Buying Gas in Los Angeles - the Inexpensive, the Bad and the Ugly

When I bought my car a few months ago, I realized that it had been a long time since I owned anything with a six-cylinder engine. Even though I made light by naming my mid-sized sedan "Munchy", I still yearned for the days of driving a sub-compact and filling up my car for $20 or less. Gone were the days of getting by on $10 worth of gas a week before payday and it was time to take advantage of my employer's rideshare alternatives.

One thing I have found imperative in cutting gas costs is cutting back on making extra stops and prioritizing accordingly. This is where your convenience store/gas station really comes in handy. Here are a few suggestions if you are in the Southwest part of Los Angeles County.

Valero - is a fairly new player in the petroleum industry and at most of their locations, there are full-service (food, tobacco products and basic auto care products) convenience stores combined. They are usually clean, well-stocked and their workers are professional. They even offer a cash discount (I've seen as much as a .25 difference per gallon) but use this with caution! Recently, I paid for gas with a bank debit card and because I used the pump terminal instead of going to the cashier - an additional $75.00 was held on my account long after my gas was paid for.

ARCO/Am-Pm/Thrifty Gas - These are all under Beyond Petroleum Corporation and their gas is usually priced competitively (ARCO has the "Fill Smart" philosophy that emphasizes that because they buy at volume, they pass the savings on to the customer). At times, I've found Thrifty to be priced higher than any ARCO station but usually ten cents/gallon lower than the competition overall. If you happen to be headed South on the 110 Freeway into South Los Angeles, the ARCO station on the Northwest corner of Vermont Blvd./Imperial Highway has the lowest gas prices in greater Los Angeles (I've seen as much as a .35 difference even before the gas wars)! Use extra eyes when going to this particular location as transients, drug addicts and other like characters will boldly approach anyone who looks like they may have extra change to spare. Also, avoid the rush hour if possible as customers will form lines that block traffic just to get cheap gas.

7-11- This is my favorite convenience store just because they have greater selection of items and are usually cleaner than Am-Pm but only a few locations sell gas. If you are in the LAX area, check out 3311 W. Century Blvd (two blocks West of Crenshaw Blvd.) in Inglewood. Their gas is usually reasonable though they do not sell any alcoholic beverages. Always a high traffic area due to both the Hollywood Racetrack and the Forum being around the corner, it would be worth the stop just to check out the mega shopping center that has a few name brand stores within walking distance.

Chevron - this is my personal favorite overall as their prices are usually reasonable, their facilities are kept clean - inside and out and they are very well stocked for basic auto care items and food. Most noticeable is the fact that my car drives differently after putting in at least a quarter tank of gas. The difference, according to the company, is an ingredient called Techron that has been proven to decrease car emissions, increase performance and leaves a cleaner engine than lower-quality gasoline. Most locations may be a few cents higher but at 3760 W. Imperial Hwy. in Hawthorne is one that may be worth the extra trip.