Question about gas pricing

[roadman]

I've got the gasbuddy app on my phone and am taking a trip from Texas to South Dakota and Minnesota at Thankgiving.

In keeping track of fuel prices, I noticed that in Nebraska and South Dakota, that midgrade fuel (91) was running 10 cents to 15 cents cheaper than regular (87) fuel.

I remember from living in SD over 15 years ago, that they had one was pure gas and one was 10% ethanol.

Does anybody here know which is what???

Thanks!
Todd

 

[Kruse]

Are you sure it was 91 that was cheapest? In Nebraska, where corn is king, your 89 grade is 10% alcohol and is (usually) the cheapest gas they sell. Next comes 87 octane that is slightly higher and then the highest is 91 octane. There are a few stores in the area, like a lot of Sinclair stations that have 87 octane as the cheapest priced gas.
You also have E85 which is usually $.20 to $.40 cheaper, but is not suitable for most cars that are not equipped for E85 and your mileage takes a big hit because E85 has fewer BTU in it as compared to regular 87 octane gas.

 

[fdcg27]

Driving through that area in 2006, the midgrade contained ethanol and was less expensive than the regular, which was free of ethnaol.

 

[Oregoonian]

If the regular was free of ethnaol....I would be buying regular. You vehicle would run more efficiently....and get improved MPG.

 

[98Corolla]

I live on the border of IA/ILL, all gas here has 10% ethanol unless you buy premium. If Gasbuddy says the same price for midgrade and regular gas, it's usually because that station only offers 2 types of gas 1 with ethanol (89 oct) and 1 without (91 oct, I think). There are some stations that have gas with no ethanol here, they usually advertise it on their marquee and you pay for it. And then of course E85.

This is basically true of all of IA

 

[roadman]

Yike, my mistake.

Regular, 87 was more expensive than midgrade, 89, by like 10 or 15 cents.

And 91 was the most expensive.

Sorry for the mix up.

I guess they are still highly subsidising ethanol then. From what I remember you get 10% or more higher MPG using pure gas than the E10.

So, it would still be more efficent to use 87 pure gas than 89 E10.

 

[Stephen_G]

Some vehicles will get worse mpg, or the same mpg. it all depends on the age.

Friend has a 1998 cavalier, it gets really bad mpg on E10 and has hesitation on it, on E0 it runs fine. I had a 2006 focus in North Dakota for example, it ran great on E10 and E0, i ran it on 89 octane E10

my 2003 sable, i cannot compare E10 to E0 as NJ does not offer E0, but it runs just fine on E10, probably just as good as it does on E0.