Is all gas the same?

[curtis73]

Gasoline by federal law has to be comprised of certain chemicals. It has to be standardized, unlike diesel which refers to a class of fuels with the same pyrodynamic qualities. The base gasoline fuel is identical and like many have said, is supplied to many companies from one pipeline. I had a friend who drove tankers for Sheetz convenience stores in and out of Altoona, PA.

The difference comes from the rest of the line. Different companies add different levels of detergents, additives, coloring agents, and other stuff like MTBE and alcohol in accordance with federal law. They also have their own criteria for storing, transporting, and testing their additives. Sometimes Mom 'n' Pop stores in the boonies can have gas sitting in their 700-gallon tank for weeks. That's a lot of chance for condensation, sedimentation, and other things to affect the quality of the fuel. For the most part, 99% of the fuel you buy exceeds federal standards by a fair margin. Otherwise the standard guidelines apply; buy from frequently used stations and avoid the boonies, but if you're concerned about which of the three stations on the corner has the best fuel, don't worry yourself. Go to the cheapest one and don't give it a thought.

Just two blocks from my place here in L.A. there is a corner with four stations; one on each corner. For those of you local, its at Figueroa and Ave 26 in Lincoln Heights. One has recently closed, but of the three remaining, sometimes there is a HUGE difference in price. One station was advertising $2.23 and across the way it was $2.03. The base fuel probably came from the same place, but the expensive fuel had a brand name that was responsible for a multi-million dollar ad campaign, billions of dollars in nationwide networking, a fleet of trucks, and other things. The cheap fuel guy had to get financing and make a phone call to get fuel.