About a month ago, I noticed something terrible. As gas prices were going up, my mileage was plummeting.
It dropped from 25 miles a gallon to 17 (no hybrid here), enough to make me consider joining the modern age and getting rid of my 20-year-old car.
First, however, I tried everything I could to up the efficiency. I replaced the tires and spark plugs. I got it tuned up. But, no luck. The needle in the gas tank was dropping like the altimeter on a falling plane.
So, I hit up my mechanic buddy, George Loughran, who had the answer right away.
“Five miles a gallon? That's the winter blend.”
Oh yeah, the gas we Californians put in our cars from November through March is dirtier and contains additives such as butane, which burn at a higher vapor pressure. They make the gas cheaper, but far less efficient than the summer gas, which burns at a much lower pressure and is more pure.
Butane, for example, would boil off as a gas in summer, but can help fill a tank in the winter.
The summer and winter switch isn't much thought about, but became an issue in October when Gov. Jerry Brown asked the Air Resources Board to allow the winter gas to be sold before Oct. 31, because gas prices were reaching record highs.
So, we get cheaper gas, but have to use more of it? I'm not sure how the math works here.
How is it working in your tank? Are you Prius and Volt owners feeling smug in the smog?
Should I take the plunge and get something more fuel efficient, as opposed to a car with no payments?
P.S.: California gas prices averaged just over $4 a gallon in 2012, a record, beating last year's high of $3.50 a gallon. Nationwide prices averaged $3.60 a gallon, according to this story in the Los Angeles Times.
Prius & Volt owners should not feel smug at all, they should feel stupid because their ROI is about 10 years, or more. The Volt will fall apart long before then. A Prius Plug-in costs about $34K, a comparable car in size/no style, say a Ford Focus sedan is $20K (38 MPG). You have $14K to make up in the SAVINGS on gas, only to break even. Plus the plug-in will skyrocket your Edison bill- that just went up 10% (that's AB32 hitting your wallet). I don't feel bad for stupid Liberals who voted for this, I feel bad for the smart people that suffer from Democrat stupidity in CA.
Next thing you know we will be shooting a scene on a B-52 with Slim Whitman waving his cowboy hat and James Earl Jones just being bewildered.
I already knew this, but at current gas prices it would take 357 months to break even on a Volt!
Hard for me to admit as a Chevy and Toyota fan for decades, but I see nothing wrong with the new Kias (Kia is owned by Hyundai, BTW).
Even the hybrids actually have a negative NET effect on the environment because of those hi-tech batteries.
My car (10-yr old Infiniti) does seem to be using gas faster with the winter blend. My solution is to plan my daily trips so I get the most bang for my buck out of each trip.
Then find out EVERY thing is decided by politicians! I have to agree with Robert that blame game is Obama and Democrat's favorite game - everything was Bush's fault. Listen carefully, Virginia, to what Obama has been saying over and over- republicans are for rich peoples....but he gives tax credit to Hollywood (rich) because they give money to him. Poor and old are takers, sick and disables are takers, teachers and government workers are takers.....then, who is GIVERS?? Do you see why I get upset with people who voted for Obama because he is cute??
I have noticed a decrease in my fuel economy, so I just had my tires rotated and had the shop check the tire pressure. I believe in honesty, so if this causing a decrease in mpg, lets get to the bottom of it, expose the truth, then fix it! Stop the blame and insults! Move forward, not back.