Best Gas Station for Prius?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smcracraft @ Sep 30 2006, 11:43 AM) [snapback]326024[/snapback]</div>

I've found that the best gas stations are the ones that sell gasoline.

Seriously though, the differences in gasoline quality are very small, and you'd need a truly high performance (high-strung) engine to notice deficiencies in quality.

You can stick to the brands that the car manufacturers have specified as top-tier. I don't remember all the brands (I know Shell is one, and maybe BP) but you can google "top tier gasoline" and I'm sure you'd fine it easily.

 

I always use ARCO, which is part of BP. It's nearly always the least expensive (except for Costco), and I've never had any problems. They don't take credit cards, so I just stash my gas money in the arm rest.

 

i guess the best gas for the prius is whichever is cheapest! i get costco, no problems and i save more compared to other stations.

 

there are many authoritative/credible discussions here about this question.

my poor summary is that all the gasoline retailers use each other's products interchangeably, making gasoline a commodity. They do this to lower transportation costs. Each brand has different additives added to the commodity product, however. Using one brand and it's addatives exclusively is not better than alternating between brands.

Search for the threads for an in depth explanation.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(volkl @ Oct 1 2006, 10:01 AM) [snapback]326490[/snapback]</div>

My dad used to work in an Exxon refinery QC lab. The gas part of what you buy is the same. The difference is in the additives. How they used to do it is - refineries in an area may manufacture gas for companies that don't have refineries in that area. The additives are added before the gas goes to market.

Advice I was given from a AAA vehicle inspector and 20+ years as a mechanic was to buy top tier gas every once in a while (every 3rd-5th tank). The additives clean out any buildup in the engine.

 

Glad to see nobody is mentioning CITGO, after their leader OF Venezuela, Hugo Cheavez, vowed to bring America down, WE need to boycot them all together, heres a e-mail I received, check it all out for youself.




Citgo gas:



Cindy & Chavez




Venezuela Dictator Vows To Bring Down U.S. Government

Venezuela government is sole owner of Citgo gasoline company

Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez has vowed to bring down the U.S. government. Chavez, president of Venezuela , told a TV audience: "Enough of imperialist aggression; we must tell the world: down with the U.S. empire. We have to bury imperialism this century."

The guest on his television program, beamed across Venezuela , was Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist. Chavez recently had as his guest Harry Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Chavez is pushing a socialist revolution and has a close alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq , the issue here is that we have a socialist dictator vowing to bring down the government of the U.S. And he is using our money to achieve his goal!

The Venezuela government, run by dictator Chavez, is the sole owner of Citgo gas company. Sales of products at Citgo stations send money back to Chavez to help him in his vow to bring down our government.

Take Action

Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed to take down our government?

Very important. Please forward this to your friends and family. Most of them don't know that Citgo is owned by the Venezuela government.


YOU CAN VERIFY THIS ON THE CITGO WEB PAGE.
http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO.jsp







************** N O T I C E **************

The information contained
DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!!!!!!!!!!!

 

On the other hand Citgo provides reduced-price home heating oil in northeastern states: http://www.citgo.com/CommunityInvolvement/HeatingOil.jsp

 

Ever since I heard that the CEO of Shell rides his bike to work, I've been using their gas. BP appears to be going "Beyond Petroleum," so I buy from them whenever I'm in the vicinity. I was recently talking to a guy who works for a company that does studies on alternative energy, and he said that Exxon/Mobil ignores all of their positive reports and only buys (and uses for their own purposes) reports that are negative for alternatives and/or positive for petroleum. But I guess we all pick and choose what we want to hear...

 

I use Citgo as much as possible. Figure it's better to support South America than Saudi Arabia, assuming that even matters, since I've heard even Citgo's gas comes from everywhere.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Norman H. Renehan @ Oct 1 2006, 08:42 PM) [snapback]326632[/snapback]</div>

Not sure about that email, but from his perspective, it's probably a valid POV. We did try to overthrow him first, you can read up on the attempted coup and CIA involvement, if you like. From what I can research, Venezuela is a democracy, and Chavez is truly trying to fight poverty in his country. I'd prefer sustainable energy independence, but that doesn't seem too likely too soon, so in the meantime, I still prefer my money going to South America rather than Saudi Arabia.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Norman H. Renehan @ Oct 1 2006, 08:42 PM) [snapback]326632[/snapback]</div>

Seems like that email is perpetuating some urban legends, too.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_citgo_boycott.htm

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Oct 2 2006, 08:19 AM) [snapback]326860[/snapback]</div>

There is also a Snopes article about this email:

CITGO

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smcracraft @ Sep 30 2006, 08:43 AM) [snapback]326024[/snapback]</div>

Whichever one has the lowest prices and isn't too 'out of the way' for you to get to. Such as Arco, Valero or Thrifty. And Costco if you're a member.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(smcracraft @ Sep 30 2006, 08:43 AM) [snapback]326024[/snapback]</div>

The ones that are more expensive...no reason to pay more for the exact same product. Unless you don't have any other nearby options and are in dire need of fueling up.

 

Go where you see the most SUVs and monster trucks. It makes for interesting gas pump conversations. Be sure and brag about your MPGs.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Oct 2 2006, 06:28 AM) [snapback]326781[/snapback]</div>

On the other hand Citgo will use the profits from that reduced-price home heating oil in the northeastern states to take down America!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Oct 2 2006, 10:19 AM) [snapback]326860[/snapback]</div>

Oh it is no urban legend. You can find his comments from the Wall Street Journal to N.P.R. They want to see our country topple, our children go hungry and, well.... see us all die. So you can buy Citgo if you want since as you say "it comes from everywhere." I’ll just use other stations where at lease some of the fuel if not most of it comes from the good old U. S. of A.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Oct 2 2006, 12:49 PM) [snapback]326951[/snapback]</div>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To those of you who think your actions (or non-actions) can have an effect on any petroleum giant-

Here is one good point that Snopes made in the above discussion:

"...boycotting a gasoline brand over political issues is problematic for a number of reasons (not least of which is the notion that threatening not to buy gasoline from someone who is threatening not to sell it to you doesn't sound like an effective ploy for either side"

 

I know it doesn't make sense but I swear I get an extra mpg or 2 when I use Exxon. I use Exxon every now and then, After i put Exxon in yesterday I'm seeing numbers in the 50's. I got 250 mi. on this tank now and my average is 51.2 where I usually get between 48-50. I've heard that even though I distributor is bringing the same gas to different branded gas stations that each brand has it's on unique additave package that gets added to each tanker truck. Not sure it that's really true or not, does anybody know for sure?

 

Between a democratically-elected president of a Latin American country, who, for all his anti-Bush rhetoric has never been linked to terrorism, even after Bush et. al. tried to overthrow him; or a country with whom Bush has strong ties of friendship but which provided nearly all the 9/11 hijackers, and nearly all their funding, I'd think that conservatives would rather buy all their gas from Venezuela rather than from Saudi Arabia.

Fortunately or unfortunately, gasoline being fungible, consumers really have no way to pick and choose the sources of the petroleum that goes into their gas. Unless, of course, they go over to biodiesel or they go electric.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Oct 2 2006, 06:28 AM) [snapback]326781[/snapback]</div>

You gotta be kidding me with this very lame train of thought :blink: , Like its OK for this moron to try to topple the government of the United States of America, as long as he sends us some of his pocket change to help us purchase some home heating oil,
Some people never cease to amaze me, :angry: I swear......................

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Oct 2 2006, 03:12 PM) [snapback]327080[/snapback]</div>

CHEAP,
Glad to read your post, one of the very few, most patriotic, and the most "common sense" points of view.
I really can't believe some of these other posts that I've read. Its almost like were in another country.... pretty scary, and the bottom line is, that this guys wants to topple our government, kill our people and what ever else wrong doings he can bestow upon us, and yet some reply with" however" , like, "however yourselves" over to their country..........amen............

 

As Joe Kennedy states, "Our friends for Venezuela"!