Top Tier Gas ... vs

Good timing - I just started using Top Tier gas in my new Prius as well. I learned about it through James Healey's Test Drive chat in the USA Today car section. He's a big advocate for Top Tier gasolines.

 

ALWAYS Top-tier gas for my vehicles. In fact, it is either Chevron or Shell for me.

 

I always aim for Shell if possible. In over 200,000 miles and 3 different cars (including my 2 Prius'es), Shell consistently gives me 2-3 MPG MORE than Chevron. Go figure... i have no scientific data, just resets after every gas tank and many years of mileage.

Nothing else on my Prius. Can't comment on the rest...

Edit: Always 87, best MPG and the recommended octane anyway.

 

Here's my opinon.

The misanthropic cynic in me thinks "Top Tier" gas is probably just primarily a marketing ploy. I don't think exclusive use of "Top Tier" gasoline guarantees much of anything except that you'll be pulling into a Chevron, Shell or other "Top Tier" station.

But....

I fill up exclusively at Chevrons or Shell stations. Why? Well Why Not? IMO the "savings" I might be able to find by going to an Arco, or other non-Top Tier station is very, very minimal. If we are talking regular unleaded, then usually it's less than a dime a gallon. So pennies actually, so I go with Top Tier.

Admittedly I live in the suburbs of a major city so most of the time it's easier to find a Shell or Chevron than it is to NOT find a Shell or Chevron and if some unforeseen reality resulted in my filling up at a non-Top Tier station, well I certainly wouldn't lose sleep.

I think the additive packages might (only might) have some benefit long term. But I also think this benefit could probably be duplicated by just occasionally running a tank with a Techron Booster or other purchaseable additive.

So am I the best of both worlds or the worst? I might be doing the right thing, for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right reasons. Since I have been pretty consistent in using Chevron or Shell, I can't actually speak to an improvement or lack of improvement in non-useage. Just in my case I feel the outside possibilty of benefit outweighs any potential benefits of not making the choice.

 

I live near a Sunoco gas station in the USA.. is there a difference between the Sunoco here and Sunoco Canada? I'm asking because I clicked on the link and I looked for the Top Tier Gas Retailers.. it says Sunoco Canada is one of the retailers not just Sunoco.. ?!?! lol

 

Who supervises the person or persons who run that web site?

Look like the various Who's Who publications. You don't pay, you don't get published. What are the criteria for getting the seal of approval? I have never heard of some of those brands and some of the ones that are in my area look like very unlikely candidates to be in any top tier of anything.

All I know for sure is that the drivers who pick up gasoline at the port everglades fuel farm say they don't care which tank they fill up from and seem to pull into the tank that is most convenient, but I could certainly be wrong.

 

I agree with Joe166. The site gives absolutely no specifications as to what constitutes an unacceptable lower level of additive.

Interesting that Quick Trip is listed along with Shell. QT can be as much a 30 cents a gallon cheaper than Shell along my commute corridors.

Considering the millions the majors like Shell, Exxon and Chevron spend on advertising, giving this website a few bucks is probably considered pretty cheap advertising.

 

You guys (No offense) is that the Engineers at Toyota have engineered cars to work with a various differences in gasoline to get the maximum performance vs economy (Especially Prius because We are cheap bastards)

I'm not just talking E10 or anything because that's a Physics issue of Power (just not there)

But In Quality, I remember Consumer reports article about gasoline and they are all pretty much equal. "WHY? They all have to meet Standards either from the state or US DOT. and IMO depending on what state you buy it, altitude time of year, E10 etc even each "BRAND" name will have different flavors if you pardon the expression.

This in addition that some gas stations will fill up with others gas.
A friend of the family drove "Shell Gas Trucks" For a living

He said I fill up with gas from multiple places (Even though the truck says "SHELL" on it) He said he fills up Onoco, Shell, Chevron and other stations from the same tank.

I would love to avoid E10 in our state (We can't) but other that going with a "BRAND" If this is the question is pure marking fluff... Consumer Reports found no significant differences between major gases.. The only Difference was the Premium Octane when Applied to cars like Corvette, because they will not run on Lower Octane.

Modern cars are even better at analyzing gas and monitoring power pinging etc.

When Oil gets turned into gas, then each Brand puts Additives in it.
That is why Gas Stations PUSH their Additives!
They never say our gas is better than the others!

Notice they say our Additives are better!!!!

Same gas as the rest within Spec's.
Different Additives..

My 2 cents.
Russ

 

I agree, and a little superficial internet research leads to these facts and conclusions.

But I still default to Shell or Chevron just because as I stated I think there just might be a long term benefit to the additive packages.

15 years ago, and with a simple Nissan small pick-up I simply gave no thought to where I filled up. Every Oil Change I would run a fuel additive/fuel injector cleaner through...

Now? I default to Chevron or Shell...even though I know that the difference if any is debatable.

 

Living in a port city on the coast we have several large storage tanks on the river owned by Hess and other local oil companies. I see all brands of 18-wheel tanker trucks coming and going from the large storage tanks and pump farms. So, from what I see they are all pulling from the same tank farm.

 

Yes they are, and that's how it works everywhere.

The difference is the detergent additive and how much, but the base fuel is the same.

 

I have heard (from several sources) that the additives are mixed in as the tank truck is filled. The refinery or other delivery point stocks the additives to meet the gasoline different brands requirements mix.

 

I think it's BS. The dealer I get my (100 per cent) gas from explained the process to me. The trucks pull up to the tank city, load up with gas, then most of them head to the ethanol distributor to get topped off with corn liquor. Yeah, they might add a jug of "additives," if they don't forget, "now, was that one gallon or two I added? And how much ethanol did we just pump in there? Eh, close enough for government work." On to the Shell station.

You get the picture. Get your gas from a guy who has the real thing - make sure it's fresh, stay away from ethanol, and don't buy into the "additive hype."

Just my .02.

 

Yep. That's it exactly. And for most terminals, ethanol is also blended in on the fly. That's why it's called splash-blending.

 

Okay this debate is mildly amusing. Comparing the quality of non-brand name gas is like comparing the quality of education between a community college to university.

Not all crude oil is of the same quality. Since gasoline is made from crude oil, Therefore, not all gasoline can be of the same quality.

I also use shell, and since our priuses get such high mileage, they are sensitive by small changes. I've seen 2-3mpg differences using shell versus regular gasoline. Nothing scientific of course, but this is from direct observation of my dad's 2004 prius. However, costco gasoline seems to be of the same quality as shell and other top brand gasoline. And strangely, chevron seems to lower my gas mileage.

People talk about how all gasoline meets the goverment's standards for detergent additives. Well, this is BARE MINIMUM. I mean, the service manual only specifies oil change, tire rotation, air filters change, coolant change, and spark plug changes. Yet everyone seems to ignore these bare minimums and goes for higher preventative maintenance. Why not apply the same logic to gas?

 

Ditto on both points. Shell MPG > Chevron MPG.

 

Crud oil is taken apart and reassembled into gasoline. You could start with rotting potatoes and still get high quality gasoline if you are willing to invest enough energy into the cracking process.

Furthermore, gasoline from one refinery is not specifically earmarked for a given brand. It all gets transported together for a given region. Gasoline is a fungible commodity.

Tom