Which Fuel Brand is good, better or best?

I have to disagree with "gas is gas". I used to use cheap-o gas in my 96 lumina. Turned out, that it would occasionally casue my engine to misfire and run really rough for a few days. The last time my engine misfired, it would not clear up. i then tried Shell gas, a day or so later the engine was fine and did not give me another issue. i have of course traded it in for my 2010 prius, but unless I am desperate, I will never use cheap gas again.

 

Contrary to some of the other replies in this thread, there ARE real differences in gasoline in addition to the octane number. Most of those differences relate to detergent content. Without some level of detergents, engine deposits form in most vehicles and this causes reduced fuel efficiency, poor acceleration, and lower power as well as increasing emissions and rough idling. While no one has positively identified the exact molecule in gasoline that causes engine deposits, top tier detergent gasoline will remove the deposits. Do a quick search on "Top Tier" gasoline and you will find several sites which can help you make your own decision.

With respect to the octane rating. Some high performance engines require higher octane fuel, the Prius needs 87 octane. Filling up with higher octane fuel won't damage your engine, but is simply a waste of money.

Personally, I fill up with Texaco, Chevron, or Shell.

 

I've always bought from major brand names but vary them--my hypothesis is, each brand has its own blend of detergents, the different detergents work better remvcing different deposits, and by varying them I might keep the engine cleaner than if I just used one. Feel free to let me know if I'm wrong about this.

The one exception: I refuse to patronize Exxon/Mobil for anything other than unloading my own biological waste products. I've not forgiven them for the Exxon Valdez--more the fact that they so vigorously fought the whole thing in court and refused as much responsibility as they could rather than that they had the accident, which could have happened to any of them. Add to that the fact that they rescinded Mobil's domestic partner benefit policy when they bought them up, and they're on my push-the-car-past-it list. Just my opinion--I'm sure their gas is as good as the next.

 

Gas is a fungible product, thus "gas is gas" but the stations of the major producers are likely to be better maintained, thus reducing the probability of water in the storage tanks - and having seasonal blends for the region you live in. Otherwise "gas is gas".

 

Folks, coincidently, this is what was published recently at SmartMoney (I believe a division of the WSJ) regarding this dilemma... I'm quoting it bellow:


"My gas isn’t better for your car; it’s just more expensive.

Oil companies spend lots of money explaining why their gas is better than the competition’s. Chevron’s gas, for example, is fortified with “Techron,” and Amoco Ultimate is supposed to save the planet along with your engine. But today more than ever, one gallon of gas is as good as the next.

True, additives help to clean your engine, but what the companies don’t tell you is that all gas has them. Since 1994 the government has required that detergents be added to all gasoline to help prevent fuel injectors from clogging. State and local regulators keep a close watch to make sure those standards are met; a 2005 study indicated that Florida inspectors checked 45,000 samples to ensure the state’s gas supply was up to snuff, and 99 percent of the time it was. “There’s little difference between brand-name gas and any other,” says AAA spokesperson Geoff Sundstrom.

What’s more, your local Chevron station may sell gas refined by Shell or Exxon Mobil. Suppliers share pipelines, so they all use the same fuel. And the difference between the most expensive brand-name gas and the lowliest gallon of no-brand fuel? Often just a quart of detergent added to an 8,000-gallon tanker truck."

So, botton line: Go for the cheapest gas around, no problem, you and your Prius should be OK...

 

Not exactly. The cheapest gas around is often at a station with low turnover. Your best bet is to always buy your gas at the most popular station in town. (The one that always has a line at the pump.) The more often the gas is cycled out of the containers, the less water and impurities build up. In my area, Exxon and Texaco have the busiest street corners, and therefore the highest gas turnover rates. I always fill up my mustang at the local Exxon because the mustang requires premium fuel and the Exxon is in an area with more high-end cars that also require premium. I usually fill up the Prius at Texaco because the Texaco station has a full lot every time I pass it.

 

Hmm, In my area the more expensive gas stations are almost deserted and the cheap ones are bustling, and there are plenty of people driving expensive cars here.

 

Interesting! Are you sure? Is that conclusion based on your visual impressions after spotting the cheap gas stations a few seconds per week?!? It surely looks like it! You may be wrong, don't be surprised...

Exactly, in my neighborhood the cheapest gas stations are often the busiest ones...

 

I bought a new BMW 320i back in 1980 and was having "hard-starting" problems, it would take 3-4 times to start the motor.

Finally got fed up and met with the district rep about this issue. His response was "just between you and me use Chevron regular unleaded." I had been using Shell gas before.

I never had a problem after that.....

 

Plus, even though your favorite brand has stations in your area, it may well be cheaper for them to buy gas from another company whose refinery is closer or has better distribution in your area. Presumably, they would have some minimum specifications for additives and such, but who knows. Unless you've analyzed it or at least followed the truck that fills the underground tanks from their own refinery or depot, there's a chance it was refined by someone else.

I've seen plenty of unbranded fill tankers pull up into name brand stations. I wouldn't assume the gas is consistently from their own refinery, let alone from the same place month to month even. Hopefully, the overall quality wouldn't vary much, though.

I often fill up at Costco or Meijer or on a corner where 3 stations drive the price down. I don't ever recall having a single bad tank or fuel related maintenance issue. If you don't have any issues with the cheapest store, why not use it? Of course, if I did get bad gas from somewhere, I wouldn't buy from that store again.

 

Oh really? 1980? 30 years ago... do you realize things have changed ever since?

 

I'm not. I patrol the streets 12 hours a day in rotating shifts. There are three main streets in my parish, and two of them intersect the other one. At those two intersections, there is a texaco and an exxon. They are not the cheapest gas stations in town, nor are they the most expensive, but they always have business due to their location. Do not assume to know what someone's conclusions are based on without asking them first.

Also, I'm talking about my town, not yours. Things may be different.

 

Oh, I see. Maybe you should have pointed out up front that there appears to be a safety component to this... it looks like the stations you are talking about are more popular because they may be safer, so it may have have little to do with gas prices to begin with... I would not care about gas prices for safety... no kidding!

 

The problem with the "Sierra Club's take" is that the article is based on antedotes. It isn't scientific at all since they give a bunch of facts masquerading as evidence of whatever their opinion happens to be. A truly unbiased analysis would have given all the same information about each company rather than throwing around a bunch of large numbers.

For example, what is the amount of CO2 produced by each company per gallon of gasoline produced...or how much in EPA fines per gallon of gasoline produced. But nope, just ~random numbers for each company that no one can use as a real comparison. Instead all I can believe is whoever funded their most important project got the best marks.

I'm sure some people in and at the Sierra club who mean well, but these are the folks who lobbyied intensively to stop ethanol as a mandate and to use MTBE instead. Then MTBE was found to be polluting ground water. Then they denied any responsibility since they didn't actually make MTBE... how convenient.

3PriusMike

 

Not giving advice here, just a comment! Here in NJ the gas comes from the refinery, Elizabeth NJ. It is distributed to all stations via tankers. I have seen tankers from all brands driving out of the refinery, exxon, shell, even some old tankers texaco, mobil citgo etc.. Again it is my opinion that gas all starts out the same with the exception of the additives each brand adds. Or should I just say each marketing gimmick that each brand adds.

 

I'm on the side that "gas" is "gas" (at least that's what Charlie Gibson told me on an ABC special report). Under the assumption that Shell/Mobile/BP tankers line up under one large refinery I don't even think stations use special additives. I've never seen a truck driver hop out and poor a can of Nitrogen rich scum busting additive as he hooks the hoses up. When do they gat added???

 

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South Florida has no refineries...
All the gas comes from Port Everglades...
All trucks load at Port Everglades...regardless of brand...
but yes, they add different additives depending on brand...
not in any way a substantial difference...
and remember, by law all gasolines must have a minimum of detergents, etc.
In any case, I always try to stick with a Top Tier brand...

Top Tier Gasoline

 

That was a typo. Later editions say 87. Toyota knows perfectly well that nobody in the US sells 88 octane fuel, so it would be insane to require it.

Ethanol is an engine cleaner. Use E10 and the injectors will never foul. Ethanol contains 70% of the energy of gasoline by volume, so E10 will cause only about a 3% reduction in MPGs.

 

I like the e85 in Minnesota. It has more ethanol.