[Josh4291]

So I was reading that Top Tier gas is better for your car in the long run but how do i find a station near me (columbia SC) that is a Top Tier station and is it really worth going to them over filling up wherever is cheapest (if its even more expensive).

I hear some people say that they go buy ethanol free gas and its amazing because they get better gas mileage and all of this other stuff. Where I am I can get 91 octane for 3.61 a gallon and the ethanol free gas is 4.50 at least a gallon. Is it worth it??

Overall i just want to know what is the best gas to put into my car period. 2013 1.4t 2lt with a k&n sri

 

[Patman]

Check out this website Top Tier Gasoline

 

[Dragonsys]

Yes Top Tier is worth the extra cost. I cannot get E0 around here, but I know the one time I did find and use it, it was about 75 cents more than E10, but I gained around 10-15MPG from it.

 

[spacedout]

Sure you might get better MPG under ideal situations with no ethanol fuel, but in mixed driving its pretty hard to verify. My cruze runs much better on fuel with 10% ethanol than without, best way to describe it is smoother power across the RPM range.

At almost $1 a gallon there is no way you would gain enough MPG to make it worth while, I bet it would just increase your cost per mile.

 

[Dragonsys]

Sure you might get better MPG under ideal situations with no ethanol fuel, but in mixed driving its pretty hard to verify. My cruze runs much better on fuel with 10% ethanol than without, best way to describe it is smoother power across the RPM range.

At almost $1 a gallon there is no way you would gain enough MPG to make it worth while, I bet it would just increase your cost per mile.

I agree. I think E0 would be worth it on a long trip (90% highway), but for running around town/normal trips probably not. However, Top Tier is, since it usually only varies by a few cents.

 

[spacedout]

I agree. I think E0 would be worth it on a long trip (90% highway), but for running around town/normal trips probably not. However, Top Tier is, since it usually only varies by a few cents.

From my testing this is exactly right. On 90% highway trips with E10 I never top 40mpg with my 1lt auto. With 91E0 I have no problem getting above 40mpg, even with some mix of city. All my high MPG fill ups in my fuelly logs are on 91E0 fuel.

This weekend I took 140 mile trip(75% highway) on 91E0. I topped off at the same pump when I returned at got 41mpg! Gas was $4.03 a gallon but at that MPG my cost for the trip was only $13.75, Not bad for an automatic cruze!

 

[GM Master Tech]

If the engine is tuned it will make the most power on 93 octane E10.The alcohol content suppresses spark knock and allows more spark advance to be maintained.And yes top tier gas is by far the best. I run nothing but shell Vpower 93 E10 it runs between 3.80 to 4 bucks a gallon here in mass

 

[Dragonsys]

I run nothing but shell Vpower 93 E10 it runs between 3.80 to 4 bucks a gallon here in mass

Me too, due to Shell having the best prices. I'm paying between 4.00-4.30 a gallon here

 

[spacedout]

Me too, due to Shell having the best prices. I'm paying between 4.00-4.30 a gallon here

Shell has some of the worst prices in my area, also the least stations. Then there is the fact that most stations here do not offer 93E10, only 91E0. I was able to get 93E10 from a local Mobil station but last spring they switched to 91E0 as well. Last week(a year later) when I stopped I see they have new pumps that offer both premium grades, just like this Shell station I found last year.

 

[jblackburn]

Yes Top Tier is worth the extra cost. I cannot get E0 around here, but I know the one time I did find and use it, it was about 75 cents more than E10, but I gained around 10-15MPG from it.

10-15?!? I got like 2. Not worth it.

Shell is ridiculously overpriced here - I tend to stick to Exxon or BP. Even though Costco recently got certified, my car hates Costco gas.

 

[GM Master Tech]

I am sure any top tier 93 E10 should be about as good as shell Vpower.The shell station is less than a mile from me so it works out well.Plus 2 test samples of shell Vpower i tested showed 11 and 12% alcohol content. I do LIKE that !!!!!!!!!!!!! Power up !!!!!!

 

[Dragonsys]

10-15?!? I got like 2. Not worth it.

Shell is ridiculously overpriced here - I tend to stick to Exxon or BP. Even though Costco recently got certified, my car hates Costco gas.

Yep, went from 45-50mpg to 60mpg. This was 99% highway with no traffic.

 

[BradSt]

Yep, went from 45-50mpg to 60mpg. This was 99% highway with no traffic.

Those numbers just don't add up. There is only about a 2% difference in energy content between E0 and E10. There had to be something else at play there.

 

[jblackburn]

Those numbers just don't add up. There is only about a 2% difference in energy content between E0 and E10. There had to be something else at play there.

Exactly. There's no way 10% ethanol would account for that kinda loss.

 

[spacedout]

There is only about a 2% difference in energy content between E0 and E10.

From all the testing I have done I see a 2-6mpg increase with 91E0 vs 93E10, the more highway with less stop and go the more apparent the increase is.

 

[McNeo]

Definitely go with Top Tier. It's usually the same price as non-Top tier, just need to go to stations that have it.

In order to be labeled "Top Tier" ALL stations that carry the name and ALL grades have to be Top Tier. I usually go to Holiday, for example. If one is Top Tier, they're all Top Tier, so it's easy to know, find, and recognize.

As for ethanol free - I get e-free from BP (also Top Tier) and I do get better MPG, but not quite enough to pay for itself. So I do get a few more miles but it's still ultimately more expensive per mile. BUT, I have seen better throttle response and the engine seems to run smoother.

Stock tune 1.4T here.

 

[Psychomidgit]

Holiday must be better in MN, in AK it's no better than Tesoro. I've stuck to Shell and Chevron here and it's done me well. Too bad I can't get 91 or 93 here though. :sad:

 

[spacedout]

Too bad I can't get 91 or 93 here though. :sad:

What octane is available?

 

[MamaCruze]

how do you know if the gas is E0?

 

[jblackburn]

how do you know if the gas is E0?