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Although I can't recall when, I do remember when regular gas cost $2.00 a gallon. And remember, when regular was $2.00, mid-grade was $2.10 and premium was $2.20? Always a dime difference. So at that time, the price differential between the lowest and highest grade was 10%.

This morning as I rode the bike past the Valero (the cheapest gas on Franklin Blvd.) the prices were $3.60, $3.70, and $3.80. Still a dime difference...so the price differential between low to high is now only 5.5%. Doesn't that make premium a better deal than before.?

I'm pretty sure I've tried in the past to determine if increased gas mileage from premium justifies the cost. I don't recall it did. But now I only have to get a 5.5% MPG improvement instead of a 10% MPG improvement to justify it. Maybe if I don't run the AC with the windows down anymore... As I understand octane, cars that run correctly on 87won't see increased performance on 90 or 92 and in fact would likely see a decrease in performance, particularly those with lower compression ratios. This post is for all the people with late model cars who would see an improvement because their cars want 90 or 92, but whose owners are too fucking cheap to buy the gas their car was designed for.

I remember my stepdad gassing up the Pacer at an Oregon Texaco years ago, asking the attendant why the station across the street was a little less expensive. Without looking up, he said "We have better gas." Since that day in 1985, I've known that Texaco gas is better. Even though ARCO gas is cheaper, Texaco gas is better. Not only do you have to consider the price of fuel -- please, please, consider the cost to your engine by using an inferior product.

Shouldn't we all be buying better gas anyway? I think so. You wouldn't fill up your car with Chinese gas, now would you? What, with all that lead?

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