Nice try Sunoco

"STREPITUS" (strepitus)
04/29/2014 at 10:47 • Filed to: None

Needed to fillup the Mustang the other day. Saw a Sunoco and a Marathon next to each other showing the same price on the board for regular. Pulled into the Sunoco and noticed this trickery....

Notice how 93 is 30 cents more expensive than 87 because there are 2 levels between them. The neighboring Marathon doesn't offer 91 so their 93 was 3.859. This is the first time I've seen a gas station charge 10 cents more for 93 than 91. I know of a Sunoco back in MA that only charges an extra 2 cents more for 93 (which seems more reasonable).

But yeah, I didn't fill up here. I went over to the Marathon next door.

DISCUSSION (40)

crowmolly > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 10:49

Reminds me of the old Ultra 94 days

thedevilinside > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 10:52

We have 60 cents more for premium sometimes. Most of the time it's more than 30 cents more per gallon.

yamahog > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 10:55

You could just have a motorcycle and pay less than $15 to fill up with premium :)

STREPITUS > thedevilinside
04/29/2014 at 10:57

I've only seen jumps of more than 10 cents per octane level once or twice. Where are you located?

wabbalosthiskey > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:01

I have never seen a regular station with 4 octane grades...Nor do i know of any production car that would require it, but that's great marketing for them I guess, I'm sure plenty of people buy it because it's "better"... Maybe nice for boosted cars to add an extra degree or two but I'd worry about the widespread availability of it, I rarely if ever see it.

Cixelsyd > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:03

I only fill up at Shell and BP, both of which only carry 93 as the premium near me.

STREPITUS > wabbalosthiskey
04/29/2014 at 11:05

My Mustang's manual says 91+ recommended but not required. The car makes less power on regular and has a tendency to knock, so I don't do that. And since 91 is a rarity here I always fill up with 93. Wasn't going to go down to 91 when the next station over had 93 at the same price although I doubt it would make any difference.

E92M3 > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:06

Thats standard practice in GA. 87-89-93 are usually 10 cents apart. No 91.

505Turbeaux > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:07

but you are paying for "U-L-T-R-A"!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:08

That's how it is for me too, in Michigan. There are usually 3 levels, with 15 cent jumps.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:08

All Sunocos do this now. It's their way of pumping an additional 10 cents/gallon out of the car guys. Sunoco can die in a fire for this kind of bullshit.

M54B30 > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:08

That's too much work to save $1.80

M54B30 > thedevilinside
04/29/2014 at 11:10

Same here, there's a 40¢ difference for Premium and I'm in South Dakota. When I was in Ohio, it was $0.10¢ between each grade

STREPITUS > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
04/29/2014 at 11:11

This was in Royal Oak, MI.

Its usually 10 cents cheaper for cash, then 10 cent jumps per level

STREPITUS > M54B30
04/29/2014 at 11:12

Shhh... Don't rain on my parade.

thedevilinside > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:14

Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina. Mainly in Atlanta is where it is worst, but I fill up all around so I can't remember where is what always.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > M54B30
04/29/2014 at 11:15

After 20 fill ups that's 36 dollars.

d1ck > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:15

93 Octane is not available at any gas station in my province. :(

wabbalosthiskey > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:26

Most manuals will say "recommended but not required" because the car is generally tuned for that octane, but yes, it will *run* on lower, although not well and it's not good for the car...Always run whatever it says it needs, nothing less or more.

A brief blurb on octanes for those interested......It won't make any difference running higher octane, unless it is specifically setup (tuned) to take advantage of it. An engine will make the most power with the lowest octane it can stand without detonating ; think of octane as resistance to detonation. The higher the octane rating, the harder it is to ignite, so higher octane than an engine is setup to run will actually cost you efficiency and horsepower. So if that's the case then why do performance engines want higher octane? Two basic contributors: They are generally higher compression, which is more efficient and makes more horsepower, but that higher compression will cause the fuel to ignite prematurely (ie detonation). Consider than a one-sentence primer into why diesel engines are generally more efficient then gasoline ones (and why as gas motors catch up, ie EcoBoost etc are doing so by finding tricky ways to prevent detonation and run higher compression than technology would previously allow). Ignition timing is also a contributor - Like compression, timing contributes to the overall efficiency/horsepower to a certain point, and higher resistance to detonation in the fuel insures a higher degree of control to when that fuel lights off, allowing timing to be dialed in right where the engine is happiest.

Stupidru > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:28

I think Porsches require 93, but don't quote me. If there wasn't a need for it, they wouldn't sell it

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:41

Shit Son! That gas is cheap! in Canada it works out to $4.75/us gallon for 87 octane. and a whopping $5.44/us gallon for 91 octane. I don't even want to know that 93 would go for.

STREPITUS > wabbalosthiskey
04/29/2014 at 11:48

Well no. The V6 manual says to use regular. The GT says that the engine will make much less power on regular but you can still use it although premium is recommended (seeing as how the car is tuned for it). The GT500 manual says 'don't use regular'.

STREPITUS > Stupidru
04/29/2014 at 11:48

My buddies RX8 will shit the bed on less than 91, so yeah.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:50

Ughhhhh I wish I could find 93 for under 4 a gallon here in Westchester, NY. Or even Connecticut for that matter.

wabbalosthiskey > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:51

The GT is higher compression and dialed for 91, but has knock sensors that will detect detonation and pull timing to prevent damage (and will power/mileage).. GT500 won't do that so it's 91 all the time.

BoulderZ > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 11:53

As a kid, I remember them doing that all the time in the 80s and 90s. We don't have Sunoco retailers where I live now, didn't know that was still their system. Everyone else does 10 cent per level jumps here, too, but it starts at 85 (altitude adjustment). Sunoco does have the supply contract at our track, though. Filled up with some lovely 98 or 100 last time out (don't remember which, prob 98 because I didn't want the oxygenated). Over $9/gallon if I remember correctly. You can get 110 there, too, but it's leaded (nasty stuff, but a lot of the vintage racers really do require it).

STREPITUS > wabbalosthiskey
04/29/2014 at 11:58

Right, I was just countering your "most manuals will say recommended but not required"

I actually took a very good class taught by John Wiss on internal combustion engine theory and design and still have my Heywood book laying around somewhere. Haven't touched it since graduating though since I mostly do vehicle dynamics now and don't talk to the powertrain design guys much.

Bad Idea Hat > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 12:11

I don't think Kentucky, at the very least, has any sort of standards on how pumps are labelled. I've rolled into stations where the numbers are ordered 89-87-91, and I distinctly remember one outside of Bowling Green labelled 89-91-87.

At least, it was like that when I used to have to travel through the state a lot.

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 12:49

Is Marathon a Top Tier fuel supplier? Sunoco is, and that may be your difference right there.

STREPITUS > MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig
04/29/2014 at 12:56

Sunoco isn't

http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

MR2_FTW - Group J's resident Stig > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 13:09

I swear they were a few years ago. Maybe they dropped out.

ColoradoTaco > Stupidru
04/29/2014 at 13:40

I don't think Porsche requires 93. 93 is VERY rare here in CO, but Porsches aren't. I don't know of a single station to buy it personally.

RelentlessSlacker > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 14:23

Annoying, but not horrible. In Washington, I hate how practically every station charges 10 cents more per gallon to pay with debit or credit vs. cash. Yes I know there are card fees that the station pays, but it ain't no 10 cents a gallon, it's like 5 cents a tank...California doesn't try to pull that crap (much).

Washington also very commonly puts a 20 cent step between 87 and 89, sometimes even a 20 cent step between 87 and 89 and then 89 and 92. Usually not, fortunately.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 17:44

91 octane is cat urine. I think they harvest it from Ashley Force's cats, too. If it's premium, make it premium. Total BS

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 17:44

Missouri is 15 cents per grade.

deekster_caddy > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 21:58

A lot of stations by me (in MA) jump 10 cents from 87 to 89 then 20 cents to 93 anyway. Big sign advertising 3.85 for regular at a Shell by me and their 93 was 4.25.

I remember stations in the 90s having a 10 cent difference between grades. If you look at the ratio compared to inflation, and that most stations are still only 10 cents more per grade, 93 is a huge bargain today!

STREPITUS > deekster_caddy
04/29/2014 at 22:03

Where in MA are you? I lived in the Worcester area from 1995 to 2008 and have spent a good chunk of every summer since in the area and have never seen more than 10c jumps.

deekster_caddy > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 22:04

Just north of Boston, Reading.

STREPITUS > deekster_caddy
04/29/2014 at 22:06

Ah. Never been to that area of the state.

wabbalosthiskey > STREPITUS
04/29/2014 at 23:35

That would be a neat class.