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Anyone swear by Costco gas?

splat said:
Costco is a top tier gas station, so I wouldn't hesitate to use them in my car.
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Arco, Beacon, and Valero are also certified. Know what that means? It means that TOP TIER doesn't mean a helluva lot anymore to me.

I have debated this issue quite a bit over the years, and I decided I no longer give that much of a damn what people put in their vehicles. I see a car in my shop that's been mistreated in one form or another, and I simply declare ain't my car and give them an estimate. Not gonna try to change anyone's mind that their practice of going 8000 miles between oil changes is bad or using Costco 87 in their premium recommended engine is bad either.

For the record. I have used Chevron pretty religiously over the years. If one isn't close I'll put 76 in. And that's about it. I even do it in rental cars even though it ain't my car.
 
Never had a problem with Costco gas.

My 190k MX5 has run on it for years and it is still going strong.
 
just a side note

Doesn't really matter where you get your fuel from these days.
Some may swear more than others the brand X is better than brand Z.

Truth is its all about the locality to where the refineries are, and who runs them.

Figure out what refineries are in our area and you'll know pretty much the source of your gas.

Off the top of my head there are at about 4 refineries in the north bay.
At least two are branded sources, and also supply non brand service stations.
The others can also supply branded stations.
To me its more a less a crap shoot.
Now to throw more monkey wrenches in the mix, there are out of state and country sources that can produce California fuel.
So where it all comes from is kind of what I said.. crap shoot.
 
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I'll go 50 miles out of my way and wait 20 min in line to save 5 cents a gallon on 3 gallons of gas at Costco for my motorcycle. I'm frugal.:afm199
 
Costco gas for life \m/
 
avu3 said:
I have a car which is very sensitive to fuel quality. Shell and Chevron it runs best on. Generics, Arco, Valero are to be avoided.

It does fine on Costco.

I run Costco in the bike. You have to avoid peak times. But $.45/gal is $.45/gal whether you're buying 3 or 20. When I'm commuting its 700mi a week. It adds up.
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What car is it? Sounds like it's in very poor condition. Maybe repair the fuel system?
 
Whammy Is right. I always use the absolute cheapest gas available. I took off the head on my 944 and the pistons and valves looked GORGEOUS. I did a couple times a year use techron or seafoam. That's it. If you're paying more for gas you might as well set the money on fire. It's not doing anything for you. It's called marketing. Lol
 
TheRobSJ said:
... For the record. I have used Chevron pretty religiously over the years. If one isn't close I'll put 76 in. And that's about it. I even do it in rental cars even though it ain't my car.
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I feel like 76 went to crap when their logo changed ( I think they were sold). It used to work good in my picky car, now it doesn't.
 
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Gawernator said:
What car is it? Sounds like it's in very poor condition. Maybe repair the fuel system?
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It's a garden variety BMW. E39. Nothing fancy. I'm very meticulous about repair. It's in great shape mechanically. It's just picky. And I'm sensitive. I'd bet most people wouldn't even notice the performance difference, but I do. It's very subtle, but noticeable if you know wha you're looking for.
 
Blankpage said:
You drive 60,000+ miles per year? Damn thats a ton of time behind the wheel.
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More like 20k+ with a .30 to .50c or more difference in price. Especially in SF
 
avu3 said:
It's a garden variety BMW. E39. Nothing fancy. I'm very meticulous about repair. It's in great shape mechanically. It's just picky. And I'm sensitive. I'd bet most people wouldn't even notice the performance difference, but I do. It's very subtle, but noticeable if you know wha you're looking for.
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Maybe you have carbon buildup
 
we use it

Fill up the Jeep their often - in CA and in other states. A good way to get fresh gas due to the high volume.
 
Fuel economy goes way way WAY down when I've used Costco gas. Like 27 mpg -> 19 mpg. Noticeable enough, and consistent enough that I decided I wasn't going to use it anymore.

Never tried it on the bike, though. With how small the gas tank is, I'd be saving like fifty cents. I'd spend fifty cents to not wait in that line.
 
WWWobble said:
But I don't believe the additive package is...
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You are correct. I've had a friend who owned a gas station in the past who explained this to me. They all use the same base gas from the local refinery. Each company has a specific cleaner/detergent they add to the gas to help reduce deposits and such. So you're not just paying for fuel from Chevron, Shell, and the other top tier non-bargain stations.

I prefer not to use the detergents in the fuel when I have the option since I don't know what it does to the fuel lines/pump/injectors etc. The engines are designed for gasoline, not these detergents. I would rather buy a bottle from the autoparts store if I feel the valves/injectors need some attention as I don't have proof that it helps. That is something worth researching.
 
I go there when I can, but my commute I can make 2 trips when I fill up from the gas station next to my office.
 
justanotherg20 said:
Fuel economy goes way way WAY down when I've used Costco gas. Like 27 mpg -> 19 mpg. Noticeable enough, and consistent enough that I decided I wasn't going to use it anymore.

Never tried it on the bike, though. With how small the gas tank is, I'd be saving like fifty cents. I'd spend fifty cents to not wait in that line.
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I just got 44 mpg with Costco gas lol
 
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