Best result with gasoline brand

The Prius is not touchy about brands, I recommend you buy gas at a popular station so it does not sit in the station's tank long.

87 AKI Octane is fine (85 above 3,500 feet)

10E gas will get at least 3% worse mileage than pure gas, the Prius is not recommended for E85. (It would get at least 20% worse mileage)

The Prius gets better mileage on Summer gas than Winter gas. (In addition to getting better mileage when warmer, up to 90 degrees F)

 

I have used several different brands of gasoline here
in Oregon, where gasoline is required by law to have
10% Ethanol blend all year long.

I have found no difference in mpg's. However with regular
gas no ethanol I can obtain at least 3 more mpg's.

Wet weather, temps in the 30's-40's, will cause mpg to drop
to 44-46mpg.

Summer temps in the 60's plus with dry roads mpgs low to mid
50's mpg.

 

Oil recommendations and Fuel recommendations always spark huge debate.

I would say no vehicle is "picky" about fuel. It's a machine. It combusts the fuel...and runs the engine.

That being said? I strive to always use a "Top Tier" gas station. Chevron or Shell.

Here's my logic. Most of us pay upwards of $20,000+, sometimes significantly more, for our vehicles. Does Chevron with Techron! REALLY help my vehicle? I don't know. Maybe..maybe not. But my observation? The difference between filling up at a Chevron Station, or a Shell station or any other name brand Top Tier station, vs. an unknown of cut rate station, is usually mere pennies per gallon.

At maybe 60 cents to 80 cents per fill up? I can afford the luxury of using a Top Tier station. If over the course of the lifetime of my vehicle the supposed additives that these stations claim keep my fuel intake system clean actually help my vehicle? Then it will of been worth it. If not? I can say the placebo affect of supposedly buying "better" gas was worth it to me.

I stay with regular grade but Top Tier stations. Given the investment an Automobile represents to me? I see little wisdom in penny pinching and bypassing the High Grade Chevron station to fill up at Bobby-Jacks Gas and Go.

Could I be fooling myself? Sure. But on the outside chance I'm not? The few cents per gallon savings is simply NOT worth it to me.

It's funny, where I live, there is an intersection with a Chevron Station and a cut rate unnamed station perpendicular to each other on opposite corners. The Cut rate station typically undersells the Chevron station by 3-5 cents a gallon. And the Cut Rate station is packed. People will fight, and sit in line waiting..just to save 3 cents a gallon. I enjoy the ease and convienence of pulling up and filling up..and driving away. In this specific case, the 30 cents more I spend, is well worth NOT sitting in a crowded line waiting...

Do I think the Prius is "picky" about brands...I doubt it. Do I think choosing to fill up at name brand or Top Tier stations worth it? Yes.

 

Drivers are touchy. The Prius could care less.

 

Keep in mind that due to the nature of the fuel distribution system in this country, any brand sensitivity will vary sharply by location.

The brand on the pump tells you only what the final additive package is, not the brand of the base fuel. The later depends on what refineries feed the local market, and nearly all local stations are supplied by just a few refineries.

 

I agree...the only chimerical reason I go with Top Tier brands is the supposed benefit of the additive packages.

I highly suspect that I'm probably fooling myself that there is much benefit.

 

Gas for multiple vendors comes from the same depot. Big trucks fill up from the same big tank and take the gas to their respective stations. Supposedly the top tier brands use better additive packages, but even that is subject to debate.

Good gas can go bad or get contaminated at a bad station, and pure gas will produce better mileage than gasohol.

As for being picky, there is nothing special about the Prius in that regard.

Tom

 

Well I am told different by people who open and repair engines for a living. They tell me they can tell if top tier or cheap gas was used. Oh by the way they usep top tier in their vehicles.

 

There is likely some information in this thread that may be helpful:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii.../101063-gas-stations-brands-do-you-trust.html

 

i've tried 'em all, get the same mileage.

 

Word that, the question is how much do the cheaters (unscrupulous re-sellers) add to the mix?

 

I prefer SHell, but local station is usually very crowded, so my backup is BP (used to be mobil). I agree that buying from high volume dealer is probably better.

 

All the gas in NJ is 10% ethanol, so don't bother looking for a station that doesn't have it. I mix it up between the local Gulf and Quick Chek, depending whose the least busiest at the time.

 

Being from NJ i feel compelled to reply. The crude arrives at port elizabeth, then is transported to one of six refineries. The process is exactly the same at each refinery. Then it transports again to each individual station, all from the same tankers. If you are curious, here is a list of refineries in NJ.
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey"]New Jersey[/ame]

• [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayway_Refinery"]Bayway Refinery[/ame] ([ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ConocoPhillips"]ConocoPhillips[/ame]), Linden 230,000 bbl/d (37,000 m3/d)
• Eagle Point Refinery ([ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunoco"]Sunoco[/ame]), Westville closed 2010 145,000 bbl/d (23,100 m3/d)
• Paulsboro Asphalt Refinery (NuStar Energy), Paulsboro 51,000 bbl/d (8,100 m3/d)
• Paulsboro Refinery (PBF Energy Corporation), Paulsboro 160,000 bbl/d (25,000 m3/d)
• [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth_Amboy_Refinery"]Perth Amboy Refinery[/ame] ([ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevron_Corporation"]Chevron[/ame]), Perth Amboy 80,000 bbl/d (13,000 m3/d)
• [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Reading_Refinery"]Port Reading Refinery[/ame] ([ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hess_Corporation"]Hess[/ame]), Port Reading 70,000 bbl/d (11,000 m3/d)

 

It's not about different mileage, it's about long term effects for me. I only use Shell or Chevron unless I have no choice on a trip. It's about keeping my fuel system & engine clean for the long run. Every mechanic I've asked has said top tier gas will make a difference keeping the engine & fuel system clean......nuff said.

 

fair enough, but the op asked about mileage.

 

Yep, and I haven't noticed any differences in the way the car runs.

 

I've found no difference in MPGs between different brands.

 

...also comes in up from Delaware Bay, right? used to anyway