Chevron Gas vs Others', Worth It?

Summary

Pros

• Better gas mileage
• Beneficial additives such as Techron
• Generally nicer fuel stations (less lines, cleaner, car maintenance items such as window cleaners, towels, ExtraMile, etc.)

Cons

• More expensive

Sweet, sweet lifeblood of cars.

Introduction

I was raised to seek out the cheapest gas stations, but with gas ~ $4/gal, savings of even ten or twenty cents become negligible on a percentage basis. For that reason, I began looking for the best value rather than the cheapest price when it comes to gas.

Yikes!

Discussion

Chevron's advertising strategy has long been a one of asking drivers' to "care for their car" by filling up at a Chevron, and by pointing out the benefits of using their fuel. This is a smart move; like Apple products, Chevron is not aiming to be the cheapest option for consumers, but does want to present itself as the best option when all things are considered.

Who doesn't love their cars?

I myself was pretty skeptical of Chevron's claims, but because I started working at a location in Walnut Creek with a convenient and fairly cheap Chevron nearby, I decided to try it out to get some of my own empirical data to make a more informed decision.

From a gas mileage perspective, I have definitely noticed a consistent increase of 2-3 mpg for several weeks after switching to Chevron. I cannot speak on the affects of additives such as Techron, but I have definitely noticed that Chevron gas stations generally have shorter lines, are nicer overall then those of their competitors.

So, does it make sense to stick with Chevron? Crunching through an representative example of my experience:

With other gas:
$3.80/gallon * 1/(28 miles/gallon) = $0.1357/mile

With Chevron gas:
$4.00/gallon * 1/(30 miles/gallon) = $0.1333/mile

Here, a $0.20 increase in price ($0.20/$3.80 = 5%) is outweighed by a 2 mpg increase in fuel efficiency (2 mpg/28 mpg = 7.14%). Your results will probably vary from mine, so I encourage you to try switching and calculating whether or not Chevron gas is worth it for you.

The numbers don't lie (I just miscalculate them from time to time).

Conclusion

I have gone over to the dark side, and am now using Chevron gas on a consistent basis. I encourage people to give it a try, and see if their experiences are as beneficial as mine were.

On a related note, this type of positing is representative of what people see in, and turn to, ChartNine for: a new (and seemingly contradictory) way of looking at things, backed by cold, hard, facts. If you have ideas on what we should analyze next, please let me know via comments or private messages.

Time to join the Dark Side...