As a car owner, fuel consumption is one of your top concerns. No matter how much you try to be efficient with it, you’ll always need to visit a gas station to refuel your tanks. While there are plenty of gas stations out there, you probably have a couple of favorite gas stations you keep coming back to.
Not all gas stations are the same. Some provide better quality and service, while some just give the bare necessities. You should be looking for the top ones to ensure you are getting the best for your car. Read on for the ultimate guide to choosing your go-to gas refilling station:
Consider The Location
One of the biggest factors in choosing your go-to gas refilling station is its location. Ideally, you should select a station that’s near your home so you wouldn’t have to go the trouble of traveling to distant places to save a few cents. The money you’ll save will be wasted as you’re using the extra gas for your travel time. With that, looking for a gas station near your home will be your best choice.
Alternatively, if there’s no gas station near your home, you might want to consider looking for one along your usual route. Ideally, it should be on the side of the road when you’re going home, so you don’t have to worry about being late coming to work. This way, you can ensure that you’ll have enough gas during the day, putting your worries away, especially if there’s a car emergency.
Check The Price
The best quality gas stations provide competitive prices. While a few cents might seem like a small thing, refueling your vehicle allows you to see how much a few cents make a difference in your total bill. With that, it’ll only be practical if you could look for a gas refilling station that offers the lowest prices.
However, looking for a gas station with a lower price might be challenging, especially if you’re living in a progressive neighborhood. With that, you might want to consider looking for an alternative gas station with a more reasonable price. As long as it’s nearby or within your usual route, you’ll be good to go.
See Payment Options
If you’re paying in cash, you won’t need to worry about other payment options. However, in today’s modern world, most payment methods are made through online transactions, such as using an e-wallet, debit, or credit card to pay for your purchases. However, if a gas station cannot accommodate those, you might have a hard time refueling your vehicle.
Many gas stations also have ATMs you can withdraw money from if you’re in a pinch. That’s another factor to consider when picking a go-to gas station. Nevertheless, checking the gas station’s payment methods and seeing their availability would provide you with maximum convenience.
Look For Top-Tier Gas
In the most reputable gas stations, their gas quality is all the same. However, some companies add special detergents to make the fuel better. It allows for a cleaner fluid, allowing your vehicle to perform at its best. While it’s part of the law that dictates gas stations always add a special detergent additive, most gasoline stations would only comply with the minimum requirement. While it would work well, it would be helpful if you could go for top-tier gas.
On the other hand, top-tier gas goes above and will provide their gasoline with extra additives, allowing for cleaner fuel and a cleaner engine, which would help improve your vehicle’s health. However, since they’re better, expect an increase in their price, forcing you to adjust your gas money. But with the benefits that it can provide, the extra money you’ll have to pay would be worth it.
Observe Cleanliness
It’s a common expectation for most gasoline station comfort rooms to be dirty and smelly. Apart from the uncomfortable feeling of taking a leak inside those bathrooms, it could also tell a lot about the gas station’s fuel quality. Just treat it as it is. If the gas station’s bathroom is dirty, expect their fuel quality to be as poor as well. Not giving themselves the time to clean up after their public room speaks volumes about the other things they’re not paying attention to.
In every gas station, proper maintenance is a must to ensure that their pipes and pumps deliver quality and outstanding fuel quality. However, if they choose to ignore that practice, expect your gas characteristics to be compromised. If the gas station’s bathroom is dirty, expect that they’re not taking their care and maintenance routine seriously. While it might seem far off, you’d be surprised to see how they relate well to each other.
Check Other Services
Other than refueling your car, there are other things that you can do inside a gas station. It could either be run with a full, medium, or self-service, which allows you how you’ll refuel your car. It could be up to you which type of service you’re most comfortable doing. However, a self-service gas station is more popular as companies can cut back on extra costs.
Apart from the type of service that a gas station offers, they might also provide some windshield cleaning and check your car’s tire pressure and oil level. To save on the costs of buying some tools at home, you can allow your go-to gas station to check those for you. Moreover, some might even offer additional services, such as having a lift and being able to attach some vehicle accessories, such as engine cover and mudguards.
Takeaway
Searching for your go-to gas station might be challenging as it looks. There are plenty of factors that you need to consider as they could affect you if you’re really saving or just burning more fuel. Moreover, your number one priority should be convenience as it could put your mind at ease and save you enough money as you don’t have to go to different places just because what you’re looking for isn’t available.
