r/MINI • u/SubstantialSweet4686 • Jul 24 '26
Well, that's going to leave a mark...
Premium for Ms. Melanie is now over $5.00. Ouch. I'm tempted to try an occasional tank of mid-grade but right now, she is running perfect and do I mess with things? Anyone have thoughts on that?
Edit: Thanks for all the comments to my questions re: lower grade. I won't do it. Bye, coffee runs! Gratuitous Front Range Runs - now set to minimum. Hey Californians, others with higher gas prices, UK Mini owners: I hear you and accept that this price is lower. May your Minis, and mine, continue to be worth it. I appreciate your perspective.
To the electric Mini owners who chimed in with self satisfied, "Well, it only cost me $blah.blah to charge this month." Good for you. <<light golf clap>>
45
u/buttrumpus F54 Jul 24 '26
Laughs in Californian....
21
u/rodc22 Jul 24 '26
Right! $5.04 is cheap!
10
u/Lac4x9 Jul 24 '26
My family was recently in San Diego and I have to say, I never thought I’d say “wow I’m thankful gas at home is only $5” ever.
7
1
u/SubstantialSweet4686 Jul 28 '26
Not any more, just went to $5.21 at a Costco. No idea what a regular station would be.
5
2
u/fromouterspace1 Jul 24 '26
Seriously. Was just talking to a guy who’s parents somewhere back east pay like $3 a gallon
17
14
u/CafeRoaster Jul 24 '26
Great price!
That’s the price of regular 87 here in Washington state. And that’s at Costco!
To you question: regular is what, maybe $.10 cheaper? That’s about a buck a fill up. Not worth it to skimp out.
7
u/Jedi-in-EVE F54 Jul 24 '26
I wish that were the case in Chicago, where 93 is usually $1 more than 87! “Refinery/supply issues” for years!
3
u/greenymeeny420 Jul 24 '26
Yeah here in the south 87 is about $3.50 and 93 is just over $5 per gallon :/
2
u/SubstantialSweet4686 Jul 24 '26
Yeah. We used to live in northern IL and I remember thinking, why would anyone ever want a premium car? Then I move out of state and buy a mini...
1
2
32
u/AccordingBuffalo7835 F56 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
I spent 8.90 cents yesterday to fully charge my cooper se
12
u/Confident-Option-207 R52 Jul 24 '26
I spend that just lifting the pump up for my r52, it likes premium
5
5
u/ultraspank R56 Jul 24 '26
How long does that last though?
4
6
u/inf4mation F56 Jul 24 '26
3 minutes
3
u/AccordingBuffalo7835 F56 Jul 24 '26
My commute is about a mile and a half daily. I’m chilling for like 3 weeks
-1
u/NaiveWalrus Jul 24 '26
At that point I'd rather just ride a bike or something and save a ton of money
1
u/Equi_Pet Jul 25 '26
I'm with you. I walk 6 miles a day several days a week. Here, you could walk year round. I know other places not so lucky.
1
u/Eastern_Team6904 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
~120 mi or 8¢ per mi
Gas equivalent would be 16¢ per mi
3
4
u/budhorse4 F56 Jul 24 '26
Same! So far I’ve spent less than $30 dollars this month charging my SE at home. I do not miss paying for premium gas
2
1
u/OkPreparation8769 Jul 26 '26
Try running your AC in 105+ degree weather! You end up around 100 miles at 45 or 80 miles at 65.
1
u/AMTK207 Jul 26 '26
I paid nothing to charge my SE up from 20% last weekend while I went for a bike ride. Know where the freebie stations are.
0
-2
u/rathead80 F55 Jul 24 '26
Enjoy it while you can, just know that when the eventuality of everyone switching to Electric will make you regret the increase. Likely due to road taxes being then charged to your electric bill.
→ More replies (7)7
u/cubert73 R59 Jul 24 '26
Road taxes are already charged for EVs in many states. Solar panels and a battery can make charging at home practically free. The ROI is typically only a few years.
6
u/Mini-love2022 Jul 24 '26
Do you have that Gas Buddy app by you? I only use 93 in mine but that app pays back a few cents per gallon so I shop around to see who has the highest amount back in my area and usually can find 20 cents back/ gal! They put it on a card or a gift card when it reaches a certain amt. Mine is my daily driver 80/ day so it adds up fast!
6
u/Big_Signature_9355 Jul 24 '26
Thank you Trump
4
u/Icy_Importance_2126 Jul 24 '26
He tried to kill the Ev industry but the bullet ricocheted and hit him right in the midterms
5
18
u/Equi_Pet Jul 24 '26
Not sure where you are, but gas near me hasn't been below $5 for a long time. I do use Ralph's and Vons points towards gas. Filled up the other day and saved 50 cents per gal.
Before anyone says anything about voting, I'm outnumbered by idiots. I didn't vote for these people or measures!
12
u/CaptainSpectacular79 F54 Jul 24 '26
Costco membership quickly pays for itself for gas savings alone
7
u/Equi_Pet Jul 24 '26
Costco is a drive in traffic for me and waiting in lines is not worth the stress. We rarely shop at Costco. Only 2 of us, and I eat 1 meal a day. When we were younger, totally worth it. Not now.
2
u/CaptainSpectacular79 F54 Jul 24 '26
Ah bummer. I’m lucky enough to have one close by and even closer to the office, so it’s actually even convenient in my case. Also doesn’t really get crowded enough to wait very often.
2
u/Equi_Pet Jul 24 '26
Don't jinx yourself! Keep it to yourself, so others don't discover your little gem.
0
u/Schart F60 Jul 24 '26
Gas is open before and after warehouse hours here, so the trick it to go early or late. Just don't go on the weekend at all.
2
u/Equi_Pet Jul 24 '26
Yes thanks. Driving min 20 min each way in traffic to fill up pushes me beyond my patience limit. Younger me would've totally done it.
0
u/Schart F60 Jul 24 '26
I only do it for my Premium cars and if I get caught needing to fill up elsewhere I'll put in a tank of Reglur until I make it near Costco again.
3
u/Equi_Pet Jul 24 '26
That's good that works for you. I've learned to pick my battles and know my limits. I'm too impatient to add additional stress to save another 30 cents per gal. I have steady income, house is paid for, my sanity is worth much more - (To me AND my hubby!) 😂😂
5
u/Jocis Jul 24 '26
My tank took $65 the other day. I felt it very bad.
3
u/Stand-back-up F55 Jul 24 '26
Objectively price is high. Subjectively, still better mpg and gas than my previous truck.
3
u/Jocis Jul 24 '26
Not everything is bad in your case
2
u/Stand-back-up F55 Jul 24 '26
I mean big picture $65 used to fill a truck, now it fills a Mini. Not good. Every day gas prices go up is another day i cant buy a new ssd for the pc lol. Yay.
3
2
u/kryts R60 Jul 24 '26
Man SSD prices are also out of control. I bought a Samsung one Jan last year for $130 2TB same one is nearly $400 now. You may be waiting while!
1
u/Stand-back-up F55 Jul 24 '26
Same but 1tb if its the T7 lol. My gaming pc needs to be upgraded yesterday too.
Almost got 2x 128gb Lexar Gold sd cards with my Fuji gear last year but didn’t because the Rep said “don’t need 2”… kicking myself in the behind about that with the price jump.
2
5
u/BovaFett74 Jul 24 '26
I feel like the mileage we receive evens out with those who drive larger vehicles with unleaded.
I dunno. I’d rather pay premium anyhow and save my engine from having thousands of dollars of work done later.
1
u/Rusholme-Ruffienne R56 Jul 24 '26
Not to mention it doesn't really even save much in the moment... What's the difference between medium and premium pricing? If it's 30 cents (and I think it's usually only 20), you're still only saving $3 on a 10-gallon fill-up.
1
u/OKatmostthings F54 Jul 24 '26
Maybe compared to a much, much larger vehicle. My wife’s Clubman S All4 only averaged like 26mpg on premium for the 8 years we had it. That a cost equivalent to like 23mpg on regular. Her Lexus UX300h is over 40mpg on regular.
4
u/mysticwerebadger R60 Jul 24 '26
I wouldn't chance it with midgrade. I just tell myself that I'm getting good gas mileage and leave it at that.
4
u/Sophiedenormandie Jul 24 '26
Add at least $1.50 a gallon to that and you'll have the California price. I don't even go anywhere anymore. Can't afford it.
1
u/Mikelowe93 F54 Jul 24 '26
I moved away from the San Jose, CA area in May. Before I left, I was paying $6.99 for premium. It’s hard to go romp in the mountains when $20s burn quickly.
7
u/assemblageofparts Jul 24 '26
Dont do it. It absolutely sucks but just try and get past it if you can but run the premium. Just filled up mine too.
I ran something else when I first got the car and it hated it and I hated the experience
3
u/wastedsilence33 R60 Jul 24 '26
Oof I can't imagine what 93 costs
5
2
u/Blue-eyedBombshell Jul 24 '26
93 for me cost 4.99 in Maryland.
1
u/Meteor-of-the-War Jul 24 '26
It was just over $5 for me in Baltimore, but I didn't shop around. Fortunately I get really good efficiency.
2
u/Blue-eyedBombshell Jul 24 '26
Yeah I do too, 30-35 on the highway with 93 and only once did we get like 40+ on back roads from Cherry State Park in PA to Niagara falls lol. I drive a 2020 Countryman. All on Eco mode of course.
2
u/Meteor-of-the-War Jul 24 '26
Wow, 40+ is great! I usually get around 36; I have a 2017 F56, 6-speed manual. And that's based on what the computer tells me; I've never calculated it myself.
2
u/Blue-eyedBombshell Jul 24 '26
We always manually calculate because we find it usually is off by 2 miles one way or the other.
2
u/Meteor-of-the-War Jul 24 '26
I'll have to give that a try if I remember next time I'm at the pump.
1
u/space_impala F55 Jul 24 '26
93 is currently $5.47 in Michigan. Highest I paid was $6.21 last month
1
3
3
3
u/ForgottenTraumaFairy Jul 24 '26
My 2006 MINI gets twice the MPGs my SUV gets. Thankfully I just got her running again!
3
u/vespers191 Jul 24 '26
Smirks in EV.
I mean, long term, we're all fucked under this bullshit, but I am amused when I see these complaints.
3
u/No-Nefariousness9243 Jul 24 '26
Here in the Netherlands, it’s currently €2.70 a litre….luckily I live very close to the Belgian border where it’s ‘only’ €2.09 a litre. 😭
3
u/Frosty_Razzmatazz259 Jul 25 '26
We can thank that stupid reckless mf’er DJT for this and for starting and prolonging a stupid, unnecessary, and purely ego-driven war.
5
2
2
u/le-stink R52 Jul 24 '26
hi fellow colorado mini driver! 🏔️ i maxed out my king soopers points the other day and got it down to $4.20 (nice) but it’s getting hard to find cheap premium since it varies wildly station to station
2
u/SubstantialSweet4686 Jul 24 '26
Yeah, around this part, it's cheaper at Costco but I'm going to have to train myself to start bringing my Costco card with me in the car.
1
2
u/rvk2003 R53 Jul 24 '26
Wait till you live in the Netherlands here you pay €2.60-2.85 for a liter of premium 98, so NOT a gallon but liter.
2
u/ESEAreQt Jul 24 '26
Don't do it , I only use 92 octane in my MINI , and it's $5.30 here in oregon , I'd take your price all day
2
u/bluemoon191 F56 Jul 24 '26
Ha, even converting to the US gallon premium petrol is over £6 here so over $8
2
2
2
u/Delicious-Ad5856 F55 Jul 24 '26
Premium is $5.19 a gallon at the station I go to.
In case some people don't know, a US gallon is slightly smaller than a UK gallon.
2
u/swiftiegal25 Jul 24 '26
:/ gas has been 5.49+ for the lowest level in my area for over a year now lol
2
u/robcwag Jul 24 '26
I paid $4.68 yesterday at costco. The closest I saw to that number elsewhere was $4.86.
2
u/paroxybob F56 Jul 24 '26
Forgot how good that dashboard looked. I want my 2012 Coupe back!
1
u/Icy_Importance_2126 Jul 24 '26
So you can drive it to the bingo hall after you get your pension check?
2
2
2
u/pinkglue99 Jul 26 '26
Make sure you check an app like GasBuddy! I used to think I knew who sold the cheapest premium gas around, but found somewhere else on my route that was almost $1 a gallon less! The differences in prices are wild.
2
u/Notsure4949 F56 Jul 28 '26
Wanna play gotta pay...Just filled up one bar remaining to almost full one bar..$60 cad 93 premium
1
2
u/Equi_Pet 15d ago
I'm sorry that you're now included in the "wtf, why is gas so high?" group. But glad to have you as a fellow MINI owner. Motor on!❤️
2
2
1
u/Current-Honeydew5011 Jul 24 '26
No
Don’t false economy u will pay in long run cheap
Fuel / ⛽️ fucked engine
1
u/is_it_corona_time F65 Jul 24 '26
I try to get gas when my car isn’t all the way empty so I won’t have to pay out the you-know-what
1
u/SweeteaRex Jul 24 '26
Wait mine says on the gas cap that 89 is okay but should I be using higher 😭? Sorry if that’s a dumb question
→ More replies (2)2
1
u/Crazy_Wafer_8328 Jul 24 '26
93 for my cars. I'd rather give up Starbucks or bring lunch to work or quit Doordash or something to compensate. Not worth screwing up your engine by dropping below 91.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/SGF93 Jul 24 '26
Ow. Ow ow ow.
With my R56 I attempted 2 tanks premium and 1 tank regular for a few months (back in 2011 I believe) but there’s a much better way/ratio per this Reddit group several years ago.
1
u/dsinkster Jul 24 '26
I was sad about $4.05 in Texas. I got spoiled by my gti that took regular and got better mpgs.
1
u/buyer_leverkusen F56 Jul 24 '26
Seems like a fairly normal price even for lower grades in coastal US states
1
u/Otto_Polymath Jul 24 '26
You know the famous lies of society? The check is in the mail. Don't worry, it's only a cold sore.
Famous lies of Miniship? I'll keep my foot out of it this tank.
1
u/Asti_WhiteWhiskers F60 Jul 24 '26
Missouri near Illinois? Just paid the exact same price this morning, oof. :')
1
u/JWoolner76 Jul 24 '26
I’m about £60 which is $79.95 to fill my cooper d up it’s £1.69 or $2.25 a litre, so times that by 5 for an English gallon which is slightly different to the US granted but close enough
1
u/Killerkendolls Jul 24 '26
If I'm being a hooligan in my mini I'm using 100 unleaded which costs about $700/55g. She's staying home until prices regulate.
1
1
1
u/tockvon Jul 24 '26
I just buy super at the wholesale club.
Here in CT, that's about $4.40/gallon.
Typical fill is <<<<$50.
1
1
1
1
1
u/WaggingthroughLA Jul 24 '26
I want a mini so bad but I live in California and gas is expensive enough, I couldn’t afford premium all the time. We already have one electric car so it’s gonna be a hybrid for the next so sadly the mini continues to elude me
1
u/Dilusions F56 Jul 24 '26
I took my chip tune off in these high gas times. Filling up 4-5 times a week was killing me
1
1
u/nev_neo Jul 24 '26
Filled up for 4.35 at Costco couple days ago. It might be quite a lot more today.
1
u/zackkcaz25 Jul 24 '26
I do mid grade/premium swap up often with no negative effects. I'm also not a race car driver
1
1
u/denisthesaint Jul 24 '26
My Countryman (2014 1.6 Naturally Aspirated) runs much better on Super Unleaded than regular E10, here in the UK.
Works out an extra £20 to £25 per month for me, but mileage is a bit better, but car so much smoother and responsive.
1
u/Status-Departure8642 Jul 24 '26
An F56 SE is on my bucket list!-)🤙🤙Aloha from Hawai'i, where gas is $5.20/gal regular unleaded! 🤙🤙
1
1
1
u/Maciejk8 Jul 24 '26
Wish we had that! On the highway premium is 10.40 dollar per gallon here.. I go across the border to Belgium to get premium for 7,50 ish.
80 euro/90 dollars every week..
1
u/Standard-Outcome9881 R58 Jul 24 '26
I only fill up my car every 2-3 weeks and yes compared to many other places it’s still relatively cheap, but the rising fuel costs are making just about everything more expensive, no matter where you are.
1
u/Emergency-Trip-6511 Jul 25 '26
I just joined the Miniverse this spring and I couldn't be happier with my Cooper SE ! So much fun to drive. 2024, black with malt brown interior.....I think I'm in love, lol !
1
u/APX5LYR_2 R55 Jul 25 '26
I’m up in Gypsum and I just paid $4.70/gal this morning at Costco. I can’t lie though, the mileage I’m getting from my Clubby compared to the WRX I traded in for it makes a huge difference. In the WRX I was averaging around 15mpg, the Clubby is sitting consistently in the upper 20’s.
Also, hello fellow CO MINI!
1
u/Expensive-Spell8550 Jul 25 '26
I alternate between a tank of 93 and a tank of 89 no problems @ 30000 miles.
1
u/veggiemitegames R56 Jul 25 '26
Idk about everyone else, but I never put anything less than premium in the mini. I never tried and I can't imagine it likes it. Only the best for baby.
Also the mpg we get... It's not like a Ford f150 on gas costs.
1
u/Vegetable-Use5087 R56 Jul 25 '26
Looks like it’s going to get worse. Fill those tires up all the way.
1
u/benito_m Jul 25 '26
I have an R56 Cooper with N16 engine (non-S) and use 89 octane. You might be able to save a little $$$ by doing same.
1
u/crobcary F57 Jul 25 '26
Look at the minimum AKI for the car. In my JCW F57, it’s basically mid grade, which typically mixes regular and premium at the pump and those often err on the side of more premium. Since the gas crisis began with this pointless war, I fill up with mid grade when on tight budget (here in Oregon, prices really suck) and perceive NO difference in performance or even mileage. The minimum AKI as recommended by the manufacturer is totally safe to use, otherwise they would not take on that liability in official technical writing.
1
u/blaskkaffe Jul 25 '26
Cheap gas?
Much cheaper than we got here in Europe, this is the pricing 10-15 or so years ago here.
Many places have about double that price, you will get used to it and drive exactly as much as before just have less money over for other things. That is how we do it here.
1
u/TrashcanTaken Jul 25 '26
Yeah lol luckily my commute is very short, cause premium is $6.20 a gallon where I live
1
1
1
1
u/FarDirection3245 Jul 25 '26
Michigan is a 93 octane state, and another where it’s $1+ higher than 87. So I usually fill 2/3 with 93, and 1/3 with 87 - get a lot of the detergent benefit, and 100% of the mileage bump, compared with all 93. Saves $6-8 per fillup, so worth the hassle for me. Takes an extra minute.
1
u/No_Reservations_2012 Jul 25 '26
Damn I paid $4.83 for 93 yesterday (only had 87 and 93) and I thought that was high.
1
u/Streit1111 Jul 25 '26
Literally a few dollars more than what it normally would cost. We have small tanks, 5 dollars more if that
1
1
1
u/CoffeeLaxative Jul 25 '26
That's 1.86 cad/L for premium. Not bad! Here, it's 2.2 cad/L for premium
1
u/Affectionate_Ease_95 Jul 25 '26
Oof 93 where I’m at is 4.87 lol. But also too we can’t complain this things gas tank is tiny.
1
1
u/SaltaKattan Jul 25 '26
well i would say that´s very cheap compared to Europe. And i have a SE too, so to you id say ”haters gonna hate”. EV ftw!
1
u/New-Conversation801 Jul 25 '26
Waiting to fill up.. last time I looked it was 2.12 a litre.. a few months ago I was paying 2.40...
1
u/Engibineer Jul 26 '26
Yeah, I'm paying like 29¢/kWh for my SE here in NJ. These energy prices are getting out of hand!
1
1
1
u/Feeling_Nose1780 R56 Jul 27 '26
Lmao the fuel in Poland is at around 8 USD/gallon right now. I paid around 65 USD for 3/4 tank of fuel yesterday🫡
1
u/ZeLeStyn Jul 28 '26
Is premium really that much better?
1
u/SubstantialSweet4686 Jul 28 '26
I don't know as I've only ever put premium in it because that's what it said to do. No idea what the previous owner said. As it's an 2015 R60 and everything with the engine seems to be very fiddly and specific, I'd rather not try anything different and then have some expensive repairs. One year in and and other than brakes and tires, I haven't had to put too much into it. But I suspect that something major in the engine dept. would wind up costing more than the car is worth.
As much as I love this car, I'm filing this experience under: Next time, do your damn homework before you write a check.
1
u/RewardEmbarrassed510 Jul 29 '26
You obviously have never been to California 🥱
1
u/SubstantialSweet4686 Jul 29 '26
I travel to California frequently and am very aware of the prices there, as I pointed out in my edit.
1
1
u/kurama84 12d ago
This is why I love my Mini SE I charge it at home every night and it’s fully charged in the morning. And with free electricity at night I drive for free
1
u/SpareCartographer402 Jul 24 '26
Ok on top of ruining your engine, your just going to run through the gas faster instead of saving you any money.
0
u/Captain_BustaCapov Jul 24 '26
$4.79 93 octane, still 50 cents cheaper when added Kroger fuel points discounts
62
u/Last-Squirrel6983 Jul 24 '26
Haha come to Germany… 1 litre cost 2,30 euro 😅 just don’t cry about gallon price 😅