Sheetz would seem to be the one. The first place I noticed my mileage bump back up was after a stop at a Sheetz in Westminster, MD
My observation comes as a result of mileage performance, NOT any "chemical testing" of a sample of gas. But after two years of seeing the effect of ethanol vs non-ethanol fuel, I'm pretty sure
I'm betting there aren't any ethanol-free stations in NJ.
This past weekend I was up in Vermont and what an eye opener. If the most expensive station here in coastal NJ was selling anywhere in New England they'd be the cheapest place around. It was running $2.70 - $2.85 in Vermont and New Hampshire and as pricey as $3.19 on the Merritt Parkway (great road) in Connecticut.
Filled today at the local Sunoco for $2.49.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
I've tested the fuel at a few Sheetz stations and they all had 10% ethanol - including the store in Westminster MD (son graduated from McDaniel College in Westminster a few weeks ago). MD has no pump labelling requirement. One way to see who has ethanol-free fuel is to check www.pure-gas.org.
You can buy an inexpensive ethanol tester at many small airports or on ebay or some small engine repair places.
I just got back from a 1000+ mile round trip from southern MD to Knoxville TN & I filled up 3 times with ethanol free fuel, so I'll calculate the mpg now & report back. The station in VA in Christiansburg is now called "Kash King" and there is no label on the pump - but its listed in the pure-gas station listings (filled there both on the way down & way back at 2.35 monday & 2.45 today). There's a Conoco station south of Knoxville where I filled last night at 2.48. Those pumps are clearly labelled "100% gasoline with no ethanol added".
Vehicle: 09 Subaru Outback 2.5 liter auto trans. The EPA rating is 20/26.
My calculated E-10 MPG on monday, all highway driving from southern MD to Christiansburg VA was 31.6 (some highway mountain driving). I've only exceeded that twice before (on long trips). Every fill-up is recorded in a small notebook.
Ethanol-free fillups: 30.2 mpg (this included about 1/4 tank of E10 in the tank when I filled with ethanol-free in Christiansburg VA and included about 20 miles of city driving in Knoxville and short trips to Smokey Mtn Knife Works & Bass Pro from hotel with the rest all highway & mountains. This is probably not a good tank for comparison purposes with the above E10 tank which was all highway.
Second ethanol-free tank - no city driving, all highway, but some mountains on TN 40 and I-81 and: 33.4 mpg
Third ethanol-free tank - all highway & the reverse route of the E10 tank above got 33.3 mpg.
So, for me, comparing the first & last legs, it looks like about a 5% improvement in fuel economy using pure gas. These were the first fills with pure gas and easily beat the previous E10 flat highway best of 31.9. I don't know if it was real or not, but the performance also seemed slightly better.
I think I could break 35 mpg with the Outback using pure gas, cruise and a slower top speed on flat highways out west.
June 28th at regular spot for $2.85 (others were running 10 cents higher on average)
July 3rd in W. Lafayette, IN for $2.70. Had I stretched it to Indianapolis would've paid $2.56 but didn't want to run out of fuel on I-65.
July 5th at regular spot for $2.80, others running about 13 cents higher
Prices appear to be coming down as now the other places (Mobil, Shell & BP) by the office are running $2.82 on average, with a couple of $2.76s here and there. The cheapest according to the map is $2.70 but it's out of my way / route.
We're about the same which shouldn't be a shock since I'm just in a different part of Central NJ. You can't get Shell for that though. For some reason the local Shell place is always pricey compared to everyone else. Frequently by ten cents a gallon or more.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Yeah it does vary slightly depending on where you are. Luckily for me, the local Shell I report here in my town, is the lowest in the area. Typically, the other 2 are 4-5cents more per gallon on avg.
My low local major brand is Sunoco. There were some local Getty stations that were about the same price but now they are all Gulf. Way back when I had my 69 Volvo which required premium the car would cough and sputter if I put in Gulf. Except for a recent rental (which worked fine) I haven't used Gulf since. I would assume they are OK these days...
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
at the usual place was for $2.75. All of the other local stations are running $2.87 to $2.93 for 87 octane. Seems between Tuesday and yesterday most stations jumped at least a dime in price, after the holiday... :confuse:
Did notice mileage was down slightly for the week, about a couple mpg's off than usual. Thinking maybe because last fill-up was at a different station and the blend was different (slightly more ethanol), didn't run the A/C or drive faster than normal...
Over the last two months our Costco gas has gone from $2.93 to $2.97. Not much movement. Shell near me has been $3.12 since May. Same price for diesel.
Shell gas here is always higher than the other brands. However if you use your Shell card you get back 5%. That makes the price $2.97 same as the cheapest stations around. However the best deal is still Costco with their AMEX card I get 3% off my gas. Bringing it down to $2.89 per gallon. That is about as good as we get it. We do have about 70 cents worth of tax on a gallon here. Not sure on NJ gas taxing.
PS I think I get about 1 MPG better with Shell gas, over Costco. Not a scientific study.
On three separate vehicles of mine, I have gotten 3-4mpg better in all conditions with Shell Premium after switching from Hess and Exxon Premium! Not a scientific study of course but the same results reproduced in three different vehicles is most impressive.
We don't have any Costco here were I live so we only have Shell as a top tier gas choice, thus I use them. I've been thinking about getting the Shell card as well since I exclusively fill up with Shell only now.
Shell gas here is always higher than the other brands.
I wondered how they could afford to pay the 5% back. :shades:
Another bump here; up to $2.95 now. Even made the local news - apparently we were paying $2.58 on average last summer and the national average is $2.78.
Gas consumption went down again, so I guess they had to raise the prices to offset lack of demand. Uh huh.
for my latest fillup by two cents to $2.70. Petrol prices having been coming down the last 1.5 weeks by me, which is nice. The Shell by my regualr station is down to $2.74 for 87 octane, with the higher grades 10 cents higher / grade. The one closest to my place is $2.80.
Still have a couple of stations on my route to / from work that are still in the $2.90 range, and one of them is a Speedway :surprise: :confuse:
Will need to fil the car up before the usual holiday increase
Down this week in Nags Head, NC. Out here on the northern Outer Banks gas is running about 10 cents more a gallon than when we left NJ. Nearest gas to teh house is a Shell station that is competitive with all the other brands so it is less than the local Shell back in Jersey. What the hey.
Heading south to Ocracoke. That's good for at least another 10 cent bump.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Dropped from $2.79 which the companies kept repeating in their "restoration" pricing steps.
It's in the mid $2.50 now.
I paid $2.41 at a major Pilot station along I70 outside Columbus on Monday on the way home from The Ohio State. Others were at $2.49.
I expect prices to stay low until today and then a minor jump. Then I expect a drop early in the week of a few cents at competitive areas, followed by a major jump to celebrate Labor Day.
But the demand doesn't seem to be there and I read that reserves are substantial so they can't claim that reserves are low therefore the gas is worth more in their tank.
I noticed a bit of a drop here in the DC area, too. This afternoon, driving home, I saw that the local Shell has 87 for around $2.519, 89 for around $2.739, and 93 for around $2.839. It's been about two weeks now, but I think the last time I filled up my Park Ave, 93 was just under $3.00.
Costco and the cheapo ARCO stations are down to $2.89. I just filled at Shell for $3.09 with a $4 car wash. I get 5% using my Shell card. And it is 13 miles closer to home. That Shell was $3.15 last week.
I'll bet I made a mistake not filling up today. We're leaving OBX in the morning. Today the price of regular was $2.64 (down 5 cents from last Saturday) at the Shell in Nag's Head (actually at the several Shells in Nag's Head). We'll see in the morning. I'll report from back in NJ where we'll be tomorrow night. Time flies too quickly sometimes.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Well, it held at $2.64 in the morning. Saw some as low as $2.45 in VA and MD. Coming back into NJ I was $2.54 on the Parkway. Haven't been around town yet to see what's up locally.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
fezo: $2.41 reg...Pitman, NJ.. where do you live in NJ. BlackHorse Pike, Turnersville...all the stations are about $2.41 ( right south of the entrnce to the A/C Expressway..
I can't recall what I last paid for gas, but I was in a less developed (to put it nicely) area over the weekend, and did notice that gas was about 20 cents more per gallon than here in the built up world.
In my home county, RUG is about $2.49, but just west of the Blue Ridge along the I-81 corridor, it's a lot cheaper. I saw $2.29 at Hess and Martin's (a regional grocery chain) in Staunton, VA last weekend. Kroger was $2.32, but I had accumulated enough "fuel points" through grocery purchases at my home store to get 10 cents off that - that is, $2.22. It's been a while since I paid so little.
Passed by the Shells this morning and the prices have jumped 14 cents since last night, from $2.75 to $2.89 advertised for 87 octane. One of the Jewel's stations jumped 4 cents.
Comments
My observation comes as a result of mileage performance, NOT any "chemical testing" of a sample of gas. But after two years of seeing the effect of ethanol vs non-ethanol fuel, I'm pretty sure
This past weekend I was up in Vermont and what an eye opener. If the most expensive station here in coastal NJ was selling anywhere in New England they'd be the cheapest place around. It was running $2.70 - $2.85 in Vermont and New Hampshire and as pricey as $3.19 on the Merritt Parkway (great road) in Connecticut.
Filled today at the local Sunoco for $2.49.
Your mileage may vary! :P
You can buy an inexpensive ethanol tester at many small airports or on ebay or some small engine repair places.
I just got back from a 1000+ mile round trip from southern MD to Knoxville TN & I filled up 3 times with ethanol free fuel, so I'll calculate the mpg now & report back. The station in VA in Christiansburg is now called "Kash King" and there is no label on the pump - but its listed in the pure-gas station listings (filled there both on the way down & way back at 2.35 monday & 2.45 today). There's a Conoco station south of Knoxville where I filled last night at 2.48. Those pumps are clearly labelled "100% gasoline with no ethanol added".
My calculated E-10 MPG on monday, all highway driving from southern MD to Christiansburg VA was 31.6 (some highway mountain driving). I've only exceeded that twice before (on long trips). Every fill-up is recorded in a small notebook.
Ethanol-free fillups: 30.2 mpg (this included about 1/4 tank of E10 in the tank when I filled with ethanol-free in Christiansburg VA and included about 20 miles of city driving in Knoxville and short trips to Smokey Mtn Knife Works & Bass Pro from hotel with the rest all highway & mountains. This is probably not a good tank for comparison purposes with the above E10 tank which was all highway.
Second ethanol-free tank - no city driving, all highway, but some mountains on TN 40 and I-81 and: 33.4 mpg
Third ethanol-free tank - all highway & the reverse route of the E10 tank above got 33.3 mpg.
So, for me, comparing the first & last legs, it looks like about a 5% improvement in fuel economy using pure gas. These were the first fills with pure gas and easily beat the previous E10 flat highway best of 31.9. I don't know if it was real or not, but the performance also seemed slightly better.
I think I could break 35 mpg with the Outback using pure gas, cruise and a slower top speed on flat highways out west.
Today we drove a loop road over a 9800' pass and there was fresh snow on the road. Then we got gas back in town:
$2.66 for regular, 86 octane, E-10.
Then the van rolled over 140,000 miles on the odometer.
And Ethyl and the Regulars did indeed play at some town in the area last night, but we're missed out on that. :shades:
June 28th at regular spot for $2.85 (others were running 10 cents higher on average)
July 3rd in W. Lafayette, IN for $2.70. Had I stretched it to Indianapolis would've paid $2.56 but didn't want to run out of fuel on I-65.
July 5th at regular spot for $2.80, others running about 13 cents higher
Prices appear to be coming down as now the other places (Mobil, Shell & BP) by the office are running $2.82 on average, with a couple of $2.76s here and there. The cheapest according to the map is $2.70 but it's out of my way / route.
Spike (gouged) for the Holiday? Um, YES.
87: $2.57
89: $2.77
93: $2.87
Man, if these prices can stay around this for the rest of the summer I'll be a very happy camper!
Lucky Me :shades:
Did notice mileage was down slightly for the week, about a couple mpg's off than usual. Thinking maybe because last fill-up was at a different station and the blend was different (slightly more ethanol), didn't run the A/C or drive faster than normal...
Then RUG popped the $2.93 yesterday.
87: $2.57
89: $2.77
93: $2.87
Me likey when its not over $3.00 a gallon!!! :shades:
PS
I think I get about 1 MPG better with Shell gas, over Costco. Not a scientific study.
We don't have any Costco here were I live so we only have Shell as a top tier gas choice, thus I use them. I've been thinking about getting the Shell card as well since I exclusively fill up with Shell only now.
RUG = $2.67
Plus = $2.77
Ultra = $2.87
I wondered how they could afford to pay the 5% back. :shades:
Another bump here; up to $2.95 now. Even made the local news - apparently we were paying $2.58 on average last summer and the national average is $2.78.
Gas consumption went down again, so I guess they had to raise the prices to offset lack of demand. Uh huh.
Still have a couple of stations on my route to / from work that are still in the $2.90 range, and one of them is a Speedway :surprise: :confuse:
Will need to fil the car up before the usual holiday increase
RUG = $2.61
Plus = $2.71
Ultra = $2.81
...a six cent drop across the board.
Heading south to Ocracoke. That's good for at least another 10 cent bump.
It's in the mid $2.50 now.
I paid $2.41 at a major Pilot station along I70 outside Columbus on Monday on the way home from The Ohio State. Others were at $2.49.
I expect prices to stay low until today and then a minor jump. Then I expect a drop early in the week of a few cents at competitive areas, followed by a major jump to celebrate Labor Day.
But the demand doesn't seem to be there and I read that reserves are substantial so they can't claim that reserves are low therefore the gas is worth more in their tank.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Small town. Few gas stations.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I filled up with regular today and paid $2.99 a gallon.
Midgrade is $3.11 and premium is $3.21.
Diesel is selling for $3.15.
Our local Shell is at $2.59 which is pricey for here but would have been a bargain in NC.
I can't recall what I last paid for gas, but I was in a less developed (to put it nicely) area over the weekend, and did notice that gas was about 20 cents more per gallon than here in the built up world.