In small town WI, you buy what makes your car run good and don't worry about the $2/tank you might save.
Around here the gas comes up a pipeline to one of two depots. There are two types at each depot. Some of the big name brands have an additive package, but in general there is "the good one" and "the cheaper one" and regardless of name brand, the owner of the station picks which one to put in his tanks and then the savvy driver needs to figure out which is which from the options around town. Yes, that is correct, there may be 7 different name brands but besides an additive package or two they all sell the same gas. This is common across the entire country. This happens when the country has about 1/3 the refineries it should.
I fill at two different stations, one is close to home(I live near nowhere-land surrounded by corn and hay) and the other is close to work. the guy that owns the station close to work puts better gas in, plus he is a normal minded guy and he also gets food from the local restaraunt service and serves it rather then typical gas station fare. For instance, he gets the same chicken tenders that go to the $12/plate place a few towns over. His cost $4. We get along well.
the one close to home gets better grade gas for the low octane and cheap for premium, go figure.
There is also 10% ethanol in lower octane here and no ethanol in premium. So that adds to the puzzle. the cheapest gas available requires the ethanol to bump the octane rating up or it wouldn't even make it to be legal to sell(starts life as 84 octane lol) obviously that is the stuff I avoid.
Please lets keep the thread from going political, thanks.