Are Shell/Exxon better than other Top Tier gasolines?

[Japanese]

where in ChicagoLand are you finding 93 octane fuel without ethanol...???

Majority of the gas stations in Chicagoland offer 87, 89, and 93 octane. I just double checked the other day. Usually there is a sticker above or below 87 and 89 for 10% ethanol, but not for 93. I'll post pictures in a few days.
It's been like that forever, unless recently some gas stations started having 10% ethanol in the 93 too.

 

[silversport]

not in my experience... https://www.pure-gas.org/

Bill

 

[odie]

This old video shows SHELL and EXXON with level of detergents . Not sure if these results for the 87 regular and Premium ( 92 + 93 ) still apply to their gasolines or the other brands levels of detergent in the video . Wish someone would do this again to see if the same , less or better .



87 REGULAR results start at 2:07 and the PREMIUM at 4:17 .

 

[odie]

I believe SUNOCO claims the 94 w/E10 is similar to their racing fuel at their site which contains high detergent(s) . SUNOCO gasoline is on the Top Tier list for the U.S.A.. I use(d) the 91 w/E10 and 94 w/E10 for both '25 Souls with the M.P.I. after the 1st dealer fill . Usually alternate the 91 and 94 . May go to the SUNOCO 89 w/E10 and the 91w/E10 with colder days ahead .

 

[3GTL300k]

Majority of the gas stations in Chicagoland offer 87, 89, and 93 octane. I just double checked the other day. Usually there is a sticker above or below 87 and 89 for 10% ethanol, but not for 93. I'll post pictures in a few days.
It's been like that forever, unless recently some gas stations started having 10% ethanol in the 93 too.

I live in the area and I'm pretty sure all grades are 10% ethanol

 

[odie]

This old video shows SHELL and EXXON with level of detergents . Not sure if these results for the 87 regular and Premium ( 92 + 93 ) still apply to their gasolines or the other brands levels of detergent in the video . Wish someone would do this again to see if the same , less or better .



87 REGULAR results start at 2:07 and the PREMIUM at 4:17 .

Forgot to place HIGHEST amounts of detergents for SHELL and EXXON in the video for both regular and premium .

 

[MrkofXcellence]

Years and years ago I questioned how Exxon is any different from say Lil' Cricket Premium Plus. And an Exxon retailer said ah young grasshopper have a seat and I will tell you the background of unleaded gasoline, going back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Net net is there "IS" a difference between brands.

My question was that if I see Goodman Tank Lines, or Lee Transport, at Costco which is top tier, and also at Wawa which is not, how can gasoline possibly be different, it's a sham, right? Like those super absorbant all purpose wash cloths?

The answer was no, they are not all the same. Only a couple of retail brands actually refine the gasoline, Sunoco being one. The rest get the gasoline from the terminal, and, are given their own proprietary shots of additives. So the tanker you saw filling up Costco, is not headed to BJ's next. The former is branded, the latter is unbranded. he said just him, he would stay away from unbranded gasoline (how many times have we heard that all the customers over x and x weekend had their vehicles damaged by y and z retailers).

There is some chance that Exxon and Mobil and/or Shell are better. But I'm good with Costco which is cheaper and top tier, and I figure a problem is gonna affect a ton of cars and one is going to see it on the news. I know when I got my BMW in Dec. 2006, I mentioned that I filled at Costco and the forum said I don't deserve a BMW. The forum was all V Power hogwashed. They stopped saying that when Costco went top tier. The end.

it's not like
View attachment 302412

One thing I would add, that I figured out a while ago which was an "aha" moment, is that those tankers have multiple compartments, and its not just high octane/low octane. So to cloud the issue further, even if you see the same tanker stopping at multiple establishments, it doesn't mean these establishments are getting the same fuel.

 

[dubber09]

As a commuter driver I never noticed big differences between top brands of gas. I use regular 87 octane, 89 does pretty much nothing to my cars. I used to get gas in US for many years but now since COVID travel restrictions not anymore. Incidentally, I discovered that I like Canadian gas in general better, engines always run smoother and I get very little but measurable increase in gas mileage. I normally gas up at either Petro Canada or Chevron as their gas is top notch, and I get some money back thru their programs. If Shell has a good points deal I would use them too. Petro Canada currently runs a deal where one gets $5 back with every 25L fill which makes it a great deal.

 

[Patman]

As a commuter driver I never noticed big differences between top brands of gas. I use regular 87 octane, 89 does pretty much nothing to my cars. I used to get gas in US for many years but now since COVID travel restrictions not anymore. Incidentally, I discovered that I like Canadian gas in general better, engines always run smoother and I get very little but measurable increase in gas mileage. I normally gas up at either Petro Canada or Chevron as their gas is top notch, and I get some money back thru their programs. If Shell has a good points deal I would use them too. Petro Canada currently runs a deal where one gets $5 back with every 25L fill which makes it a great deal.

There have been some very good deals lately when you use your Triangle rewards card at Canadian Tire or Petro Canada. In the past month I’ve gotten $35 in CT money that way, almost enough for a free jug of oil
Shell great deals on their app as well, that’s what I have been putting in my Corvette most of the time. I have been getting 7 cents a liter discount all year on Shell 93 and have gotten $170 worth of free gas from the Air Miles deals at Shell.

 

[dubber09]

Yep, I use Triangle, Petro Canada, Journey and Air Miles programs all the time, whichever gives me best deal at time of filling up.

 

[Patman]

Yep, I use Triangle, Petro Canada, Journey and Air Miles programs all the time, whichever gives me best deal at time of filling up.

There’s something so satisfying about getting free gas

 

[y_p_w]

One thing I would add, that I figured out a while ago which was an "aha" moment, is that those tankers have multiple compartments, and its not just high octane/low octane. So to cloud the issue further, even if you see the same tanker stopping at multiple establishments, it doesn't mean these establishments are getting the same fuel.

I don't believe the same tanker is likely to stop at multiple gas stations on a single run. That's not usually the way they work unless maybe it's a delivery to a remote area of "unbranded" gasoline to several small stations. I haven't seen a truck with more than two trailers, where I could see the seam where one trailer's tank had two compartments. There have been drivers making comments here noting that they would have a delivery to one station. Now I do remember mention of what happens if a truck inadvertently can't drop its entire fuel load because of a miscalculation in tank capacity. They apparently have to rush to find someone willing to accept the load before they can do anything else. Probably a pretty intense blame game, although I would think the driver can only do what is assigned.

But the same fuel transporter could be done with one delivery and then go back for more loads in the same equipment. I think that was the idea of the comment you were responding to. People see the name of the transport company thinking they must be transporting the same gas to everyone. It may very well be the same base fuel from the same fuel depot, but legally the trade-secret additives are what makes it Shell, Chevron, etc.

The fuel industry can be really convoluted. Shell has sold off all of its California refineries and don't operate a single refinery that produces California RFG. But they operate lots of gas stations and have a logistics terminal that stores/blends fuel that they buy/trade from other refineries. But they certainly don't make the base fuel any more for distribution to California gas stations.

 

[Japanese]

where in ChicagoLand are you finding 93 octane fuel without ethanol...???

Usually there is a sticker above or below 87 and 89 for 10% ethanol, but not for 93. I'll post pictures in a few days.

Hi everyone,
I took the time to stop at random gas stations in my area, even some stations I never fill up at.
All station offer 87, 89, and 93. Haven't seen any 91 around. The first three stations are within a miles and the last one is 10 miles away.

You can see on the images that some have 10% ethanol, but looks like some don't and those have sticker Top Tier.
So I was wrong for saying 93 octane has no ethanol, but it looks like Top Tier gas station has all three grades with no ethanol.

Arco (Top Tier sticker above the keypad by CC info) - I didn't see any sticker for 10% ethanol
Shell (Top Tier sticker by the hose b/w 89 and 93 grade) - I didn't see any sticker for 10% ethanol
BP - all grades have 10% ethanol
Amoco - all grades have 10% ethanol

 

[f355spider]

Top Tier+ was announced 11 months ago and to be launched in 2025...but crickets. I wonder what the hold up is?

https://www.toptiergas.com/2024/11/...ew-gasoline-and-diesel-performance-standards/

 

[KnappAttak]

BP and Amoco use what they call Invigorate as their detergent package. They are both supposed to be far better than the Top Tier requirements. As I recall from independent testing results a few years back, they are right up there with Shell's very level of high detergents. They do not pay to be part of the Top Tier program and on their list of fuels, they quit that some years ago.

 

[Japanese]

They are both supposed to be far better than the Top Tier requirements. They do not pay to be part of the Top Tier program and on their list of fuels, they quit that some years ago.

I always thought the same. I used to fill up always at BP long time ago. Now I fill up wherever is the cheapest.
However, from the images above it looks like those particular Arco and Shell gas stations offer ethanol free fuel. There is no 10% ethanol sticker on the fuel pump.

 

[KnappAttak]

I always thought the same. I use to fill up always at BP long time ago. Now I fill up wherever is the cheapest.
However, from the images above it looks like those particular Arco and Shell gas stations offer ethanol free fuel. There is no 10% ethanol sticker on the fuel pump.

Our local BP station also has 91 ethanol free I use in the small engines. I use their 93 octane with ethanol in my Audis and my 320 HP turbocharged snowmobile. I try to use BP & Amoco whenever I can because of the Invigorate detergent.

 

[silversport]

https://www.pure-gas.org/

interesting that the pure gas website lists zero pure gas stations in the 708 and 312 area codes...if you are able to find gasoline without ethanol in ChicagoLand good work...

Bill

 

[BC1]

Those stickers do not align with requirements. Top Tier mandates 8% to 10% ethanol.

https://www.toptiergas.com/wp-conte...asoline_Performance_Standard_revF_2019-12.pdf

 

[y_p_w]

BP and Amoco use what they call Invigorate as their detergent package. They are both supposed to be far better than the Top Tier requirements. As I recall from independent testing results a few years back, they are right up there with Shell's very level of high detergents. They do not pay to be part of the Top Tier program and on their list of fuels, they quit that some years ago.

I have no doubt BP uses a detergent additive that still exceeds Top Tier’s testing requirements, but choose not to participate now after they did for several years. I recall that BMW used to recommend them by name before they participated. But there are two additives named Invigorate, both made by BASF.

https://www3.epa.gov/otaq/fuels1/ffars/web-detrg.htm

Basf Corporation

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Invigorate 1 (National Generic Certification)

Invigorate 3.0 (National Generic Certification)

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