New AAA Top Tier study. It's worth it.

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Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Costco. Cheaper and super top tier. Use it as often as I can.



My car runs smoother on costco than shell.
 
Costco gasoline is always very well priced and not only are they "Top Tiered" rated but they use 5 times the minimum requirements of additive in their gasoline. Also their additives are added on-site by a dedicated additive tank.
 
Originally Posted By: mcrn
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Costco. Cheaper and super top tier. Use it as often as I can.



My car runs smoother on costco than shell.


Does one have to be a Costco member to fill up at their stations??
 
Originally Posted By: dlayman
I'm lucky if I can just get a name brand, like Sunoco, instead of some unbranded convenience store stuff which is 90% of the market around here unfortunately.


I've got the same issue in my part of Pennsylvania. Sheetz and grocery store brands are the most common. I don't have a top tier brand station within 15 miles, but I do have a Sunoco.
 
Top-tier gasoline costs the same as non-top tier around here. So it makes the decision to use top tier easy for me. I have been filling with Chevron a lot lately with the occasional Phillips branded (76 or Conocco) and for some reason I get slightly better performance from Phillips branded gas but with additional soot on the dual exhaust.
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Costco. Cheaper and super top tier. Use it as often as I can.


Its what I use, the price is great, pays for the Costco subscription fairly quickly. The premium price difference is about 40 cents usually.
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: mcrn
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Costco. Cheaper and super top tier. Use it as often as I can.



My car runs smoother on costco than shell.


Does one have to be a Costco member to fill up at their stations??


Yes you must be a Costco member in order to fill up at their stations.
 
Originally Posted By: novadude
I've got the same issue in my part of Pennsylvania. Sheetz and grocery store brands are the most common. I don't have a top tier brand station within 15 miles, but I do have a Sunoco.


I've noticed this as well when travelling to that part of the state, but, at least the last time I was there a WHILE ago (for the '04 STPR), Wellsboro had an Exxon station along with the no-names.
 
We started using Costco premium in our Versa Note. Yes it takes 91 octane if you read the owners manual closely. Better performance and milage over regular gas. Glad I discovered the fine print about using 87 octane AKI index gas. Well we don't use the AKI method in the states. We use the Research Octane method which the manual does state as being 91 Research Octane for the Versa Note. Costco offers top tier and best price. I just wish it was non-ethanol but oh well.
 
Originally Posted By: dlayman
Why would Top Tier make a difference regarding direct injection, if you're referring to carbon build-up on valves?

Good point.

This AAA study was done on a non-DI engine.
 
Originally Posted By: Jimzz
As said by not saying what gas they used that was a "problem" and the company that licenses "Top Tier" paying for this, I have to call bull on it.


They probably didn't want to get sideways with any brand or chain by saying potentially negative things about them or the fuel they sell-libel is taken seriously by those who stand to make or loose $.

AAA strikes me as impartial and I'm inclined to take seriously their findings, though I wouldn't accept them blindly as gospel.

Paying for specific certifications or licenses is common for oil manufacturers, why shouldn't it be with fuel? Do you know what GM charges for Dexos rights? Etc?
 
Originally Posted By: adamrc
Costco gasoline is always very well priced and not only are they "Top Tiered" rated but they use 5 times the minimum requirements of additive in their gasoline. Also their additives are added on-site by a dedicated additive tank.


I am not disputing your claim on how much they use, it would be nice to see independent confirmation of that. I hear a lot "double the amount" and now your 5X the amount, anecdotally, but no report from anywhere that confirms it. Please provide if you have a link to one. I would actually prefer additives injected into fuel stream as it is loaded on the tanker. The mix would be consistent and uniform. I have tanked fuel in the past, and seen the process as it is streamed into the tanker.

I have no bias about Costco fuel. I am not going to drive 45 miles to the nearest Costco to buy it, even if it is indeed the "best". I am not sold on Costco TT to the point of using several gallons of gas just to go get it.

I have started using a TT gas recently, since my local Farmer's Coop went Cenex and now is TT. I have never asked them about it. I just like getting 4-5 cents a gallon off by having the Coop's fuel card.
 
Some time ago I read an article in their magazine that they send to executive members about their gas. They do install the additives at the delivery. For reasons they didn't list, they wanted to be sure what was put into the gas. Guess they didn't trust the various terminals. They have computerized equipment that does it with each delivery. Their attendants are trained in how to do it. I asked one of them about it and he said when the system went down, they had to do it by hand and it was a real pain because it is so thick. They dial in how much gas they are dumping and it calculates the proper amount of additive. I thought those attendants were just employees there to help [censored] who can't work a pump. Turns out they are trained in all kinds of stuff including safety. They even hand clean each pump every day.
I can understand Tiredtrucker's skepticism but my years of experience with Costco tell me they are anal about their product lines and what is in them. If you were to contact Costco about their gas, I'm sure you would get some information about it.
They go to great lengths to obtain shrimp without any chemicals or bleach on them as an example.
 
Originally Posted By: TiredTrucker
Originally Posted By: adamrc
Costco gasoline is always very well priced and not only are they "Top Tiered" rated but they use 5 times the minimum requirements of additive in their gasoline. Also their additives are added on-site by a dedicated additive tank.


I am not disputing your claim on how much they use, it would be nice to see independent confirmation of that. I hear a lot "double the amount" and now your 5X the amount, anecdotally, but no report from anywhere that confirms it. Please provide if you have a link to one. I would actually prefer additives injected into fuel stream as it is loaded on the tanker. The mix would be consistent and uniform. I have tanked fuel in the past, and seen the process as it is streamed into the tanker.

I have no bias about Costco fuel. I am not going to drive 45 miles to the nearest Costco to buy it, even if it is indeed the "best". I am not sold on Costco TT to the point of using several gallons of gas just to go get it.

I have started using a TT gas recently, since my local Farmer's Coop went Cenex and now is TT. I have never asked them about it. I just like getting 4-5 cents a gallon off by having the Coop's fuel card.


Here is my source - http://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-gasoline.html

And here is another link on their site with some good Q&As - http://www.costco.com/gasoline-q-and-a.html
 
I believe I said independent study, not a Costco link. While the first link does state a 5x additive, the second one doesn't, it only says it meets TT. Again, independent confirmation would be the only way to know. Either way, not buying the product. Not a Costco member and will not drive over 90 miles round trip to the nearest Costco to buy it.
 
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