Fuel these days...

[dbw]

I got my 2004 Box last May and since that time have put on 22000 km. I have kept track of every single fill up. Normally here in Winnipeg I use Co-op gas because in Feb they send you a rebate cheque which last year I beleive was for approx $.16 a litre. Anyway, where I am going with this is I recently did a 5500 km road trip over two weeks and I noticed when using Shell I got at least 10% more range (10% less fuel burn) on a tank. I used Sunoco 94 in Ontario where there iss no ethenol in the hi-test and got just as good if not better - the Sunoco was hard to find. Soon as I got back to Winnipeg back to the Co-op gas and my range on a tank dropped 10%. Interesting. Maybe it isn't such a deal.

On another road trip last winter I took my Acura TSX and in one state (WI?) there is ethenol in hi-test and my range dropped 10-15% and picked back up again after I was able to get fuel without ethenol.

My thoughts are that ethenol is crap. If polutants released into the air is a product of volume burned these days then with ethenol you are putting 10 - 15% more into the atmosphere and increasing your fuel costs by a similar amount. No saving anywhere that I can see.