Today on a trip to DC, I suppose 3 gas stations, including one all-new one, were having a little price war. This was still in VA, in the DC exurbs: I paid 2.09 for Exxon 87.
Today I drove past our new WalMart. Regular was $2.02 and if you had your WalMart credit card then it is $1.97. That is pretty good for today's money....
BUT, my daughter just told me regular is $1.89 per gallon in Akin, S.C. (just across the river from Augusta, Ga.) It wasn't a WalMart and no credit card necessary....
the other day at the local Citgo, and IIRC, prices were $2.259/$2.359/$2.419. Checking my records, 9 days before when I last filled up the Intrepid, 87 octane was $2.359.
Same here, except I write the miles (odo and trip A) on each receipt and recopy the data onto a Word table (no Excel on my home computer). I zero trip A after each fillup.
Love those dual trip meters!
Going price here for 87 is $2.15 at many places now.
1. Fill it up. 2. Divide gallons into miles on trip odo. 3. Mash "reset" on odo.
Don't have a laptop for excel or math. Have to use a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and my head to calculate mileage. The piece of paper is usually the beer sack....
as low as 2.03 and 2.02 for regular earlier in the week, but was 2.09 this morning. Other grades at .10 higher increments.
Had hopes of getting under 2.00, but who knows. Don't think they will let that happen unless the bottom drops out of the oil market. Plus in another few months we are approaching the summer driving season and that age old excuse we always hear about the refineries switching from winter to summer blend. Like this is the first year we have had a change of seasons!!
...in Chicago, we can't even get 94 octane at all. Also, I think our 87 is at about $2.489 right now. This is why I take the bus and train most of the time.
i do the same thing. i have totals by calendar year, ownership year and ownership 6 months over 6 months. that way i can compare say spring/summer and fall/winter '03 to same for '04, 05, etc.
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today i put 14.35 gallons of gas in my car which has a 14 gallon tank. gagrace and i would probably come the the same conclusion about returning to that station.
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Years ago, while delivering pizzas in my Grandma's '85 LeSabre, I ran out of gas. The car had a 26 gallon tank. My uncle brought me maybe a gallon of gas in a can to get it running. I immediately went down to the closest gas station and filled it up. IIRC it took 22-23 gallons. So either that fuel pump shut off VERY prematurely, or that LeSabre didn't have a 26 gallon tank!
here is probably more info than you want to know. the tank prior to my 'overfill' tank, the low fuel light came on at 370 miles, then i drove another 29 before filling up. put in 13.45 gallons. last tank low fuel light came on at 390 miles, drove 12 more, then put in 14.35 gallons. the book has 14.0 gallons. :confuse:
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I referenced my old 1985 Consumer Guide. According to it, the 1985 LeSabre has a 25 gallon fuel tank. So does the 1985 Caprice. And the 1985 Parisienne. But the 1985 Fleetwood Brougham only has a 24.5 gallon tank. While the 1985 Delta 88 has a 27 gallon tank!
I did some digging around on the internet, and found a place that sells replacement gas tanks. They list a 24 gallon tank for the LeSabre sedan/coupe, but for the wagons it's a 22 gallon tank.
Now I can understand a wagon having a different-sized tank, as they often moved stuff around in wagons to maximize cargo space. And I could understand a Fleetwood Brougham having a different sized tank, as it was a bit different from a Caprice/Parisienne/LeSabre/Delta 88...although it was bigger, so you'd almost think they'd just use the same sized tank, or put in a bigger one. But I can't figure why the Delta would have a 2-gallon bigger tank! Unless it was a typo? Still, I wouldn't put it past GM to do something silly like that.
Cheapest over the last few days on a round trip between home (central VA) and Pittsburgh was $2.09 in Front Royal, VA (at an Exxon, no less, plus a couple of off-brands).
Back home the cheapest is still $2.15.
I missed a chance to get 87 at $1.99 at a newly opened Exxon station outside of Gainesville, VA when I took my wife up to Dulles Airport. When I returned after dropping her off, the price was back up to the going rate of $2.19 there.
In South Bend, Indiana, when gas prices go up, it's always $.15-$.25 per gallon at a time. Then they drift down over the next week or two, then spike back up. No relation to crude oil prices and once one stations raises the price (usually Speedway), all the others follow suit.
Two summers ago, just for kicks, I recorded the price every Thursday at a Speedway station I drive by on my way to work. Incredibly, with only one exception, every other Thursday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the price jumped $.15 to $.20, then slowly drifted back down (sometimes more than the increase, sometimes less) over the next two weeks. The plot of price vs time was almost a perfect "sawtooth" shape. No way that had anything to do with the market.
In the last year or so, the increases have come more randomly (but always on a weekday) and some of the other stations don't always follow Speedway's lead so there is actually a little price competition. Last week, the price jumped $.20 on Tuesday and by Thursday, the Phillips stations were back down $.15.
Gasoline just jumped five cents higher across the board at Sunoco! Regular is now $2.22, Silver is $2.32, Super is $2.42, and Ultra is $2.52! Dang! Just when I decided to drive my Seville STS after two weeks and I give it Ultra exclusively!
Feb 24th: regular was $2.12 - $2.17 Mar 1st: regular was $2.27 - $2.35 various stations Mar 3rd: same as Mar 1st Mar 6th: regular $2.33 - $2.39 (6:30am) - various stations Mar 6th: regular $2.39 - $2.55 (5:00pm) - various stations Mar 7th: regular $2.49, mid-grade $2.61, premium $2.77 (6:30am) - a couple stations (Mobil, Citgo) about a nickel less per grade but these where the proces @ Speedway, Shell, Gas City, No-name station and BP
Not sure what's it going to be this evening. And this is in the burbs where I usually fill-up; in Chicago add 10 - 20 cents.
Two weekends ago in Dayton, OH I paid 1.99 at Speedway. Yesterday I filled up at the same station and it was 2.49. Did we have another hurricane? What's going on now?
You seem to be making the assumption that gas pricing is based on things that have actually happened. All you have to do is keep an eye on the futures traders to see that this probably isn't the case
Some examples:
The sun came up this morning - BAD: this means it will get warmer during the day, leading to increased use of A/C in cars, so the upward pressure on prices will show at the pump.
The sun will set tonight - BAD: forward looking traders know that this means temps will moderate overnight, forcing increased use of heating oil, which will put pressure on reserves, so unleaded contracts will be bid up in price.
2.0 Richter earthquake in LA - BAD: LA's proximity to the Pacific ocean reminds traders of how a tsunami in the Gulf of Mexico COULD knock out a lot of oil production facilites. The fear of this potential production loss will drive prices higher.
I also use Excel to track mileage. I include DATE in my data to calculate days per tank.
Less than 3 days/tank = Highway mileage, Greater than 5 = city mileage, all else is "mixed". Separate averages for each type, plus overall average. (Plus graphs!)
I forgot the market doesn't really NEED a reason for prices to spike, but ususally an increase of $.50 a gallon means something is going on. $.20-$.25 jump is normal, $.50 is not.
People still get ticked off at "oil company gouging", but I'm not sure that they have as much control over it as the future traders do. Those are the folks who are affecting day to day, heck, even hour to hour pricing.
It would be one thing if the news reported "Gigantic Oil Co. decided to raise prices today", but that's not what I hear. I'm hearing "fear of the 2006 hurricane season and potential damage to oil rigs drove up the price of crude today" and stories like that. The oil market seems to be running on 100% emotion at the moment.
.....how oil markets work. Why is price determined by market speculators instead of supply and demand, and why is this the only market that operates this way?
I agree with you on the 100% emotion part. However they need to give the car company's and consumers a break. "Big Oil" has made enough profit and their greed is preventing some folks from spending money on new cars. How much did Exxon Mobile make last quarter ???? $12 Billions ???? I know it was ridiculous figure and the sad thing is they are "pooling" to keep prices up which was suppose to be against the law in this country.
I think that was my point. Pricing of oil is determined above the retail level, which is is unlike most products. The supply and demand at the pump has less to do with the price at the pump than the perceived supply and demand situation at the production end.
That's the part I don't understand. Gasoline and/or crude oil are retail goods. Why wouldn't it's price be determined just like all other retail goods? And what process and/or laws allow it's price to be manipulated the way it is?
"Big Oil" has made enough profit and their greed is preventing some folks from spending money on new cars.
Who is this "Big Oil" you refer to. Exxon is a producer of oil that made a lot of money getting it out of the ground and into your tank. They do not get the bulk of that $60+ per barrel. If demand drops and supply stays as it is the price will come down. The countries we import oil from are the ones making the most money, Canada, Saudi Arabia & Mexico in that order. Take a vacation in Canada and you will see they are flush with greenbacks thanks to our insatiable thirst for oil. I do not remember anyone crying for Exxon when the price in the late 1990s was at about $10 per barrel. A price I might add that prevents any exploration for new sources. Those were lean years for the oil producers.
When oil was at $10 per barrel in 1998-99 gas was more than half of what it is today. With the oil price 6 times higher you would think that gasoline would be much higher. Who is paying the difference?
Comments
Today on a trip to DC, I suppose 3 gas stations, including one all-new one, were having a little price war. This was still in VA, in the DC exurbs: I paid 2.09 for Exxon 87.
BUT, my daughter just told me regular is $1.89 per gallon in Akin, S.C. (just across the river from Augusta, Ga.) It wasn't a WalMart and no credit card necessary....
Rocky
Me too! keep a log in all our vehicles and an Excel spreadsheet.
Love those dual trip meters!
Going price here for 87 is $2.15 at many places now.
2. Divide gallons into miles on trip odo.
3. Mash "reset" on odo.
Don't have a laptop for excel or math. Have to use a piece of paper, a pen or pencil, and my head to calculate mileage. The piece of paper is usually the beer sack....
Had hopes of getting under 2.00, but who knows. Don't think they will let that happen unless the bottom drops out of the oil market. Plus in another few months we are approaching the summer driving season and that age old excuse we always hear about the refineries switching from winter to summer blend. Like this is the first year we have had a change of seasons!!
It's kind of like the January weather, we'd better enjoy it and not complain...because change is coming.
$2.18 for 87 Regular
$2.28 for 89 Silver
$2.38 for 93 Super
$2.48 for 94 Ultra
Someone really has to be in love with their car to feed it the "94" stuff. They say love is blind...correct? Aahaha.
Rocky
I did some digging around on the internet, and found a place that sells replacement gas tanks. They list a 24 gallon tank for the LeSabre sedan/coupe, but for the wagons it's a 22 gallon tank.
Now I can understand a wagon having a different-sized tank, as they often moved stuff around in wagons to maximize cargo space. And I could understand a Fleetwood Brougham having a different sized tank, as it was a bit different from a Caprice/Parisienne/LeSabre/Delta 88...although it was bigger, so you'd almost think they'd just use the same sized tank, or put in a bigger one. But I can't figure why the Delta would have a 2-gallon bigger tank! Unless it was a typo? Still, I wouldn't put it past GM to do something silly like that.
unleaded in San Diego $2.42
Back in Potomac, ouch, $2.55.
-juice
2.15 for regular on the way home last night...
2.25 on the way in this morning. Other grades, .10 higher.
Was 2.05 for regular earlier in the week but of course, I did not need to fill up. :mad:
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Back home the cheapest is still $2.15.
I missed a chance to get 87 at $1.99 at a newly opened Exxon station outside of Gainesville, VA when I took my wife up to Dulles Airport. When I returned after dropping her off, the price was back up to the going rate of $2.19 there.
Two summers ago, just for kicks, I recorded the price every Thursday at a Speedway station I drive by on my way to work. Incredibly, with only one exception, every other Thursday from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the price jumped $.15 to $.20, then slowly drifted back down (sometimes more than the increase, sometimes less) over the next two weeks. The plot of price vs time was almost a perfect "sawtooth" shape. No way that had anything to do with the market.
In the last year or so, the increases have come more randomly (but always on a weekday) and some of the other stations don't always follow Speedway's lead so there is actually a little price competition. Last week, the price jumped $.20 on Tuesday and by Thursday, the Phillips stations were back down $.15.
Feb 24th: regular was $2.12 - $2.17
Mar 1st: regular was $2.27 - $2.35 various stations
Mar 3rd: same as Mar 1st
Mar 6th: regular $2.33 - $2.39 (6:30am) - various stations
Mar 6th: regular $2.39 - $2.55 (5:00pm) - various stations
Mar 7th: regular $2.49, mid-grade $2.61, premium $2.77 (6:30am) - a couple stations (Mobil, Citgo) about a nickel less per grade but these where the proces @ Speedway, Shell, Gas City, No-name station and BP
Not sure what's it going to be this evening. And this is in the burbs where I usually fill-up; in Chicago add 10 - 20 cents.
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Some examples:
The sun came up this morning - BAD: this means it will get warmer during the day, leading to increased use of A/C in cars, so the upward pressure on prices will show at the pump.
The sun will set tonight - BAD: forward looking traders know that this means temps will moderate overnight, forcing increased use of heating oil, which will put pressure on reserves, so unleaded contracts will be bid up in price.
2.0 Richter earthquake in LA - BAD: LA's proximity to the Pacific ocean reminds traders of how a tsunami in the Gulf of Mexico COULD knock out a lot of oil production facilites. The fear of this potential production loss will drive prices higher.
Less than 3 days/tank = Highway mileage, Greater than 5 = city mileage, all else is "mixed". Separate averages for each type, plus overall average. (Plus graphs!)
james
It would be one thing if the news reported "Gigantic Oil Co. decided to raise prices today", but that's not what I hear. I'm hearing "fear of the 2006 hurricane season and potential damage to oil rigs drove up the price of crude today" and stories like that. The oil market seems to be running on 100% emotion at the moment.
"Big Oil" has made enough profit and their greed is preventing some folks from spending money on new cars. How much did Exxon Mobile make last quarter ???? $12 Billions ???? I know it was ridiculous figure and the sad thing is they are "pooling" to keep prices up which was suppose to be against the law in this country.
Rocky
Who is this "Big Oil" you refer to. Exxon is a producer of oil that made a lot of money getting it out of the ground and into your tank. They do not get the bulk of that $60+ per barrel. If demand drops and supply stays as it is the price will come down. The countries we import oil from are the ones making the most money, Canada, Saudi Arabia & Mexico in that order. Take a vacation in Canada and you will see they are flush with greenbacks thanks to our insatiable thirst for oil. I do not remember anyone crying for Exxon when the price in the late 1990s was at about $10 per barrel. A price I might add that prevents any exploration for new sources. Those were lean years for the oil producers.
When oil was at $10 per barrel in 1998-99 gas was more than half of what it is today. With the oil price 6 times higher you would think that gasoline would be much higher. Who is paying the difference?