Premium Costco Gas???

13081 Views 17 Replies 10 Participants Last post by SuperchargedMR2, Jan 21, 2011

96coroll

Discussion Starter · Sep 4, 2010

so premium costco 91 octane gas is at 1.02 a liter. Which is like .15cents less than other gas stations premium. You guys think it's bad gas??? Or maybe they just buy it in such large amounts that they can have the price low??

note: costco is not part of the top teir stations

Thanks

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

Mag Grey Toy

· #2 · Sep 4, 2010

honestly in my opinion i dont think it matters
but we will see what others say.

at the end of the week gas companies sell their gas out for cheap so your shell or chevron gas could be be the stuff they normally ship to arco or something.
thats just my take on this.

canddmeyer

· #3 · Sep 4, 2010

I use it. No problems here.

PhatRoyale

· #4 · Sep 4, 2010

Premium is not required for a Corolla. Just stick to regular 87.

96coroll

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 5, 2010

But i defiantly have noticed a difference. it revs lower at higher speeds. Starts up like a champ.

And i've been getting very good fuel economy. For 25L i get 450km

Mag Grey Toy

· #6 · Sep 6, 2010

tbh my dealer says use what the handbook says
using any higher reaps no real benifits

projektvertx

· #7 · Sep 6, 2010

PhatRoyale said:
Premium is not required for a Corolla. Just stick to regular 87.

96coroll said:
But i defiantly have noticed a difference. it revs lower at higher speeds. Starts up like a champ.

And i've been getting very good fuel economy. For 25L i get 450km

I'd like to start by reinforcing PhatRoyale's point. No benefit in a Corolla. 1MZ camry, different story.

On another note, I've been filling up Costco premium gas (93 octane in the US) and it's just fine. It's interesting that I'm starting to see gas at Costco in Canada now. In my last trip to Windsor, I noticed the local Costco put in a gas station.

I think, like many other things at Costco, they just buy in such larger volumes and with greater frequency (have you ever gone to Costco in the middle of the day and not have at least 1-2 cars in front of you in line?) that it allows them to sell at a discounted rate. Also, they usually get tankers on average AT LEAST once every 2 days to what I've been able to gather.

Audi4life20v

· #8 · Sep 7, 2010

I'd like to point out a few things in the 87 vs 91 (93 w/e) debate.
In a way there no real benefit, or something the average user would notice.

But heres the catch.

Running premium in an older low compression motor wouldn't do anything. Keep the engine a bit cleaner yes but other then that nothing.
Then again is keeping your engine cleaner really nothing? But having to run a premium blend for cleaning reason can be avoided by running a better brand of gas. To the average user you wont get it but you do get what you pay for and some of the bigger companies are running a better blend. So personally I might run the costco brand gas in my 86 corolla if I had to but not my Golf. Reasons being quality control, car is tuned a certain way and the difference between shell premium and lets say a 7-11 premium is noticeable in knock and power... ANYWAYS.

Regarding newer cars with the multiple O2 sensors and knock sensors they can detect fuel qualities and hundreds of running perimeters. This is where it gets interesting.
When a car is marked to run 87 octane it can and will run just fine and happy. The ecu gives fuel and pulls timing with knock and adjusts how much fuel is delivered with the AFR that the O2 sensors sense. The thing is, is that although your engine may run happy with 87 , 87 gas does not burn as nice. (Like the good ol saying : You get what you pay for)
Anyways 91 is a much more refined and controlled fuel, thus burning better. Your car's O2 sensors see the AFR change and can reduce fuel levels to reflect this. Thus you get less fuel and more timing advance with no knock = better performance. and when your casually driving you get better mileage.

So running 91 DOES make a difference. It has been Dyno proved and specifically the article I read was on a VW. They only gained 8-15 hp but this was across the band and the engine responded better. (probably due to the extra timing advance the ECU gave due to the lack of knock)

Anyways Im rambling but I believe that 91 is worth it as two of my cars only take 30-40 bucks from empty. so the extra few bucks in premium usually gets me farther.

Best "Bang" for your buck I might say lol.

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NORTY

· #9 · Sep 10, 2010

ALL the Costco's in socal use fuel pulled from the Shell Carson rack. Costco's supplier has a huge Shell allocation. I could tell you who it is, but it doesn't matter.

projektvertx

· #10 · Sep 11, 2010

NORTY said:
ALL the Costco's in socal use fuel pulled from the Shell Carson rack. Costco's supplier has a huge Shell allocation. I could tell you who it is, but it doesn't matter.

Really? That's interesting to know! Didn't know that.

Off topic, but I was recently in your neck of the woods, and let me tell you the Carlsbad Costco is crowded as heck!! (The one on Palomar Airport Rd....)

Reactions: 1

NORTY

· #11 · Sep 11, 2010

projektvertx said:
Really? That's interesting to know! Didn't know that.

Off topic, but I was recently in your neck of the woods, and let me tell you the Carlsbad Costco is crowded as heck!! (The one on Palomar Airport Rd....)

You aren't kidding! 8 lines with 5-6 cars each! They do about 2 million gallons per month.

Oddly, the Vista CostCo is only 5 miles away and their gas is a nickel cheaper! (and they have a higher sales tax!):headbang:

Welcome to "zone" pricing!

SuperchargedMR2

· #12 · Sep 19, 2010

NORTY said:
You aren't kidding! 8 lines with 5-6 cars each! They do about 2 million gallons per month.

Oddly, the Vista CostCo is only 5 miles away and their gas is a nickel cheaper! (and they have a higher sales tax!):headbang:

Welcome to "zone" pricing!

The Costco in Portland on Airport Way is the busiest Costco as everyone in WA drives across the river to save on no sales tax in OR. The line for gas is crazy long in every line, for me I'll pay a few cents more for Shell or Chevron & save myself 30 minutes of time. :facepalm:

jessb

· #13 · Jan 11, 2011 (Edited by Moderator)

Costco is almost always full when I pull in. I only use it if they happen to be empty and I just finished shopping. It's good to know the gas is decent quality.

TrailDust

· #14 · Jan 18, 2011

Just throwing this out, but in my area I tried Costco gas a couple years ago and immediately saw a 15% drop in mileage in both my Avalon and Highlander. Ran two more tanksful each of gas at my regular station and mileage went back to normal, then back to Costco for both vehicles and dropped again 15%, which more than offset any gains in a cheaper price. The only conclusion was that Costco was selling off season blend which would account for how they could sell it so cheaply and for my mileage dropped. Just saying, just be aware.

NORTY

· #15 · Jan 18, 2011

TrailDust said:
Just throwing this out, but in my area I tried Costco gas a couple years ago and immediately saw a 15% drop in mileage in both my Avalon and Highlander. Ran two more tanksful each of gas at my regular station and mileage went back to normal, then back to Costco for both vehicles and dropped again 15%, which more than offset any gains in a cheaper price. The only conclusion was that Costco was selling off season blend which would account for how they could sell it so cheaply and for my mileage dropped. Just saying, just be aware.

I've noticed that too on my vehicles.

projektvertx

· #16 · Jan 19, 2011

TrailDust said:
Just throwing this out, but in my area I tried Costco gas a couple years ago and immediately saw a 15% drop in mileage in both my Avalon and Highlander. Ran two more tanksful each of gas at my regular station and mileage went back to normal, then back to Costco for both vehicles and dropped again 15%, which more than offset any gains in a cheaper price. The only conclusion was that Costco was selling off season blend which would account for how they could sell it so cheaply and for my mileage dropped. Just saying, just be aware.

Interesting. I don't notice any difference as opposed to Shell in my area.

TrailDust

· #17 · Jan 20, 2011

projektvertx said:
Interesting. I don't notice any difference as opposed to Shell in my area.

You're lucky...go for the savings. :thumbsup:

SuperchargedMR2

· #18 · Jan 21, 2011

I heard that Costco gas was from a cheap off brand company in the NW so I just stay away from it. It's just not worth the couple of dollars & waiting in line for a cheaper quality product.

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