Best gas -- premium? Ethanol free?

The table below sums up my personal understanding of U.S. gasoline differences.
>>In all cases, Regular E10 TopTierGas.com is the best choice for lowest cost and good additives.

Maximum MPG is a little more complicated, and will generally cost you lots more, with one "exciting" exception:
If you live in a RFG region, you are paying the highest possible price for the lowest possible energy content. The advantage of this is cleaner burning RFG gasoline. But if you fill up in another region with Regular E10 non-RFG, you could possibly pay a lot less for a higher energy content gasoline. Presumably due to the Prius's SULEV CARB emissions controls, there is not too much eco-downside for using non-RFG.

My understanding (USA only):

 

Lead had nothing to do with "clean air"; quite the opposite in fact.

The answer is: It doesn't. In areas with the most stringent EPA requirements for emissions, it can't be legally sold......at least not for highway use anyway.

Your reckoning is missing a critical detail.

The statement is: E10 contains about 3% less energy that E0.
You arrive at that figure because the ethanol itself has about 30% less energy.
The math is 10% of 30% which is 3%.

 

I stand corrected, but I'd still trade that power-loss for a cleaner-burning engine any day of the week.

 

Afraid so......it's like using Mobil 1, only time will tell if it was worth the extra costs.

 

I live in an area where you can get E0. It sells for 20-30 cents more per gallon.

As I have explained, before, regular is more likely to have the least amount of ethanol in it, since ethanol is an octane booster used to make mid-grade and premium.

E85 is also available in my area.

The amount of ethanol in regular depends on it's availability. Ethanol is used first for E85, to make premium and mid-grade.

That which is left over goes into regular. So, you are more likely to get the least ethanol in regular.

 

Up here, at Chevron, the lowest 3 grades are all one hose, with a sticker saying "May contain up to 10% Ethanol". Their highest grade is on a separate hose, with sticker saying "Ethanol free", or words to that effect.

I'm always just a leeetle bit tempted, but the price..., and I know I don't need the octane.

 

I am about 300 miles north of you, I get a 15 cent discount on Murphy USA with a Walmart card.

3921 Behrman Pl
New Orleans, LA

8001 W Judge Perez Dr
Chalmette, LA

4822 Lapalco Blvd
Marrero, LA

 

You're good in Louisiana too with a 2008!
We were in Baton Rouge a couple years and the hard part is moving new cars into the state as they want to charge LA sales tax. Better on a old car.

 

WOW that's amazing logic......but absolutely wrong.

In many areas, the percentage is mandated by law so it shouldn't vary that much one way or the other.

The get the desired end octane, they just start the mix with a lower base stock.

 

Yeah, right, What makes you the omniscient seer and expert?

However, mine is NOT one of those states requiring 10% ethanol.

 

Right back at 'ya bud.
Where do you get the information to make you believe what you posted ??

And maybe except for California and Oregon, the stringent requirements are usually just for a metro area and not a whole state.

 

I have friends who worked for the Petroleum industry, which I am not sharing with you. You already know everything.

 

I think that is a good point - if you live in non-RFG area, then gaso "may contain ethanol up to 10%", whereas if you live in a ethanol mandate or RFG state then it must "contain 10% ethanol". Yet another reason for me to get out of my RFG area. With the heavy ethanol quotas today, one would think E10 in Regular is harder to avoid, but not sure. Seems clear the new BP Mid-Grade E0 in the Carolinas could be easily made into Premium by adding ethanol, if so then the Mid-Grade could be the energy content "maximum" though probably not cheaper per mile than Regular.

 

Yes,

Ethanol is an octane booster. When regulations allow, it will be added to increase octane, since other octane boosters are more expensive.

It's all about the GOLD!

 

I live in Oregon which has e10 for all street gas. I buy my gas at costco and I get much better mpg with the 92 octane vs the 87 octane way cheaper per mile I am doing a 1 year test going back and fourth with the two fuels always bought at costco and always running the tank past the empty warning. you can see my results

update on mpg
tank in feb. 87 e10 gave 52.9 calculated at pump
tank in mar 91 e10 gave 59.6 calculated at pump (11% increase)
tank in april 87 e10 gave 57.1 calculated at pump (4% decrease)
tank in may 92 e10 gave 67.7 calculated at pump (15% increase
tank in june 87 e10 gave 57.81 calculated at pump(15% decrease) I forgot to log this when I filled up it is on fuelly
tank in july 92 octane e10 78.5 mpg driving for the best mpg I could get not good for compairson of the octane effects for mpg

the current diff in price is about 5% and the diff in mpg is at least 10% better. I am sure it is worth the extra money with my car and think everyone who wants to try to get the max savings should try different fuels and see for them selves.

 

Interesting results. I assume driving routes, etc., were as similar as you could make them and I assume you drove the same way, except for the last one.

 

Good attitude there......NOT.
I don't think you have much room to criticize anybody else if you are going to act like that.

 

You have been placed on my "Ignored" list.