Any BMW drivers paying 8 bucks for a gallon of premium? My local Shell and Mobil just reached 7.63 today

[JABCAT]

Originally Posted by smokinjoe64

Roger That! Not a fan of nonsense either
...sometimes jus gotta 'set the record straight'

Off to fill the Raptor while trying to avoid a 'conniption' at the pump

Yep, cost me $46 to fill up the M2 the other day, almost $70 for the wife's X3MC & $55 for my son's '03 Wrangler. Thankfully, my wife's company pays for her gas, but I have to either fill up the M2 twice a week or stop coming home on the weekends - which do you think the wife is going to go for...

[smokinjoe64]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

Yep, cost me $46 to fill up the M2 the other day, almost $70 for the wife's X3MC & $55 for my son's '03 Wrangler. Thankfully, my wife's company pays for her gas, but I have to either fill up the M2 twice a week or stop coming home on the weekends - which do you think the wife is going to go for...

...some say; "absence makes the heart grow fonder"

[XutvJet]

An increase in gas prices has little affect on my finances; however, I really don't know how families making less than $100K (a majority of families in the US fall under $100k/yr) cannot be living paycheck to paycheck or worse. It's boggling to me how much more I'm paying for everything compared to just 4 years ago. And now this. With over 20% of the world's oil/LNG locked up in the Straight of Hormoz now and with no apparent end to the blockade in sight, things will only get worse and more expensive for us in the US. If you think gas is expensive now, just wait and see how bad it becomes in ~4 weeks. Yes, we get very little oil out of the Straight, but a lot of other countries do like China, India, SK, and Japan. That increase in cost to them will be transferred to us eventually. The financial winners from this are Russia and Saudi Arabia.

[25 V8 IS]

Originally Posted by smokinjoe64

...some say; "absence makes the heart grow fonder"

Or "absence makes the fond heart wander"

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

An increase in gas prices has little affect on my finances; however, I really don't know how families making less than $100K (a majority of families in the US fall under $100k/yr) cannot be living paycheck to paycheck or worse. It's boggling to me how much more I'm paying for everything compared to just 4 years ago. And now this. With over 20% of the world's oil/LNG locked up in the Straight of Hormoz now and with no apparent end to the blockade in sight, things will only get worse and more expensive for us in the US. If you think gas is expensive now, just wait and see how bad it becomes in ~4 weeks. Yes, we get very little oil out of the Straight, but a lot of other countries do like China, India, SK, and Japan. That increase in cost to them will be transferred to us eventually. The financial winners from this are Russia and Saudi Arabia.

I really do feel for these people as well. The gas prices really have effectively no bearing on me personally, but I can imagine how bad it must be for someone filling up a huge SUV or truck (though that's a another issue and discussion).

What a disastrous, unforced error this whole thing is. The truth of the matter is that even if it ends this afternoon, it's going to be a fairly long while until prices come back down. Since they can't ship what they've already pumped, several countries have ceased production and it can't be spun back up on a dime.

[smokinjoe64]

Originally Posted by 25 V8 IS

Or "absence makes the fond heart wander"

...that too is possible

[FrankL]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

An increase in gas prices has little affect on my finances; however, I really don't know how families making less than $100K (a majority of families in the US fall under $100k/yr) cannot be living paycheck to paycheck or worse. It's boggling to me how much more I'm paying for everything compared to just 4 years ago. And now this. With over 20% of the world's oil/LNG locked up in the Straight of Hormoz now and with no apparent end to the blockade in sight, things will only get worse and more expensive for us in the US. If you think gas is expensive now, just wait and see how bad it becomes in ~4 weeks. Yes, we get very little oil out of the Straight, but a lot of other countries do like China, India, SK, and Japan. That increase in cost to them will be transferred to us eventually. The financial winners from this are Russia and Saudi Arabia.

It may get worse. Spring planting is coming. How much is the fertilizer output going through the Gulf? Russia is a large producer of fertilizer too and the West has effectively embargoed Russian goods.

The biggie is all the insurance companies will not insure any ships trying to transit. So they sit.

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by FrankL

It may get worse. Spring planting is coming. How much is the fertilizer output going through the Gulf? Russia is a large producer of fertilizer too and the West has effectively embargoed Russian goods.

The biggie is all the insurance companies will not insure any ships trying to transit. So they sit.

And regardless of what some would have you think, trying to protect ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz is an incredibly difficult, possibly suicidal, task. It's only 21-24 miles wide, with two 2 mile wide navigable lanes with a 2 mile buffer between them. So you've effectively got 6 miles to work with. There's a reason the Navy has very little interest in doing it.

[maticCRO]

Yes its a big increase, but you are still cheaper than most of countries in EU
I fill full tank for 110€ aka 120$..liter is 1.90€-2.00€ in my country, so gallon would be like 7.70$...and our average yearly salary is somewhere around 15 000€, so you could have it waaaay worse... Just sayin

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

An increase in gas prices has little affect on my finances; [...] If you think gas is expensive now, just wait and see how bad it becomes in ~4 weeks. Yes, we get very little oil out of the Straight, but a lot of other countries do like China, India, SK, and Japan. That increase in cost to them will be transferred to us eventually.

Not eventually - instantly.
Oil is a global commodity, and disruptions to its supply chain effect prices globally. Instantly!

As evidenced by April oil futures trading:
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/CL%3DF/

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

I really do feel for these people as well. The gas prices really have effectively no bearing on me personally, but I can imagine how bad it must be for someone filling up a huge SUV or truck (though that's a another issue and discussion).

True, unless you have a few EVs to fall back on.
;-)

Originally Posted by Phillies8008

What a disastrous, unforced error this whole thing is. The truth of the matter is that even if it ends this afternoon, it's going to be a fairly long while until prices come back down. Since they can't ship what they've already pumped, several countries have ceased production and it can't be spun back up on a dime.

This has been a magnificent example of an all-around cluster f*ck.
What happens when you start wars on a whim, announce bombing targets "just for fun", and disregard 1st order consequences.
Then complain about them as if your actions didn't precipitate the problem.

And now our allies (NATO) and enemies (China) told the US to f*ck-off in response for help in opening up Strait of Hormuz.
Hard to blame them - who would want to join a war without a clear aim, or purpose, or end in sight?

In the meantime, energy supply situation just got worse.
Iran succeeded in damaging massive natural gas field in UAE and is stepping up attacks on key energy sites.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump...180124072.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/w...ormuz-oil.html

a

[Phillies8008]

Originally Posted by afadeev

Attachment 3924038



True, unless you have a few EVs to fall back on.
;-)

Yep. We buy very little gas, really – just my kids, and they're driving a PHEV and regular hybrid, as well as my Z4s that aren't driven very much and optionally at that. But for our hypothetical family of four that's already struggling to make ends meet, this is a real kick in the teeth. And unfortunately an entirely avoidable and unnecessary one.

[Elderado82]

smokinjoe64I feel like we’ve drifted pretty far from what the original post was even about, so I just want to reset things a bit. This all started with a simple question: “Is anyone else paying $7.63 a gallon?” I responded by sharing the public information your own state puts out about gas prices. There was no California‑bashing, no personal shots, no “my state is better than yours.” I was just answering the question and explaining why California’s gas prices tend to run $2–$3 higher than most of the country.

If this were about federal policies, “war taxes,” or anything happening at the national level, then New York and Texas would be paying the same inflated prices. They aren’t. California is more than $2 higher than both, which pretty clearly points to California‑specific factors.

And those factors are well‑known:

• California has the highest state gas taxes and fees in the country.

• California requires a special CARB‑only fuel blend that costs more to produce.

• Programs like the Low‑Carbon Fuel Standard and Cap‑and‑Trade add more cost.

• California’s refinery system is isolated, with no interstate pipelines and only a handful of refineries that can make the required blend.

• When one of those refineries goes down, prices spike because there’s no backup supply.

These are state‑level issues. They’re why California consistently pays the highest gas prices in the U.S., no matter who’s in office or what’s happening federally.

Yes you're correct California does send more money to the federal government because it has the largest population and the largest economy. That doesn’t have anything to do with gas prices. Gas prices aren’t based on how much a state pays in federal taxes, they’re based on state taxes, state regulations, and state infrastructure. If anything, a state contributing 1 out of every 6 federal tax dollars would expect to benefit from economies of scale, not pay the highest gas prices in the country. But California does, because of the extra state‑level costs California itself adds.

Nothing I said was an attack on California or anyone who lives there. I wasn’t criticizing the state, its people, or its politics. I was simply sharing publicly available information about gas prices. That’s it. No hate, no agenda; just facts.

[KurtsM5]

Originally Posted by JABCAT

While not CA expensive, it has increased over $1/gal in the last couple weeks here in TX. I hope everyone realizes it's all a big scam. The oil companies rake in record profits with their puppets in gov. while we pay for it.

Exactly. Big Oil and Wall St are exploiting anything they can to gouge us.

[ZTK_M240i]

I just paid $4.59 a gallon here in Florida for Shell 93.

[TimmyTurbos]

When you realize we're not always "The Good Guys" things start to make more sense.

[Mani59]

Hi all,

A reminder.

No politics.

Thanks, Mani

[koykorom]

And 93 octane is not even offered in California or the West Coast…

[jaffles]

Originally Posted by NickyC

$3.89 here, really surprised we haven't been gouged yet but I'm sure it's coming. Everything is seemingly a ripoff these days, I have no idea how average folks are making ends meet right now (probably lots and lots of debt).

No sadly just go under. In my part of the world the volume of people camping or sleeping in their cars has increased alarmingly. Fuel is just another nail in the coffin for them.

For my business Diesel has jumped $1 per litre hear in 18 days putting $500 per fill every 4 days for my truck. Personally I'm in the middle of house renovating so everything associated with it is going to soar very soon.

Not a fan of Elon, but been wanting to by an EV truck since 2019 when he opened his yap. Bit hard for US or China to line up for a squabble over the sun and wind.

[chris_1001]

BJ's Franklin MA, Premium is 93 Octane

[smokinjoe64]

Originally Posted by chris_1001

BJ's Franklin MA, Premium is 93 Octane

BJ...huh, really?
Do they offer 'full service" too?
Rated 4.4 outta 5, that's acceptable

[smokinjoe64]

Originally Posted by jaffles

Not a fan of Elon, but been wanting to by an EV truck since 2019 when he opened his yap. Bit hard for US or China to line up for a squabble over the sun and wind.

Regarding Elon, concur 100%
IMO, rather pay $8/gal than sitting around a parking lot at some 'fancy electrical outlet' +hour, waiting to charge then go.

[smokinjoe64]

Originally Posted by koykorom

And 93 octane is not even offered in California or the West Coast…

Not accurate...actually >91 octane gas, although limited and pricey, is available in CA.
A few examples:

Northern California / Bay Area:

• Sunol Super Stop (Sunol): Carrying 94, 96, 101 octane.
• 76 Station (Saratoga): 100 octane.
• Redwood City 76/Mobil: 100 octane.

Southern California / San Diego:

• VP Racing Fuels (Pacific Beach): 100+ octane.
• SoCo (El Cajon): Race fuel;110 octane.
• Rancho Santa Fe: Select stations carry 100 octane.