Best Gas card other than NRA?

[Anonymous]

Youre welcome man, the nusenda card is awesome, and getting that 6% for 2 quarters does lessen the gap of not having 5% all year. IMHO Id suggest getting the Vantage West card to supplement the nusenda card (freedom and it are great when gas rolls around too of course). But the vantage west card actually has a 5% category that you get to pick, not unlike the us bank cash+ card...the difference being that the VW card has more useful categories, including utilities (which the cash+ is getting coming q2), Amazon, and charities, among others.

Since VW gets 3% on gas and nusenda gets 6, it's as if nusenda gave 5 and vantage west gave 4 Soo....not all that bad and you get way more use out of the 5% categories on these cards besides just gas.

[trusty]

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You have to consider what Costco prices their gas at though.  It's usually significantly cheaper than any other gas station.  Only relevant if it's convenient for you to go there, of course.  If it is though, it's likely the least expensive way for you to purchase gas.  

There's a reason why some things are cheaper than others. Not for nothing, there are plenty of reports of check engine lights coming on after filling up at a Costco gas station. - Check engine lights that magically disappear when the driver decides to purchase gasoline from a better brand.

I don't want my clothes to be washed in Kirkland detergent, because I prefer the good stuff, and I definitely notice the difference. So I stick with Tide. Same way I don't want Kirkland detergent in my gas tank, so instead I visit station brands that I know provide premium gasoline, with the good stuff in it.

Who buys gas at Costco? People that clearly hate their car; and would rather save a few pennies than treat their engine good.

Ok, "hate" is too strong of a word. But, you have to at least be totally indifferent to caring for your vehicle, and indifferent to the potential outcome of what you're doing... to knowingly dispense cheapo gas into your auto.

[Anonymous]

Survey of one, I haven’t noticed a difference. I’ve also not seen any posts about issues, though I haven’t looked. I tend to drive fairly new, low mileage vehicles though. Vehicles that I don’t hate, for what it’s worth. I could see poor quality gas having a disproportionate impact on cars that are older or higher mileage. Just guessing.

Fair enough, though I think your post is full of hyperbole. Maybe stick to the facts about the posts you’ve seen, rather than conjecture about what you think is different about the gas. I do agree with you about a lot of Kirkland products, but I do like some of them.

[trusty]

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wrote:
Survey of one, I haven’t noticed a difference. I’ve also not seen any posts about issues, though I haven’t looked. I tend to drive fairly new, low mileage vehicles though. Vehicles that I don’t hate, for what it’s worth. I could see poor quality gas having a disproportionate impact on cars that are older or higher mileage. Just guessing.

Fair enough, though I think your post is full of hyperbole. Maybe stick to the facts about the posts you’ve seen, rather than conjecture about what you think is different about the gas. I do agree with you about a lot of Kirkland products, but I do like some of them.

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I can see how it's easy to take offense to something based on one's own familiarity. No offense is intended. I don't knock Costo for everything. But there is really no, "conjecture," in my post.

Maybe you've gotten by, and perhaps your local Costco has improved. Who knows? But, a simple web search should tell you all that you don't want to know. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=costco+gas+check+engine+light

Personally, from what I've seen; my dad drove a brand new Lincoln, and kept taking it into the shop. Was finally advised to fill up from Shell, and hasn't been back to Costco (for gas) since.

BMW & Mini drivers report check engine lights all over the web, from filling up at Costco.

In a pinch, I could get by washing my clothes in Kirkland detergent. But, I would notice the difference. Maybe some people don't. Doesn't make them wrong or hateful. 

But I do believe that Tide gives me at least a little bit better chance of maintaining well kept clothes, with a welcoming scent.

Similarly... some of us have seen enough of what cheap gas can do, and instead stick to the brands that will always cost more money... for proprietary reasons.

Shell couldn't charge more for fuel if there wasn't a compelling reason. Tide couldn't charge more. Coca Cola couldn't charge more. But, they all can and do. It's also the reason the Warren Buffet invests in those companies that have an, "economic moat," that separates them from all of their competitors.

Nowadays, these big box stores sell a lot of knock-offs of name brand products; and, I'll be honest... some of them can do the job. But, they're not the same, for that singular missing hidden ingredient - the formula that only the legitimate manufacturer knows. Proprietary formulas cost more because they simply do things that cannot be fully matched.

It's easy to say, "well the cheaper knock-off is good enough." But, if you do a thorough analysis, there's always always a reason why it's cheaper.

Fortunately, there's more than just Shell that sells quality gas. Chevron/Texaco, and I'm sure a few other major brands... also provide quality fuel. It's like Coke vs. Pepsi. They can both do the job. But, if you ever see Costco (Kirkland detergent) gas on a list of top tier fuel brands... it's because they paid someone to be on the list.

I also think that some new cars will take just about any fuel that you throw at them. But, the new trend of smaller, turbo engines, performs much better... the higher quality the fuel. It's something that people just have to come to terms with, and just take the jump, and go ahead and purchase better fuel... to fully realize the difference.

Now, is it worth 5, 10, 15 cents to just stick with the cheaper, less proprietary version? Perhaps that is a bargain some are willing to make. However, some of us - that have seen the difference - cannot be paid nearly enough to make our cars suffer any loss of performance, due to cheap gas.

[TheBoondocks]

I thought about getting a citibank credit card just so that I can change to the Dividend, but its gotta wait a whole year just to PC to it. But even then gas is only 1 quarter, I rather use Nusenda. I heard Dividend also need to have $50 to redeem. I like it cause it gives 5% on Hilton too.

[Anonymous]

discover and freedom for Q period 5%

citi costco 4% + 2% if you are executive member

[Anonymous]

Tbh, Nusenda also needs $50 to redeem - idc though personally lol. I'm actually planning to get the Citi AAdvantage Platinum with the primary intent of downgrading it to the Dividend in year 2 - the bonus AA miles are nice too .

On gas quality: just get top tier y'all. Around here QuikTrip is consistently the lowest cost top tier gas, you can check the gasbuddy app for local gas prices, and Google to see which brands in your area have top tier gas. Apparently not all top tier brands use the same additives in their premium gas as their basic octane gas - but QuikTrip does. My car takes 91, and we only have 87, 89, and 93. I mix 93 and 87 at a 2:1 ratio for 91. Gas is usually 2.15-2.20 for 87 and 2.65-2.70 for premium. By mixing I pay about 2.50/gal, which I believe is slightly less than the cost of 89, or thereabouts.

Oh, and for shell you can sign up for their gold rewards with your phone number then you'll get like 5 cents off at the pump by putting in your phone number.

[morgacj2004]

I use Pen Fed Plat Rewards And CITI Costco. Just got $100 back on Pen Fed via cash card. Second time in 6 months

[morgacj2004]

Very silly post regarding Costco gas. They get their gas from the same refinery that Shell, Tesoro, and Fred Meyers do. It often times comes in the same truck If you have an older car you may want to try higher octane but that is completely unnecessary in the newer cars as is all of the additives

[trusty]

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@morgacj2004wrote:
Very silly post regarding Costco gas. They get their gas from the same refinery that Shell, Tesoro, and Fred Meyers do. It often times comes in the same truck If you have an older car you may want to try higher octane but that is completely unnecessary in the newer cars as is all of the additives

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That's like saying that all drinking water comes from non-saline sources... so it's all drinkable, just the same. Obviously, all drinking water is different... because different water distributers apply various treatments, and then proceed to transport and hold water - differently.

So sure, they may purchase their fuel from the same fuel refinery. But, it's actually how they treat and hold it - between the time they pick it up, and when you finally fill up your gas tank - that makes all the difference.

Proprietary detergent blends, and better practice processes... equal better engine performance.

Do you go to Applebees to eat pasta, since they sell it cheaply, too? Or, might you get better pasta - from a pasta joint?

Similarly, just because big box stores want to sell everything... doesn't mean they can do it better, or even the same as, companies that long since know what they're doing; because that's precisely all they do.

Plus, you fail to address all of the "check engine" light reports, from filling up at Costco. Are we supposed to believe that all of those countless reports are just false? Just because we may shop at Costco... shouldn't make us wholly irrational to the existance of data points from others that happen to belie our own relationship with Costco.