SW17LS

One thing that pisses me off about Shell, they build the grocery cost into their gas, especially with high test. I have found shell is consistently .30c a gallon more than Exxon, Sunoco, etc. So I only buy Shell when I have enough in gas points to make it cheaper than the other station. Yesterday my local shell station was .50c more a gallon for high test than Exxon.

Wilson2000

I worry more about the condition of the station, as in its equipment, and especially its underground storage tanks, than I worry about the additive package. Having been a Fleet and Facility Manager with four filling stations, I can tell you the tanks have a lifespan, in part because crap accumulates inside them. Too, older tanks are more prone to corrosion and leaks. In California, all filling stations were required to upgrade their tanks in the past few decades, so most are fine, but other states might have issues with old, dirty storage tanks.

I would imagine that name brand stations, selling "top-tier" gas, are more likely to have better underground tanks, regardless of location.

To ensure I keep my fuel system and valves clean, I run a bottle of Techroline in the tank with each oil change, but other than that, I buy gas from local discount chains like Costco. BTW...Costco puts cases of Techroline on sale several times per year.

mmarshall

Strange, but I'll take your word for it, at least in your part of the woods....you know your neighborhood. Across the river in the part of NoVA there I live, it's the exact opposite. The most expensive station around (far and away) is the Exxon Gas/Tiger-Mart on Oakton, VA, on Rt. 123. I don't know how these bozos stay in business, but they recently have been selling 87-Octane for $2.99, and Premium and Diesel well above $3.00. Its just off an I-66 exit, so perhaps (?) they are preying on people who were stuck in the notorious daily I-66 gridlock/accident-backups, low on gas, and just need to fill up wherever they can.

https://www.autoblog.com/oakton-va-gas-prices/

In fact, not long ago, at that same station, it was $3.19..........


https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8799...7i16384!8i8192


BTW, last week, with a small discount for Shell from my Giant Food grocery-account, I paid $1.95 for 87-octane at a station in Falls Church, off Route 50.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

says the guy driving an S-class.

so 20 gallons of gas at .50c more is an additional $10, to drive what, 450mi.? Hardly a big deal.

patgilm

LOL I’m the same way and it’s the same at the Shell station in my neighborhood, it’s always $0.30 higher than all of the other gas stations around it likely due to the Giant grocery store points. I never go there unless I have a $0.50 off from points.

patgilm

It seems like a marketing thing. I was just curious if my local Sunoco was top tier and I assumed it was but it is not listed anymore. Doing a quick search online as to why and it appears they don’t want to pay for it to save money during COVID but they also said the gas remains the same.

bagwell

lots of good results on Corvette forums with Chevron Techron gas (or the additive) - helping sticky fuel sender units and more - so I try to use whenever possible - I have one right down the street from my local Costco so they're pretty competitive price-wise.

SW17LS

LOL true, but if I can drive across the street and pay .50c less a gallon for the same high quality top tier fuel, why wouldnt I?

The point is Shell has partnered with our largest local grocery store, we get .10c a gallon off for every $100 we spend on groceries. Then Shell just charges more than the competition to where after your gas points you just spend what you could have spent at Exxon. But you have lines of people using their gas points at shell. So when I have like .70-1.00 off a gallon (we buy a lot of groceries) then I will go get Shell.

cp44

LOL I knew the previous owners of that Exxon, I went to HS with their daughters back in the day. It was pricey back then too, they sold it a while ago and looks like things hasn't changed.

I exclusively use Shell in all my cars, it's $2.15 for 87 where I live.

Felix

A couple Costco's in the southend of Seattle haven't carried the 6pack of Techron additive since last yr '19.....Haven't carried it in all of '20.....

mmarshall

You're right. That place has always been a rip-off, as long as I can remember. I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole....particularly with a major shopping-center right across the street. I honestly don't know how that place stays in business....except perhaps from people who don't know the area and were stuck on 66.

BTW, you mentioned HS with his daughters. Just a heads-up...if you are refering to Oakton High School (Cougars), that school is being almost completely rebuilt...there have been MAJOR construction projects ongoing with it for many months now.

Yes, that's also more or less the average price for it in my area, + or - a dime or two. If you shop at Giant Food and have an account there with a Bonus Card, you can get Shell-gas discounts. I use them routinely.

cp44

Vienna/Oakton has changed like crazy, I used to live in Vienna and attended James Madison HS but had a lot of friends at Oakton HS. Yeah I take full advantage of the Giant Food/Shell savings when I can.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

makes sense. Unless the turn's a beyotch. we have gas stations here where they might 'just' be on the other side of the street, but getting to them and getting back on my way just isn't worth the hassle.

About these grocery/gas co-promotion discounts, i've never seen them here... but then i pretty much don't care what i pay for gas or what gas. Cars drive identically with everything i've ever put in them. How do you redeem said discount at the gas station based on your grocery purchases?

I do know a couple of gas stations here that are clearly a rip off (way higher than everywhere else) and i don't go to those.

mmarshall

There are (apparently) no similar programs in FL, so it is redundant....but, since you asked, in my area, it is fairly simple. At Safeway and Giant Food stores, simply ring up your daily purchases on your Bonus Card.....the cashier will ask you for your card, or you can do it yourself at the self-checkout stands. When your sale is totaled up, the computer will automatically calculate how many fuel-points you have earned with each purchase (Giant usually gives 1 Bonus Point for each dollar, unless there is a special promotion for more). That number will be printed out on your receipt. When you get to whatever the threshold for a discount is (with Giant, 100 points = a $0.10 discount at any local Shell gas pump, then you can cash in on the discount. With 200 points, you get $0.20 off...and so forth, up to whatever the limit is. At the pump, you stick your Bonus Card into the credit-card slot (or enter your account-number) to verify the discount, follow the screen-instructions by punching a few more buttons, then simply pump your gas as usual....the discount price will be priced on the receipt.

The Safeway point-system is similar, except that they use their own company-owned (Safeway) gas stations instead of Shell. Safeway's fuel, however, unlike Shell, is clearly not Top-Tier.....so I'd be hesitant to use it. Shell has a solid reputation for high-quality detergents in the fuel.







While I clearly agree that some stations could be considered a rip-off (the one I was discussing with cp44 is a prime example), there are often legitimate reasons why some stations have to charge more than others....even those that are right next to each other. Much depends on what the station-operators have to themselves pay to lease the land/property the station sits on, how much they have to pay the oil-company for the right to a franchise, how much they have to pay for their fuel-deliveries wholesale, how much they have to pay in property/buisness taxes, how much they have to pay their labor, how much they have to pay for business insurance, how much they have to pay to repair and maintain their equipment (today's complex electronic gas pumps are often malfunctioning or broken-down).....a number of different factors are involved.

SW17LS

Yeah I'm not going to go out of my way to a certain degree lol. I'm not talking about .10c. Like this morning, the Shell was $3.59 for 93, the Exxon was $2.99. Only thing changes is if I go to Exxon I drive in or out of my community a slightly different way where the Shell is right on my route. I also was getting 10% off all fuel bought from Exxon through my AMEX business gold card through 12/31 of last year.

It also likely depends on how much gas you buy. I fill the Mercedes up once a week, and the Pacifica probably twice a month. So .60c a gallon more is $72 a month more in fuel, or nearly $900 a year, just for being intentional about what station I chose to use. That aint nothing.

As for the points, how you redeem them has improved. Used to be you typed in the code on your grocery store bonus card, then your phone number, now its linked to my credit card so it always asks me if I want to use them when I insert that credit card.

I also have been using the gas apps, they have rewards too. Every gas company has an app, and you pay through them using Apple Pay, etc. You can use your points through the Shell app too.