Gasoline Grade Price Spread, Drifted Apart?

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It seems that I remember that the price difference between gasoline grades was usually 10-15 cents a gallon, even when gasoline got up to 4 bucks a gallon a few years ago the price spread did not seem as great as it is today.

I filled up yesterday and noticed that 87 octane was 2.39 a gallon, 93 was 3.04 a gallon.

This was at a Top Tier station, Shell, and all grades here in the corn belt contain 10% ethanol, except at a handful of stations. I wondered why this has changed.

I have one vehicle (3.3L Toyota)that does not require premium fuel, but can benefit from it. I typically only put premium in it when I have driven in the mountains, was doing heavy (heavy for the vehicle, 3500lbs) towing or when I have simply felt rich that day.

It does make a difference in power, a slight difference, I have read between 15 and 20 percent.

More curious than anything, I have had the impression that the additive package is the same between the grades at a top tier stations?
 
93 v-power is 75 cents higher than 87....

That spread is too much, my calculations anything above a 50 cent spread I would be spending more on premium, with no benefit.
 
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I think there are simply more cars now that need 89 or 91 octane from the factory. Higher compression helps to squeeze more power out of engines and people like power.

I do recall back when it was almost a perfect 10cent difference between each grade but cars back then just weren't what they are now.
 
Yeah, I noticed this too. It used to be $.10 each grade. Then it was $.20 for awhile. For a couple of years it's usually been $.30, even when 87 was down near $2.20/gal. That's more than 25% more per gal. Now, finding premium at $.60 more is a chore (Thanks Gasbuddy!). It's becoming more of a jump. I've even seen $.50 between 89 and 93.

It has to be the margin is so small on 87 that they have to spike the higher octane to make any money. It can't now cost 25% more to refine.
 
Gas here is down now to $2.49-$2.59 avg down from $2.79
Premium is at that 70 cent spread here
I will never own another premium fuel car- had a few and the penalty is just too great
 
I have 2 cars that spec premium but at this altitude (7-8000ft) mid grade is a happy alternative. The price spread is greater than it should be but not too bad at about 15c more for mid & 30+c for premium. The Mini is very happy on mid, getting 39+ mpg with spirited high speed driving.
 
It has definitely spread, but it's not recent, it's been Id say in the last 7-10 years, perhaps even since Katrina.
 
As more and more standard family cars and trucks are turbocharged and require higher octane fuel, it's not surprising we see this price jump. I'm currently driving the first car I have owned in years that doesn't need 93 and I'm loving it.
 
I can remember when I bought my LS(my first "premium" car) in 2008, it was typically 20-25¢. Of course, now 50¢+ is more typical.

I'm running higher than stock compression in my MG(9.5:1) and fortunately I can tune it to run with plenty of power and without pinging on mid-grade and I'm glad of that.

Still, though, it seems like it's just going up and up.
 
I complain about this too. The other day I noticed a full $1.00 price difference between 87 and 93 octane.
So I let my (censored) wife drive the premium only 2002 TL-S and I get to putt around in the golden turd 87-swilling Avalon.

Some cars require premium just for no good reason at all. My former lemon leased BMW i3 REx had a 30 horsepower two-cylinder motor, Taiwan-made, that also specified premium gasoline. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!! So I have a fond place in my heart for manufacturers that make high-performance, high-efficiency motors that happily drink the 87 octane nectar. For a decade I sang praises about Honda's 240-hp Accord V6 that recommended regular gasoline, although I never did end up owning one.

Maybe the price difference will behoove more folks to decarbon their motors, and to keep their intakes clean and free of krud.
 
Around here, it used to be a 10 cent spread, except for BP, who had a 11 cent spread between mid and prem.

5-6 years back it went to a 15 cent spread, and now it's a 25 cent spread, with the exception of our circle K's, which used to be BP's. They now have a 30 cent spread from mid to premium....
 
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When ethanol blending initially became widespread, the value of an octane barrel was lower.

With unconventional oil including a surfeit of low octane natural gasoline in NGL, the value of an octane barrel has increased.
 
Still typically .10 more for each grade here on the west coast. Diesel is typically less than regular, although diesel as crept up a bit more than gasoline in the past two weeks.

Ed
 
There are still quite a few folks that believe the use of premium fuel in a vehicle rated for 87 test is needed to protect their baby and give it the love it needs for a long life. Some of the places selling fuel realize they can charge almost any price to these folks.

Sure, they will lose out on the customers who really do need premium, but they will more than make it up on the others who will seemingly pay any prices to get premium into their tank.
 
Here in Spain the difference is there fore sure.
95 RON = 5.70$/Gal.
98 RON = 6.30$/Gal.
My daily Peugeot gets 95 but it gets 45 MPG.
The old Ford gets 98 BP Ultimate and gets about 20-25 Mpg.
 
Originally Posted By: FordCapriDriver
Here in Spain the difference is there fore sure.
95 RON = 5.70$/Gal.
98 RON = 6.30$/Gal.
My daily Peugeot gets 95 but it gets 45 MPG.
The old Ford gets 98 BP Ultimate and gets about 20-25 Mpg.


Do they even sell 91 RON in Spain?

91 RON = 87 US
 
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