kkm079

My dealer told me to use Shell, Mobile1 or Marathon gas only.( i am in Chicago area)

These brands are pretty much similar to what two Acura dealers told me when I bought cars from them 5 and 10 years ago.

do different brands make different gases?????

just curious.

bigben320e

Use what gas you want, as long as it is premium octane. This has been a long debated topic, I have used:

Shell
Kroger
Sams
BJ's
Quiktrip
Mobile
Exxon
Costco

All have worked just fine, I primarily use the one's in bold for over 10 years in MB's. My E320 has about 209K miles on her and runs like a top.

danlnyc

I switch off from using Mobil and Chevron and this is what I found out.

Mobile sucks @SS. It takes about 90+ dollars to fill up my tank completely and with Mobil I only get 240-250 miles.

With Chevron and the same amount to fill up, I will easily get over 280+ miles.

I know this is a very uneducated answer but it's just an observation...haha

RNBRAD

I use my local wal-mart. They have no ethanol in their gas and it's cheaper than the places that add up to 10% ethanol. Also it's very busy so you know the gas isn't sitting for very long.

ttoE550

I've always understood that gas largely all originates from the same place, or that the base gas has no specific brand. I've known oil people all my life, so I don't know where I learned it. This article seems to concur.

http://www.stopbuyingcrap.com/stop-b...ng-3-gasoline/

So when shopping for specific brands, you are really shopping for the additives. Also, with specific stores you might also be shopping for honesty (is that gas really 93?) and level of business, as RNBRAD notes. Recently in my area there has been increased attention paid to stations selling 87 as 93, with at least one station being caught.

BudC

The primary reason 2012's were delayed in the U.S. and Canada is because of the relatively poor fuel in this country. What that means is that our fuel has more sulfur in it than fuel in western Europe. There is also a difference in fuel quality in the U.S.. Fuel from South America has more sulfur than other sources and in the past, that fuel was generally sold at discount outlets.

When BMW had problems with cylinder etching in their V8's, it was due to high levels of sulfur which was traced back to discount outlets.

The Phoenix area gets fuel from only two sources, Texas and California. Consequently, everybody gets the same fuel except that additives are added at the tank farms by various brands so there is a difference in additives.

The point I'm trying to make is that there is a difference in fuel in addition to the difference in additives. When I lived in Minnesota, all the fuel contained Ethanol. When we'd travel to Florida in the winter, I would fill up with Shell 93 octane fuel in Wisconsin and I not only got better fuel economy but also better performance. I asked someone from Shell why that was and I was told it was because their fuel wasn't *full of crap* (Ethanol).

In the Phoenix area I use Chevron because it contains Techron.

golfster

When in CA, Shell or Chevron are my first choices. In IL, BP or Shell. I try to use what I believe to be best quality gas within the locale that I'm driving.

hyperion667

been using Shell primarily......and some BP too.......
but I never see anything above 93 here in my neck of NC......

RJC

Chevron and Shell mostly and occassionally Mobil or BP, always 93 octane.
The higher US sulphur content along with ethanol is something I could live without. Interestingly I believe just this week the US decided to end ethanol subsidies. The US is hell bent on corn based products for the obvious reason (we grow lots of it here) but corn doesn't always produce great products ie corn syrups, corn starches, corn oils etc as there are much healthier and easier on the digestive system choices. Ethanol doesn't do our engines much good either.

listerone

I use mainly Shell and Sunoco with an occasional stop at Citgo.Fortunately I know of stations selling all three that have good prices.

kingofire

I only use gas from this list at www.toptiergas.com
Right now I use Mobil 93. I used to use Shell but it was notorious at making my E ping. No such issues with Mobil 93 gasoline.

El Cid

I use BP since they gobbled up Amoco. Never had any problems. While all gasoline may come out of same pipeline and go into same storage tanks at terminals, it all ain't the same. Had a terminal manager explain that for different brands, they add additives before truck leaves tank farm.
Also, since Federal government requires that ethanol be added to gasoline, how can anybody sell gas that contains no ethanol?
Also, are the distributors really sending out trucks loaded only with non-ethanol gas? I doubt it.
BTW, US Senate has voted to end subsidies for ethanol producers. Now if we can get the US House and President to go along and then all end the requirement for ethanol in gas, things will be better. Contact your senator and congressman. However, this is a very touchy issue in Iowa and other "corny" states.

Firestopper0383

Sunoco 91 or 93 octane. The station I go to, the price diference between 91 & 93 is usually .02 or .03 cents a gallon so, I usually use 93. Have used it since 1977 for all my cars with excellent performance and better than average economy.

samkimg

I use about 30% Chevron and 70% Costco (by the tankful) and get the same mpg performance from each. I haven't seen any performance issues between the two here in California. And the Costco pumps say it is 10% ethanol.

ImInPA

I believe ethanol is a State regulation not a Federal mandate. In Pennsylvania there are many "off brand" gasoline stations with "ethanol free" gasoline. Having known some chemical engineers from the oil industry, I personally do not subscribe to the notion that there is a vast difference in gasolines. True enough, the additive packages are different, but, they all do the same thing. When I drive gasoline engined cars, I always got the highest octane available, because i wanted to make sure I was getting the minimum required (if premium was required).

ahmadkshuja

SHELL - first preference

Mobile - last option

Johnny Mo

Was using Exxon for the longest time, then most recently Mobil (whis is both Exxon/Mobil now) However I noticed that they were consistently raising their prices at the 1st indication of oil price increases, but not decreasing when oil came down (I am a CPA so I understand the intricacies of inventory pricing etc)

Moved to Sunoco now with the occasional BP fill-up...I don't use CITGO due to their connection with Chavez.

220S

According to the US Energy Information Administration, the gasoline you buy at a branded station (Exxon, Chevron, Shell, etc.) can come from anywhere due to “commingling.” The same applies to unbranded stations (Costco, etc..) There is no way of knowing which refinery the gasoline comes from. Gasoline is shipped via pipeline and stored at terminals. The pipelines are mixed (commingling) with all refined gasoline. Even the USEIA can't tell you where the Shell you bought down the street originates from, and they admit it. Nobody can tell you.

All gasoline entering and exiting the pipeline has to be tested to comply with Federal, State, and local product specifications. But where it came from can't be discerned. Imagine the infrastructure logistics (and chaos) if every company had their own pipelines from refinery to storage facility. And if each company had their own bulk terminal storage facility This complex infrastructure is all shared by the industry.

Branded gasoline (Chevron Supreme, Shell V-Power, etc.) can come from another company's refinery. i.e., Shell could be refined by Exxon and Chevron by BP, etc..

The only difference at the pump is the additives which are proprietary, such as Techron. One can buy bottles of Techron and add it to unbranded gasoline if desired. You're buying the additives when buying branded gasoline.

There are 5 districts of refineries in the US for a total of 148 refiners. Imagine the logistical nightmare involved in separating out all the refined gasoline from the facilities, storing them in specific bulk terminals, and then delivering them to specific fueling stations in your town.

K-A

Chevron, then 76, then Shell, in the cars that I care about. If there's a place with super cheap Gas though, I'll pick that, and I try and avoid Arco and Mobile.

With anything else though, Arco's the usual choice, as it's the cheapest usually, as long as you don't use a CC with their stupid .50 charge.

bigben320e

Exactly, thanks for posting. Bottom line, as we always say just use premium gas as that is what our cars call for.

mbz4810

Any SoCal folks here?... what's your take on ARCO? they are owned by BP and are starting to put the green BP sign on their logo...

ChuckinTucson

mbz4819, the only reason I don't use ARCO is because with their slightly lower price, they have the busiest stations and are sometime hell to get in/out of. That and their $.50 charge to use a debit card drives me nuts.

El Cid

More than just Techron. I live about five miles from a terminal (tank farm) for the major Southeastern pipeline. Several brands of fuel there based on the signs and the logos on the multitude of tanks. One manager took me on a tour and showed me the area where they keep the additives-several tanks there just for his "brand." Each brand specifies which additivies from the various tanks are added to the tank trucks before they depart. He acknowledged that they sell gas for other brands beside his.

splinter

Solid and accurate information as always, 220S. We appreciate your timely contributions to our forum.