U.S. crude settles lower eyeing inventory reports

NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures settled lower on Tuesday ahead of weekly inventory reports and weighed down by a stronger dollar and apprehension about the pace and strength of economic recovery.

Trading sources also pointed to weaker RBOB gasoline futures that also helped crude oil futures end lower after reaching an eight-week peak on Tuesday and after two consecutive higher settlements.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April <CLJ0> crude fell 38 cents, or 0.46 percent, to settle at $81.49 a barrel, trading from $80.16 to $81.91. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by Marguerita Choy)