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, Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:00:31
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says Thomas Darlington, engineer and consultant at Air Improvement Resource in Novi, Mich., and formerly at the EPA.
"Gasolines today are very, very clean from the standpoint of not forming engine deposits" because of the EPA and industry requirements, he argues. What does he buy? "I'm not brand-conscious. I go for price, as long as it doesn't have ethanol." He says ethanol cuts mileage 1% to 2% because it has a lower energy content than pure gasoline.
- - Top Tier has 8-10% ethanol! Therefore, the guy recommends against it!
Exxon and Mobil aren't Top Tier brands, though Nair says they surpass that standard.
- - Good publicity for ExxonMobil.
Tesoro, which retails gasoline through 800 of its stations and distributes fuel to Wal-Mart and others, views the detergent issue as a gimmick. Tesoro doesn't put in additional additives because "our customers are price shoppers," says Senior Vice President Lynn Westfall. "We don't get any complaints from our customers."
Citgo Petroleum, the Venezuelan brand, is another big name that's not Top Tier. Using stronger additives costs more, and even if it's just a penny a gallon, "We don't see a corresponding benefit to our customers of similar magnitude. We want to provide quality products to the consumer at the best value," spokesman Fernando Garay says.
"People will switch for a penny. It might not make financial sense, but they'll do it," says Jeff Lenard, spokesman
- - Tesoro, WalMart, and Citgo don't meet Top Tier standards and have only the minimum amount of additives. Citgo is willing to save a penny even if it means a worse product. An industry spokesman hints that it makes financial sense not to use the worst gas.
- - My conclusion is gas is almost gas but the worst gas is not good. With a car where repair is expensive, I'd advise against it. I'd also advise against it if you plan to keep your car more than a few years. I think Top Tier is a good standard but non-Top Tier, especially those without the ethanol, can be just as good or better. In fact, I might prefer Exxon and Mobil.
posted by 71.212.94...
, Sat, 29 Dec 2007 16:25:18, Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:00:31
, Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:16:42, Sat, 29 Dec 2007 16:27:20, Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:31:18, Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:30:41
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