Just wondereing if there is any noticeable difference or quality in the different brands of gasoline. Is there a best gas and a "don't ever buy this" gas?

I seem to always use Shell - but it is close to my house and seems to be good.

 

When it comes down to it, I think the differences are nominal but I always use Chevron with Techron (just for peace of mind). I think as long as you stay away from places like Go-Mart your cool.

 

my dad is in the commercial petroleum industry in the US and he says that Amoco is the best, clear 93 octane stuff that is. Citgo and Exxon are ok but shy away from BP, Sunoco (even though they have 94 octane), Crown, and Shell. Even though BP owns amoco now it is a different refining process used for each and Amoco currently has the best refining for their premium gas. I just wish he had info or race fuel in the NVA area

 

I will echo that Amoco gas is very good. Chevron and Shell are pretty good too. as long as you stick with the big brands you'll be fine. The cheap gas places do get their fuel from the same place as the major chains, but they lack the additives and detergents that the major brands do. That's why it says to stay away from them in the owners manual. (My dad has also worked in the oil business for 30 years.)

 

I tend to get Exxon 93 most often. If not Exxon, then Amoco or Sunoco 94.

I never go to Mobil...for some reason I always get sh*tty mileage on their gas. Ill sometimes go to Chevron, but never ever Freestate or Getty, etc.

 

LOL .... and I though I was doing a GOOD thing by getting the Sunoco 94 all the time!

 

I heard that most all gas COMES from the same places originally, however it's all the additives that kill your car. BP being the worst for Honda’s because (like 98itr896 said) it's a different refining process. "You go or we pay the tow" is nice and all, but the additives that they use increases the complexity of the gasoline (which is not what Honda engineered their engines to compensate for).

98itr896... since your dad is in the market...can you find out exactly WHAT additives are in different brands of gas, and what the additives do? I think this is something that (although we don't all carefully inspect each drop of gas) would be interesting information to know.

Does anyone else know of any websites covering this topic? Maybe this could help shed some light on things.

 

At least you guys have 94. Here in cali we only have 91.. grrrr

 

yea we only have 91.. IT sucks

 

Never get gas when the gas truck is filling up the tanks.All the **** at the bottom of the tanks floats around.Gas truck driver told me that....

 

quote:
really? the gas station down the street sells 100

yoshi - who doesn't fill up w/ that though

 

That must cost like $4-5 huh? Is it at the track or something?

 

uuuuuummmmmmmmmmm 94 octane. 91 octane

 

When I was at Western Michigan one of my friends did a study for a class regarding the quality of gasoline at the stations in Kalamazoo. All I remember is that Amoco came out on top as being the best. I don't remember who came in 2nd but we always used 93 Amoco in our sport bikes.

Mattj


[Modified by Dropspeed, 12:08 PM 9/20/2001]

 

unfortunately, this is closely guarded as corporate secrets, like the formula for coca-cola. additives don't actually do any damage to your car; in fact, most of the additives do go, like detergents and octane enhancers to replace the lead. i don't know what makes amoco is the best, i have seen many studies, like the one mentioned above, that it is. another thing about gas is that some is oxygenated for cleaner burning, read: less volatile. on the east coast at least, this is mainly used in the winter, except for place more inland than others, read: less population. there is no way of really knowing when you get oxygenated gas, even though the pump says it all the time. one very shocking piece of data about commercial gas is that there are 90+ different formulas! that does not mean amoco’s formulas and exxon’s formulas. that is the formula that the fuel must meet for government standards. just think how much money the fuel companies have to spend to make 90+ blends of fuel. we could have, as a nation, 100 octane fuel at the pump for the same price as high test if the fuel companies did not have to make 90+ blends of fuel. think of the fuel development that would take place if they put all that money towards a very few number of blends. just my thoughts.

 

I blend "Unocal 76" gasoline to 93.x octane. The main reason I use "Unocal 76" is because they have the 100 octane to blend with the 91 octane to get me back to the 93 octane I was running in NC from Amoco.

It pretty much doubled the cost of gas.

All you guys back in NC... shed a tear for me having to blend my gas to get what you can buy at the pump for a dime less a gallon than my 91 octane. But then again... I'm in California, and you're not!

 

damn..lucky americans..my local PEMEX has watered down 87..have to import my VP103..hehehe

 

hahahaha, that was hilarious. But you do know that they now have 93 octane in most PEMEXs right EP?

 

But what were the criteria for the study and what does it mean that it was the best?

 

98itr896 Good post.

 

Amoco being the best? That seems odd because Chevron here would be the best gas. Also in most states and certain counties that have emission regulations have regulated gas or formulated for better emission but in fact you lose power and mpg. You can buy gas in certain one county and I can run through it in less then a week. Buy gas only 30-40 mins away from that county that same gas allows you drive futher and alot times feel more pep. Also Mobil and BP and Elf but we may never see them because of our regulations. I think it's odd seeing BP petrol going into race cars and also normally modded cars with same octane levels as our gas but making very noticable power change. But I think alot this has to do with emissions controls in states and if state has measures against emissions more then likely all the fuels there are remorulated like one county here and same as in Atlanta. I will not buy fuel in B'ham area now just because of that reformulated gas actually made my car feel like it was slugglish off the line.

 

I have also heard that you shouldn't wait till your tank is almost empty to refill, because you would be sucking up the dirt and junk that lays at the bottom of the gas tank

 

Amoco being better than BP, I don't know how much truth there is to that statement since the holding company is referred to BPAmaoco. BP and Amaco merged in 1998. Since 1998 there has been much conslidation in the operations of company which probably includes...........

 

There's a place near here that sells 100 for 4.39, the rest of it is 91 and below. Is there a noticible power difference when you fill up with 100 as opposed to 91? I've never tried, but I'd like to someday, if only for kicks. Thanks!

 

Where is it?