ARCO gas station in Kokomo, Indiana.
ARCO has a reputation for selling at a lower price than other leading brands. How can they offer lower prices than their competitors? Is ARCO gas bad for your car since it’s a lower price? Let’s take a look at why ARCO gas is cheaper than other brands. Moreover, let’s compare it to those brands to make sure that if you decide to go with ARCO gas, it won’t do any damage to your car’s engine in the long run.
Why Is ARCO Gas Cheaper Than Others?
ARCO has a reputation for offering considerably lower prices for its fuel than other gas stations. This is due to ARCO historical consumer focus and and early business decision to not accept credit cards.
Although ARCO changed its policies in 2021 to accept credit cards, they are able to keep their gasoline prices low through vertically integrating with convenience stores located in the fuel stations and they spend less on marketing than other major corporations. In addition, ARCO’s lower prices bring in a high volume of customers, which means they can sell more gas at a lower price point and still be profitable.
ARCO’s debit card strategy also contributes to their lower price point. ARCO charges its customers a $0.45 fee per debit card transaction. So, if you don’t pay cash, then you pay more for your ARCO gas. If a customer is already paying a $0.45 debit card transaction fee, chances are the customer will in turn purchase more gas than they might if they were not paying the transaction fee. This also allows ARCO to sell more gas per customer, thus granting them the ability to offer lower gas prices.
Lower Prices Still Meet Minimum Gas Requirements
So, is ARCO gas bad?
Since it’s the company’s business practices that lower the gas cost, not the gas that they offer, there is nothing to suggest that’s so.
Gas sales in the United States are heavily regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (here). Therefore, there are certain standards for all gasoline sold in the United States, such as octane levels, and the general characteristics that gasoline must possess. As a result, all gas sold in the United States held to basic refining standards.
But Is There Better Gas?
Well, the basic minimum level of gas is the same across the board. However, you can pay more for premium gas. Some companies add extra detergents and additives above and beyond what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires. All gas must contain a certain amount of detergent additives. Of course, those things are also EPA approved. Many companies add even more to differentiate their brand for other gasoline. So the question becomes, is the branded gas from companies like Shell, 76, Exxon and Chevron better than ARCO gas?
Why ARCO Gas Is The Same Or Better Than Competitors
While the blend of detergents and additives is different for each company, ARCO gas is on par with other top gas brands in the United States.
Per Consumer Reports, ARCO offers “Top Tier” gasoline (here). Top Tier gas is the standard which is recommended by seven of the top automakers in the world. Importantly, it’s of a standard even higher than what the EPA requires.
Notably, ARCO didn’t always use Top Tier gas. In the past, they used a cheaper gas. People who believe that gas quality does impact how well your car runs used to say to avoid ARCO gas as a result. However, when ARCO began to offer Top Tier gas, consumer complaints appear to to have subsided.
It’s Okay to Use Cheaper Gas
To further ease customers’ minds, Edmunds conducted a review questioning experts in the automotive field. According to those findings, consumers put their vehicles at no greater risk by putting “cheap” gas into them. Most vehicle owners will not notice any difference in performance by purchasing cheap gas. However, the best advice is to look at your car’s owner’s manual and follow the guidelines given about the best type of gasoline for your particular car. That said, the average car that you drive probably runs perfectly well on ARCO gas.
TIP: Gas Hack
Whether or not you are concerned that ARCO gas is bad compared to other gas brands, here’s a “gas hack” that you can try to save you money at the ARCO station. In many parts of the country you can tank up at the ARCO station, and also add quality fuel injector cleaner. Adding this fuel injector cleaner as recommended should address any quality concerns, while still allowing you to buy the cheaper ARCO gas. Chevron has a pretty inexpensive fuel injector cleaner – get it for just $8.98 at Amazon.
It costs is a ton cheaper than buying the more expensive gas.
Just add the injector cleaner when you go to the gas station and you should be good to go. Of course, you do pay for the fuel injector cleaner. But you’ll pay less per gallon of gas than if you buy another brand of gas. Plus, you’re doing something that is almost certainly likely to improve your gas quality.
So, if you know that you want to use ARCO gas, then you can easily find the ARCO station closest to you. Since ARCO is often the cheapest option that uses Top Tier gas, it’s a safe bet.
So, No, Arco Gas Isn’t Bad For Your Car
Consumers today are always looking for a bargain. As prices on most things continue to rise, it is good to know that consumers are not putting their vehicles in jeopardy by taking advantage of savings at the gas pump. If you’ve wondered whether Arco gas is bad gas just because it’s cheaper, the answer is a resounding no.
Read More:
Is Costco Gas Quality the Same as Exxon, Shell and Chevron?
Is Safeway Gas Good or Bad for Your Car?
Is It Better to Keep Your Gas Tank Full or Empty?
Need Cheap Gas, Consider Costco. Here Is When you Can Get It
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