Cars

Top Tier Gasoline is the Only Gas to put in Your Car’s Gas Tank – Drive it Forever

I thought it would be appropriate to start the “Drive it Forever” series with a topic that goes right to the tank – gasoline.

A few years ago, I was reading through some of the Technical Service Bulletins that were available for my vehicle, which is a Chevrolet product.  I noticed several bulletins about something called “Top Tier” gasoline.  This began a journey that converted me from using the “discount” gas station in town (Speedway) to the “Top Tier” gas station in town, Shell.

You need to understand that I am a total cheapskate, so before I was made aware of the benefits of “Top Tier” gasoline, I just went  to whichever discount gas station had the lowest price (as most people tend to do).  Usually I saved a few cents per gallon at the pump by buying the “discount” gas instead of “Top Tier” gasoline, and I was happy with that.  But once I found out that for nearly the same price per gallon I could be keeping my car in better condition and getting better fuel economy I was sold, and I rarely have put “discount” gas in my car since.

What’s the big deal about Top Tier gasoline?
You may be thinking, as I did before, that “gas is gas” and it all comes from basically the same place.  For the large part you are correct.  However, when you purchase gasoline you are purchasing a mixture of products: detergents, gasoline, ethanol, and other additives.  This mixture is so important to understand how the gas will burn in your car.  “Top Tier” gasoline has a level of detergents and additives that has been specified an recommended by six of the world’s top automakers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi. They recognize that the current EPA minimum detergent requirements do not go far enough to ensure optimal engine performance.  When your engine is not performing at its peak, your fuel economy suffers, as does the life of your engine.  GM’s fuel guru, Andrew Buczynsky, endorses Top Tier gasoline saying that “with gas, like almost everything else, you do get what you pay for. Buy cheap fuel, and you risk coating parts of your engine with thick deposits that can dramatically affect your car’s performance.”

The bottom line with Top Tier gasoline is this:  Usually (at the pump) it is the same price or slightly more expensive than “discount gasoline”.  However, it allows your engine to burn fuel more efficiently by being clean and in top shape.  When your engine burns more efficiently, you need less maintenance and you can drive more miles per gallon.  Therefore, “Top Tier” gasoline is smart choice, and will save you money tank after tank.

TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:

  • Costco
  • Chevron
  • Texaco
  • MFA Oil Co.
  • Conoco
  • Phillips 66
  • 76
  • Entec Stations
  • Shell
  • The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
  • Kwik Trip / Kwik Star
  • Aloha Petroleum
  • Tri-Par Oil Co.
  • Turkey Hill Minit Markets
  • Mileage Stations
  • Chevron Canada
  • Shell Canada
  • Petro-Canada
  • Sunoco Canada

Links:
Top Tier Gasoline
Your Car is a Temple, so Put in the Good Stuff

(Photo: midorysu)

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