers are.
http://www.toptiergas.com/ Just some food for thought. |
04-04-2007, 12:18 PM | #12 |
Banned
Drives: 2007 Yaris LB Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Orange County, Calif
Posts: 284
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I think our Yaris puts little demand on the fuel we put in their bellies...I would just treat gasoline like a commodity and go for the cheapest deal you can find. Using the cheap stuff or best stuff matters very little...leave this worry to the Corvette/BMW set ;-)
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04-04-2007, 12:53 PM | #13 |
Drives: Yaris S Sedan color Flint Mica Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Country: USA, State: Georgia, City: Hampton
Posts: 284
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Just save some money and get the cheapest gas you can find at each fill up. Every one knows which local station usally has the cheaper gas. Save your money. Unless you race your Yaris and have hoped up your engine for top grade or higher octain gas.
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04-04-2007, 12:58 PM | #14 |
Drives: '14 GT86, '08 Vitz Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Central Valley, CA
Posts: 9,873
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for peace of mind, i'm sticking to Chevron and nothing else. but ahhh, Safeway is so much cheaper!
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04-04-2007, 01:06 PM | #15 | |
Engineer/Artist/House-Dad
Drives: 2006 Toyota Sienna XLE Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: California
Posts: 419
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Quote:
--B
__________________
His: 2006 Toyota Sienna XLE Arctic Frost Pearl, FC Package, 2007 Solara Nav unit, Spoiler, Running Boards & Auto-dimming rear mirror Hers: 2007 Toyota Yaris LB Black Sand Pearl, Auto, Power Package, Side Airbags, VIP security, USDM center armrest, and accessory 7 spoke 15" alloy wheels |
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04-04-2007, 01:33 PM | #16 |
Drives: Yaris Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Utah
Posts: 133
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I go to 7-eleven for the regular gas for city road, which is the cheapest among the stations in my area. When I have a long trip on highway, I usually use Chevron because I got 46 MPG on the way to Las Vegas the Spring Break.
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04-07-2007, 09:17 AM | #17 |
Drives: Yaris sedan Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Surprise, Az
Posts: 69
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I have to fill up every 2-3 days, and try to time it so that I am near a QT. I have never had any problems with their fuel. I had an xB a couple of years ago that was really picky about what I fed her. Most gas made her "ping", but not QT. She mainly did it in the summer, when it was 115 degrees. Drove me crazy. A couple of time I would have to stop at a cirkle K, all the signs said texaco, but they were actually selling Shell. Car ran so bad. When i mentioned it to my mom, she said they stopped getting gas there too because their cars were pinging.
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07-27-2007, 06:48 AM | #18 |
Drives: 2007 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Castaic Calif
Posts: 17
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I've seen what using Cheap John Gas can do to an engine. I have a 1989 Chevy S10 with a 4.3 engine. Was using cheap gas and the engine had so much gunk & sludge build up that my mechanic had to use chemicals to clean it out. He had the valve covers off the engine when he showed me. What a Mess?
Bought a 2007 Yaris sedan. Will use only Shell or Chevron gas from now on. The little extra cost is cheap insurance & piece of mind. |
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