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Find cheap gas

No matter what the price changes to, you can find the best prices in the area here.

 

IN THE NEWS

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RESOURCES

Get Dayton gas prices

What are your ideas for controlling energy costs?

United States Department of Energy tips page

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GAS MILEAGE

Calculate your car's gas mileage

Vehicles with the best and worst gas mileage:

Best mpg for cars:	Honda Insight, 3 cyl, 1 L, Manual(5)	61 mpg city, 66 mpg highway
Worst mpg for cars:	Lamborghini L-147 Murcielago, 12 cyl, 6.2 L, Manual(6)	9 mpg city, 13 mpg highway
Best mpg for trucks:	Ford Ranger Pickup, 2WD 4 cyl, 2.3 L, Manual(5), Regular	24 mpg city, 29 mpg highway
Worst mpg for trucks:	Dodge Ram1500 Pickup, 2WD 10 cyl, 8.3 L, Automatic(4)	9 mpg city, 12 mpg highway
Best mpg for SUVs:	Ford Escape HEV, 2WD 4 cyl, 2.3 L, Automatic(variable), Regular	36 mpg city, 31 mpg hwy
Worst mpg for SUVs:	Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG, 4WD 8 cyl, 5.4 L, Automatic(5)	12 mpg city, 14 mpg highway

 

Are hybrid vehicles effective?

Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors and can be configured to obtain different objectives, such as improved fuel economy, increased power, or additional auxiliary power for electronic devices and power tools.

Some of the advanced technologies typically used by hybrids include:

Regenerative Braking. The electric motor applies resistance to the drivetrain causing the wheels to slow down. In return, the energy from the wheels turns the motor, which functions as a generator, converting energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity, which is stored in a battery until needed by the electric motor.

Electric Motor Drive/Assist. The electric motor provides additional power to assist the engine in accelerating, passing, or hill climbing. This allows a smaller, more efficient engine to be used. In some vehicles, the motor alone provides power for low-speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient.

Automatic Start/Shutoff. Automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts it when the accelerator is pressed. This prevents wasted energy from idling.

Article from the United States Department of Energy

 

Paying for premium gas can be a waste of money

Many people use premium gasoline in the belief that it's better for engines than regular. That can be a costly mistake, especially during times of high fuel prices. Octane grades don't represent a "good, better, best" choice; they simply measure the resistance of fuel to knocking or pinging, a condition in which gasoline burns uncontrollably in the engine's combustion chambers. Knocking and pinging can damage an engine.

While high-octane formulations resist knocking better than lower octanes, most engines are designed to take regular gas, which has an octane rating of about 87. Engines requiring premium gas are typically the more powerful ones found in sports and luxury vehicles. Those engines use a very high compression ratio, making them more vulnerable to knocking, so recommended fuels have octane ratings of 91 or higher. Using premium gas in an engine designed to run on regular doesn't improve performance.

Some engines for which premium gasoline is recommended can run on regular without problems. That's because the engine's knock-sensor system detects the presence of uncontrolled burning in the chambers. When it does, the engine's computer-control system retards engine timing, eliminating the knock but slightly reducing power. If you don't mind giving up some performance, you can run these engines on less-expensive regular gasoline. To check whether your engine is capable of running on regular gas, read your owner's manual or ask your dealership's service department.

A hot-running engine or one with deposits may also knock, but premium gas may still not be the best solution. Service a hot-running engine as soon as possible, and handle deposit buildup with treatments that dissolve them. The treatments may be less expensive than regularly using premium gas.

Article from Consumer Reports