SUNOCO is back on list for Top Tier gasoline brands

[Zee09]

Sunoco is the highest here by far

 

[AutoMechanic]

Sunoco is the highest here by far

The Sunoco we had here got shut down because they got busted mislabeling the gas on purpose. He also sold racing fuel that was 100 octane no ethanol but come to find out it was really just regular gas so they shut him down unfortunately me and my dad got ripped off too many times. It’s an Exxon station now.

 

[Zee09]

The Sunoco we had here got shut down because they got busted mislabeling the gas on purpose. He also sold racing fuel that was 100 octane no ethanol but come to find out it was really just regular gas so they shut him down unfortunately me and my dad got ripped off too many times. It’s an Exxon station now.

That is risky business.....

 

[AutoMechanic]

That is risky business.....

I totally agree with you Jim it sure is. He got busted because someone turned him in because he let the word get out.

 

[jimbrewer]

Me: I have no idea what percentage of the gas-buying-public has any idea of fuel quality beyond price hierarchy.
If T.T. thinks people are going to see the small "Top Tier" stickers on some gas pumps, they're dreaming.

I feel a big petroleum company wouldn't want to introduce any quality authority higher than they. Ergo, Top Tier Inc. has to promote itself.
It's clumsy. A lab which is hired by petroleum companies measures beneficial additive levels and lists approved brands.

I predict that there'll be a run of Top Tier commercials during car race pre and post shows this year. Maybe they'll stress the importance of fueling your car well during this slow driving time.

 

[4WD]

We have two Stripes with Sunoco gas … two of three largest convenience stores but the Exxon always has more folks at the pump. Just out of town is a Shell getting lots of freeway business …

 

[jimbrewer]

I dunno. When I read the manual of my new Ford in 2012 it was clear from the text that they were way more concerned about fuel quality than oil. For the oil they just said make sure it meets Ford standard WS whatever.

They didn’t mention “Top-Tier” by name (meaning they didn’t take a bribe to promote it) but in every other respect they made it clear that’s what they meant.

I just wish they would update the government regulations from 1984, recognize that 100% of ICE cars are fuel injected and be done with it.

 

[JustinH]

I dunno. When I read the manual of my new Ford in 2012 it was clear from the text that they were way more concerned about fuel quality than oil. For the oil they just said make sure it meets Ford standard WS whatever.

They didn’t mention “Top-Tier” by name (meaning they didn’t take a bribe to promote it) but in every other respect they made it clear that’s what they meant.

I just wish they would update the government regulations from 1984, recognize that 100% of ICE cars are fuel injected and be done with it.

Ford used to put "recommend BP fuel" printed right on the gas cap of every car for a few years about 10 years ago.

Our Hyundai says "recommend Quaker state oil or Shell Helix" under the hood.

More marketing than anything?

 

[AutoMechanic]

I dunno. When I read the manual of my new Ford in 2012 it was clear from the text that they were way more concerned about fuel quality than oil. For the oil they just said make sure it meets Ford standard WS whatever.

They didn’t mention “Top-Tier” by name (meaning they didn’t take a bribe to promote it) but in every other respect they made it clear that’s what they meant.

I just wish they would update the government regulations from 1984, recognize that 100% of ICE cars are fuel injected and be done with it.

My 2008 Ford says on the cap “Ford recommends BP Gasoline”

 

[Tdbo]

I dunno man, seems kind of smart to me what they did. Driving was way down in 2020 so the left Top Tier. Driving has been increasing in 2021 so they rejoined. Seems to make fiscal sense to me.

Fiscally, they saved some bucks.
From an optics perspective, not a positive image enhancer.

 

[odie]

Used GULF in the past with good results . VALERO 90 non E is our preference . 89 with E5 on occasion . HYUNDAI and HONDA suggest Top Tier in their owners manual .

 

[Hall]

Ford used to put "recommend BP fuel" printed right on the gas cap of every car for a few years about 10 years ago.

Then there was that huge oil spill/leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

Our Hyundai says "recommend Quaker state oil or Shell Helix" under the hood.

More marketing than anything?

It's absolutely marketing. Hyundai most certainly solicited bids to see which motor oil company would pay them the most. Same reason Ford referred to BP for fuel.

 

[y_p_w]

Then there was that huge oil spill/leak in the Gulf of Mexico.


It's absolutely marketing. Hyundai most certainly solicited bids to see which motor oil company would pay them the most. Same reason Ford referred to BP for fuel.

Deoends on the company I guess. Most seem to recommend their manufacturer branded motor oils these days, even though their suppliers and formulations will change over time.

My dad drove a Mercedes turbodiesel in the 80s. They had a list of approved motor oils by brand and viscosity on a sheet placed in the owners manual jacket cover. Don't recall everything there, but it was mostly a bunch of common brands like PYB as well as some that were hard to come by in the US such as Duckhams. Not sure how that changed over the years as most passenger car motor oils we no longer suitable for light-duty diesel engines starting around the late 90s.

 

[TiGeo]

I'm just glad Costco has Top Tier...$2.74 for 93 here in VA yesterday!

 

[SkulltulaHouse]

Really the only top tier places in my area is Shell and BP. Don’t have a Sunoco or Gulf or anything like that. Besides the Shell and BP we have Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, BJ’s, Sheetz, GB, Citgo, Valero, Speedway and probably a few more that I’m missing but we mostly get gas at Kroger or Sam’s or BJ’s because the premium is always cheaper than everywhere else.

To be clear, Citgo and Valero are top tier for gasoline. not sure if you were saying they're not, or they're just not as common around you as Shell/BP

 

[AutoMechanic]

To be clear, Citgo and Valero are top tier for gasoline. not sure if you were saying they're not, or they're just not as common around you as Shell/BP

I wasn’t aware that Valero was. All the Valero stations are shady so I don’t know if I trust them or not. Citgo I was aware of I must of forgot to list it in the top tier list.

 

[Hall]

Most seem to recommend their manufacturer branded motor oils these days, even though their suppliers and formulations will change over time.

Very few automakers actually require anything special when it comes to oil, it seems.

FWIW, the owners manual for Ford Mondeo (Fusions in the US) - at least the manual for Ireland - endorse Castrol oils. The wording was along the lines of "Ford designed this engine and tested it with Castrol engine oil...".

 

[Hall]

Citgo and Valero are top tier for gasoline

All the Valero stations are shady so I don’t know if I trust them or not.

Unless my car was sputtering out of gas and I was only able to roll into a Valero station, at least for almost all of them around here, I'd never get fuel from them. Shady is exactly right for the ones around here. "Valero" just seems to be a brand that almost any station operator can pay a license fee to put up a "Valero" sign.

 

[y_p_w]

Very few automakers actually require anything special when it comes to oil, it seems.

FWIW, the owners manual for Ford Mondeo (Fusions in the US) - at least the manual for Ireland - endorse Castrol oils. The wording was along the lines of "Ford designed this engine and tested it with Castrol engine oil...".

Depends. GM always had that weird standard with the Corvette. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and any number of European car companies have these oddball standards, although they're not impossible to meet. The specialty oil for TDI PD was really weird.

Unless my car was sputtering out of gas and I was only able to roll into a Valero station, at least for almost all of them around here, I'd never get fuel from them. Shady is exactly right for the ones around here. "Valero" just seems to be a brand that almost any station operator can pay a license fee to put up a "Valero" sign.

Valero is not Valero any more since they spun off the retail brand. I think it's now owned by a Canadian company. But they do have standards for fuel detergent when they went Top Tier. Before that the brand name was just attached to any commodity fuel with an EPA minimum standard detergent.

 

[Creekside]

I fuel at our local co-op, they have 24/7 pumps and there’s usually not even a building. Just a card kiosk where you select pump number. I have never focused on TT gas and never had a problem. Bought a bunch at Loves and Pilot stops the last couple weekends as I’ve been running to Oklahoma to buy a low boy trailer.