Unfortunately, gasoline prices cannot be separated from politics, for
politics are inextricably linked to the cost of gasoline at the pump.
>I bought gas yesterday at my local Shell station in Lakeside, San Dan Diego
>County. Price for unleaded regular unleaded was $2.799, and premium was $2.999
>- close enough to three dollars, right?
>
The problem, of course, is with sweeping generalizations as, "It's
already fairly common in So Cal to have to pay over $3.00 a gallon for
premium." That in itself is simply not the case. Oh, it is possible to
find such a price, and it is true that the media zooms in on them simply
because the ARE bizarre and unusual, thereby creating a totally false
impression. The two best sources for gas prices in Southern California
are the Lundberg Letter and the Automobile Club of Southern California's
"Gas Watch".
As far as which cars require premium, or can do just as well on regular,
both Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com have looked at the issue and find
that modern technology does not require premiumin in the vast majority
of MOST cars, including high-end cars and SUV's. It is important, both
as well as the AAA emphasize, to read the owner's manual carefully to
see if it is actually required, or simply recommended. It seems that
most people simply assume that their high-end cars, including SUV's,
require it when it just ain't so. As far as a "middle grade", even the
industry admits that it is in response to a perceived need by the
public, not of any real need by cars.
Interestingly enough, I have met Sprite owners in England who say they
can still find leaded regular if they look hard enough, or who are
satisfied with not "HRT", but "LRT"--"lead replacement therapy", or
additives.
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