[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by 6IX-F10-N52

you americans complaining about gas prices makes me laugh.

the national average for fuel prices in the states is what, $2 a gallon?

we pay OVER $1.30 PER LITRE for premium fuel. 1 gallon is 3.78L.

stop it.

Please don't generalize. I haven't complained one bit about the gas prices here and drive so little, the higher prices wouldn't make any difference to me.

[sygazelle]

It might be a Chicago metro area thing. In the Bay Area, the difference between reg and premium is about 30-35 cents, maybe 40 at some stations.

A $1 spread is not consistent with general market. If its a conspiracy, its a local one. This is not a nationwide oil company conspiracy.

In our area, for example, Reg is $2.39, mid is 2.59, and premium is $2.65; pretty reasonable prices and spreads between prices.

I'd be pissed too if it were a $1 more. I'd use Gas Buddy on my iPhone and drive out of my way to find a station that is not playing that game.

Out here, we have people going to stations that are 50 cents high than the others and blindly filling up, not seeming to care about the market price. Gas stations know that and price accordingly. If people weren't paying it, they wouldn't be charging it.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Right now local Raleigh NC Costco 87 $2.04 & 93 $2.51.

[Tyresian]

I have a big difference in regular and premium where I live in Wisconsin. For the past 6 months or so gas around where I live has floated just over and under $3.00.

I traveled through Chicago a week and a half ago and had to fill up; the price difference and premium price was ridiculous. Shell 93 Octane with ethanol (prefer non-ethanol but wanted to get going), $3.35 a gallon. I can't recall the exact price of regular but I think it was $2.54 or so.

[mjordan]

Was in Danville Va today
Regular 1.89
Premium 2.69

[DTRJ]

I am on Long Island and their is a huge difference from station to station. I currently us BP93 and my station is always 36 cents more for 93 vs 87. Other stations in my area are as much as 80 cents diffference. In fact we have 3 BP stations within 6 blocks. Regular in all 3 is within 3 cents, but 93 is between 36 and 80 cents more. My station is always 36 cents. It used to be 24 cents, but the owner told me they raised his cost. (He used to always be 24 cents more)

[PushingRedline]

I have been wondering OP's point for a while now. I remember that only 2 years ago premium was only 30 cents over regular. Now I can't find it cheaper then 60cents difference. Shell and BP are the biggest violators. Usually they are 70 or 80 cents different. I live in northern Ohio btw

[xG35c]

I've noticed this premium fuel price gouging at some stations ever since prices overall have dropped, and usually the mid-grade (89 octane) is much closer to premium prices also - gotta shop around!
Not to start any debate but my 428 has been running perfectly on the cheapest regular I can find for over 40k miles now!

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by CalCarNut

LOL..well the air cleaner with the laws..but it restricts some fun with the cars and wallets

if you got an N52 , or e90 335i and delete your secondary cats you fail the visual inspection.

I would move from cali just so I can delete the damn secondaries and complete my exhaust setup.

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by xG35c

I've noticed this premium fuel price gouging at some stations ever since prices overall have dropped, and usually the mid-grade (89 octane) is much closer to premium prices also - gotta shop around!
Not to start any debate but my 428 has been running perfectly on the cheapest regular I can find for over 40k miles now!

its definitely doable because the stock ignition settings are fairly relaxed, but its not good for your engine in the long run. your ECU is permanently retarding the timing to compensate for loss in octane causing tiny little misfires. (obviously not an actual misfire, but you will notice the difference if you switch to 91)

I'm not trying to be rude, but if you buy a BMW, you should be prepared to pay for premium fuel. it is a premium car after all. switching to 91, you will get a noticeable gain in torque and the engine will run smoother. it is worth the extra money.

keep in mind if you do switch, the ecu needs roughly 250 miles to adjust to anything so you wont notice much of a difference right off the bat. try to avoid full throttle pulls within the first 100 miles as well.

[CIWS]

Originally Posted by 6IX-F10-N52

I'm not trying to be rude, but if you buy a BMW, you should be prepared to pay for premium fuel. it is a premium car after all. switching to 91, you will get a noticeable gain in torque and the engine will run smoother. it is worth the extra money.

There are a lot of Trucks, Ford, GMC, Chevy, etc driving around here that have a larger MSRP than my BMW. They are engineered to run fine on 87 octane gas. It's about engine design (turbos) vs the cost of the vehicle.

But I do agree that a buyer should recognize all of the costs associated with their purchase from gas to tires.

[HighlandPete]

Same thing has happened here in the UK. Premium fuel prices have been creeping up over the last two years or so. Price difference between regular and premium fuel at many stations has more or less doubled. (Was 6-7 pence per litre, now it's often 12-13 pence per litre more expensive).

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by xG35c

Not to start any debate but my 428 has been running perfectly on the cheapest regular I can find for over 40k miles now!

Every car I've owned for the last 20 plus years that recommended premium fuel ran perfectly fine on regular. Just to be sure after break-in I ran each with a couple of tanks of premium, then tested acceleration and fuel mileage compared to regular. Acceleration was always the same, and if anything mileage was better with regular. In the off chance that cheaper gas might cause dirty injectors I add two ounces of Red Line to each tank, which is equivalent to paying 7 cents or so more per gallon of gas.

if you buy a BMW, you should be prepared to pay for premium fuel.

IMO the main reason why most manufacturers of higher priced cars recommend premium is that owners feel they're not getting their moneys worth if the engine doesn't require premium fuel. Not that premium doesn't have a place, especially with cars that are truly track ready and/or modded. But for the average driver what's being fed with that extra $$$ per tank is ego.

[madmonkey]

So I remembered that I watched a CBC Marketplace report on the issue of regular vs premium gas. Found the youtube video, so I thought I'd share...it's food for thought

Really interesting stuff happens around the 7:30 mark for those that want to skip ahead.

[jbh33]

We all own/drive BMWs. I think complaining about the price of gas is silly. If you're worried about the price of gas, buy a hybrid or electric car. I don't really care about the price of gas. I enjoy driving my car.

[CalCarNut]

Originally Posted by 6IX-F10-N52

if you got an N52 , or e90 335i and delete your secondary cats you fail the visual inspection.

I would move from cali just so I can delete the damn secondaries and complete my exhaust setup.

They don't even do visual anymore. I had my wife's Benz (since sold) smogged in January. The Tech just hooks up to the OBDII port and lets the car idle for a bit and lets the electronics monitor the PCM/DME/onboard computer to see how it's running, etc. There isn't even a sniff test now. The only cars that have to go on a rolling dyno are 1999 and older he says. He says in a few years, everyone can do their own smog check here with the aid of a dongle that will transmit to the state. 'Green light' good/red light, repairs required. Should be interesting to see all the characters figuring out ways around this...........

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by CalCarNut

They don't even do visual anymore. I had my wife's Benz (since sold) smogged in January. The Tech just hooks up to the OBDII port and lets the car idle for a bit and lets the electronics monitor the PCM/DME/onboard computer to see how it's running, etc. There isn't even a sniff test now. The only cars that have to go on a rolling dyno are 1999 and older he says. He says in a few years, everyone can do their own smog check here with the aid of a dongle that will transmit to the state. 'Green light' good/red light, repairs required. Should be interesting to see all the characters figuring out ways around this...........

hmm.. are you sure it wasnt this particular mechanic who didnt do the smog test? or is this the new rule

when I went to get my 2011 f10 emission tested, he didnt even actually emission test it... he just hooked it up to make sure there were no codes and thats it lol

[CalCarNut]

Originally Posted by jbh33

We all own/drive BMWs. I think complaining about the price of gas is silly. If you're worried about the price of gas, buy a hybrid or electric car. I don't really care about the price of gas. I enjoy driving my car.

LOL..BMWs are not be all/end all. I have four cars...so yes, the price of gas is a topic of discussion. The price doesn't really affect my car since mine sits for the most part but my wifes X3 x-drive racks up the miles as does my LandCruiser...

[CalCarNut]

Originally Posted by 6IX-F10-N52

hmm.. are you sure it wasnt this particular mechanic who didnt do the smog test? or is this the new rule

when I went to get my 2011 f10 emission tested, he didnt even actually emission test it... he just hooked it up to make sure there were no codes and thats it lol

No..he's a 'Smog Only' state registered tech. This guy follows the rules to a T..even though I see him every year and he knows me, he does it all by the book. I was surprised he didn't do the sniff test and that's the explanation he gave me; the laws changed here in Cali.......

[CalCarNut]

Interesting video. Pretty much knew that already; a non-performance car doesn't need higher octane. Even our cars don't 'need' it. As the techs stated, if the computer detects knock, it whacks out/dials back on timing, etc. THAT will affect some power that the engine has. Driven mildly, none need premium unless taken to the track. And yes, I'll still waste $ and use premium on my GC..

[metallicpea]

I live around the Chicago area and I have to back up the OP here. A few years ago it was standard at $0.10 bump for mid and another $.010 for premium. Then it quickly jumped to $0.15 and $0.20 per grade. Now it is at least $0.30 and often $0.40 bump or more for each grade.

I have been using gas buddy for years. This is not select stations in this area - it is all of them, so smart shopping can save you overall, but at every station - even the price competitive ones, the bump for mid and premium is out of whack. I have been increasingly frustrated with this.

Also, the need for premium fuel is a bit of a sticking point for me too. My 2012 explorer had a 2.0L turbo engine with more output and it was rated for regular fuel. So I don't see the argument that premium is necessary to grab the high output per displacement of these engines.

I may have to change my fuel and vehicle buying habits to include this factor in future buying decisions.

[floydarogers]

Not to gloat or anything but have you noticed that diesel is between regular and mid-grade in price? Take that, you diesel nay-sayers.