Off brand gas stations....
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 40
Likes: 8
From: Washington DC
2019 C63S.......2016 GLE 63.........2008 S63
Off brand gas stations....
Between shell, Exxon, BP do you guys think the gas could be less cleaner at those local gas stations or the cheaper ones like the franchises like extra, free state, Sunoco and so on.
Basically what I'm asking is you guys stick to only premium brand gas stations or you go anywhere as long as you get 93 octane?
Basically what I'm asking is you guys stick to only premium brand gas stations or you go anywhere as long as you get 93 octane?
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 336
Likes: 97
From: Houston, TX
2020 AMG GT63s
I'll confess I'm a gas snob. Given my options in my area it was either Sunoco or Chevron. I only use Chevron now since I have a gas card. When I was in DC it was Sunoco or BP only. Does it matter? 
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 397
Likes: 117
From: TX
IG: @amg.svr
Believe it or not there's a difference
https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...h-extra-price/
I'm a loyal Exxon guy. Will use Shell if Exxon isn't available
https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...h-extra-price/
I'm a loyal Exxon guy. Will use Shell if Exxon isn't available
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,430
Likes: 5,336
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
As long as it's Top Tier gas it's fine, but I wouldn't fill non Top Tier gas unless it's the only thing available. They do make a difference and are highly recommended in these cars. I'm also somewhat of a gas snob. Mostly fill at Shell as I'm a rewards member and I like the gas station experience with their phone app and the quality of their gas is very good. If I can't find a Shell, then I fill at Chevron. Their app also works nicely and they finally also support Apple Pay. The other brands seem to lag behind with their tech. Shell and Chevron are plenty around here, so I don't really have a reason to fill anywhere else.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 63
Likes: 16
From: Charlotte, NC
'21 C63S Cabrio, '21 Corvette C8, '18 BMW X5
I try to use top tier gas as much as possible. As a rule I never fill up at a gas station that is getting new gas delivered since all of the sediment at the bottom gets disturbed.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 424
From: Florida
AMG C63s
Believe it or not there's a difference
https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...h-extra-price/
I'm a loyal Exxon guy. Will use Shell if Exxon isn't available
https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/
https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...h-extra-price/
I'm a loyal Exxon guy. Will use Shell if Exxon isn't available
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 702
Likes: 30
From: Leesburg, VA
2017 C63S
This is an interesting thread, for several reasons:
1. If you ask some of the high end tuners, they actually told me NOT to run shell or Sunoco (which at the time was my chosen fuels). Like when Sunoco had 94, that was my go to gas. Maybe if they read this they can chime in why, can't remember if it has to do with blending or what.
2. Ever notice how many times you will see a tanker with little/no markings. I suspect that fuel is going to multiple stations regardless of brand and we are all idiots for thinking fuel is "that" proprietary. Sounds like the making of a 60 minutes clip.......really though, I have often wondered this because what's to say that they don't go from one station to another with the same fuel.
All that said, I NEVER go to a non-major brand for gas, ever.
1. If you ask some of the high end tuners, they actually told me NOT to run shell or Sunoco (which at the time was my chosen fuels). Like when Sunoco had 94, that was my go to gas. Maybe if they read this they can chime in why, can't remember if it has to do with blending or what.
2. Ever notice how many times you will see a tanker with little/no markings. I suspect that fuel is going to multiple stations regardless of brand and we are all idiots for thinking fuel is "that" proprietary. Sounds like the making of a 60 minutes clip.......really though, I have often wondered this because what's to say that they don't go from one station to another with the same fuel.
All that said, I NEVER go to a non-major brand for gas, ever.
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Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,430
Likes: 5,336
From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
This is an interesting thread, for several reasons:
2. Ever notice how many times you will see a tanker with little/no markings. I suspect that fuel is going to multiple stations regardless of brand and we are all idiots for thinking fuel is "that" proprietary. Sounds like the making of a 60 minutes clip.......really though, I have often wondered this because what's to say that they don't go from one station to another with the same fuel.
All that said, I NEVER go to a non-major brand for gas, ever.
2. Ever notice how many times you will see a tanker with little/no markings. I suspect that fuel is going to multiple stations regardless of brand and we are all idiots for thinking fuel is "that" proprietary. Sounds like the making of a 60 minutes clip.......really though, I have often wondered this because what's to say that they don't go from one station to another with the same fuel.
All that said, I NEVER go to a non-major brand for gas, ever.
Last edited by superswiss; Jul 20, 2021 at 07:57 PM.
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Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 336
Likes: 97
From: Houston, TX
2020 AMG GT63s
Super Swiss summed it up but they majors definitely have their own gas. Living in Houston, the oil and gas capitol of the country all of them have their own refineries out here. I believe some of the non traditional companies ie. Walmart, Costco buy their gas from the majors but they don't get some of the same proprietary additives.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 307
Likes: 74
From: New Orleans. LA
amg C63s
I try to avoid the possibility of old gas. Octane 87 purchases far exceed the slow selling 93 octane pumped at stations. I have no reservations using Costco 93 (top tier.) The amount of gas they sell is enormous compared to the other stations here, so no chance of it being old, plus the facilities are new. The cost of Costco premium 93 is about the price of regular 87 gas elsewhere. Here in New Orleans less chance of getting car jacked at the Costco (now with security guards) than at other stations where it happens frequently.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 336
Likes: 97
From: Houston, TX
2020 AMG GT63s
On the other side of this argument you really don't want to fill up when the tanks are low as you're gonna end up with a lot of trash in your tank. If it's pumping slow, it's almost empty.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 702
Likes: 30
From: Leesburg, VA
2017 C63S
The tankers are not owned by the refineries. These are transportation companies that transport the fuel from the refineries to the gas stations. Shell, Chevron etc. have their own refineries. Big Chevron refinery out here in Richmond, CA, not too far from me for example. They might supply some other brands with their fuels, but what you get at a Chevron station is fuel from the Chevron refineries. Their Techron additive is proprietary. Same for Shell. They all make their own blends. Here in California we even have different blends from other states due to different environmental regulations. Not sure what the tuners have against Shell or others, but that's an altogether different can of worms. Tunes make the engines much less tolerant to different fuels and octane levels. That's how they extract more power.
