CHICAGO — Consumers in the U.S. saw gasoline prices steam to a record average price in February, but the motor fuel market cooled considerably in March. Contrary to public perception, average first quarter 2013 gas prices averaged below 2012 numbers, GasBuddy reported this week. In fact, Americans paid about 30 cents per gallon less for gasoline in the most recent Easter Weekend than they paid over the same period in 2012.