Top Tier Gas - Interesting finding from AAA

SnowBlazer

Member
Jun 9, 2014
5,775
Colorado Springs
Ironically enough, I've found that Costco is the cheapest place in Colorado Springs to fill up, it also happens to be a Top Tier certified gas station. Can't go wrong there. :ok:
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
My truck prefers BP over Valero, even though both are top tier.

Interestingly enough, my 98 Camaro greatly preferred BP over everything else, consistently getting 1-2mpg better with it.

It helps that the BP closest to me is also typically one of the cheapest stations around, one of the last stations to jack up prices when they go up, and unlike many places around here doesn't have a giant price jump from 87 to 89 and higher.
 
Sep 20, 2015
501
Western Mass.
My truck's worst enemy is Gulf. It's so watery. I actually keep a bottle of Heet in the boot just in case I've got to fill up there.
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I just grab gas when needed these days. Found i go through far too much to worry about a few pennies or what tier. Only thing I will go out of the way for is ethanol free, but it is rare round these parts.

Just had to get the weed-eater carb rebuilt due to the bullshit ethanol in fuel these days.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
Every car I've ever put sunoco premium in ran like crap. So I don't use sunoco anymore. I use wawa, cheap, and have yet to have an issue. The sierra has used it exclusively for the last 170k now and still runs fine. I don't know how well techron works but both have had the occasional tank full of it. I know GM recommended to use it for the older fuel senders when they would mess up....
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,262
Ottawa, ON
I use whatever is cheapest but have found that Esso gets me a little (.5) MPG better. Worse for mileage is Pioneer. Nothing runs poorly with any type of gas. Only exception is my snowmobile where it needs 91 octane. Even if it didn't, I would run it just to avoid ethanol.
 

shovenose

Member
Apr 24, 2016
318
SF Bay Area, CA
I usually stick to Shell and 76 and Costco, though I sometimes get Safeway gas as well.

Around here all fuels have 10% ethanol. I'm spending $300 on a rebuilt carburetor for my 77 Suburban because the old one really needs a rebuild and the ethanol has destroyed it. I wish they'd just sell regular gas again!
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
I've been using the marine sta-bil in my boat, lots of sitting, with good results. I rebuilt the carb myself last year due to excessive build up of crap... and like it sat with un-stabilized gas for most of the season. I don't know if it really works but it sure does seem to... the ethanol is an unavoidable incident waiting to happen with a carburetor. It's just going to happen.
 
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NJTB

Member
Aug 27, 2012
612
Flemington, NJ
I do field service and fill up in several states (NY, NJ, PA, CT, DE) about 3-4 times a week at a variety of stations. What I found is it's not so much the brand of gas, but the guy at the refinery (or gas depot) filling up the tanker truck. Apparently it's far from an exact science putting ethanol and the additives in the fuel during manufacturing.
I've gotten great milage from Gulf (go figure, never liked it), BP and Shell are about the same, Phillips 66 and Citgo too.
Here and there I'll get a tank of gas that don't get the mileage, and others that get better. This is on the work vehicle (2015 Ford Escape) with the instant mileage display.
 
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dkvasnicka

Member
Jul 24, 2015
366
Czech republic, Europe
I think that storage at the pump is also a big factor. How long it takes for them to sell it and how good are their underground tanks at keeping the important properties of the gasoline intact.

From what I remember from various tests (be it either consumer groups or govt agencies) there is no correlation between "premiumness" of a brand and the quality of the gas. Shell, which is probably the most expensive gas brand here, lost some test completely - simply because they charged ridiculous amounts, took them too long to sell the shit and shit got bad...

We no longer have AKI 87 gas here in the CZ so I'm running RON 95 (~ AKI 90) and the truck likes it I'd say. I wanted to find a gas station that would sell low-octane gas to see how the engine likes what GM says is the standard stuff but couldn't find one here. I'm also planning to try a few tanks of some RON 98/100 with additives, should clean the injectors and valves a bit (though I don't expect any performance increase as it was in the case of my turboed 9-5).
 

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