True, but you never know what will extend your mileage and every little bit counts. With the higher octane, I wanted to see what the difference is. The mileage gain does not negate the higher price.
Now with different brands and formulations, you can get better mileage but not as much as in the past before ethonol replaced the old additives.
Case in point. In the 1980's I worked ina service station. The owner was a Texaco franchise but the could put any brand in his tanks before producers went to branded formulas. When we had exxon in the tanks my chevy got 4 to 5 miles better then Texaco gas. Now the spread in formulation from brand to brand are no longer a factor.
Now with the explorer and the on board computer, you can play with how you drive to get better mpg. Unfortunately extend your miles by any means is here to stay.
One of the reasons I got my Explorer was the balance in power, mpg and cargo capacity vs how I use what I drive. Also included was how much bang I could get for my dollar. Ford may not have highest mpg but they do have the better ballance in what I need. This gives a foundation for getting the mpg up and the cost of operating the car down.
Right now the Explorer is costing me a third to operate fuel wise vs my old truck. I figure i'll save in the neighborhood of 3k in fuel alone. Savings like that is what we can all work for.
Besides the new Explorer just looks good.
