Quote:
Originally Posted by hoki06
The above quoted comment is false and in fact the exact opposite is true especially for branded fuels. Premium fuel is at minimum higher octane and more often than not has a higher additive treat rate. This is particularly true for branded fuel stations (Shell, Exxon, BP, etc.) where the maingrade 87 octane is a Top Tier treat rate and the premium 93 octane is 1.5x or 2x the Top Tier treat rate.
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I haven't done exhaustive research but casual research (fuel manufacturer websites) suggests otherwise, somewhat in between what the two of us have stated. It does appear that more brand name fuels put higher levels of additives in premium these days (Shell, BP) but others (Texaco, ARCO) claim no such thing (that I've been able to find).
COSTCO claims "Kirkland Signature™ Gasoline contains five times the EPA detergent requirement in both regular unleaded and premium grades".
Summary: I have always recommended Top Tier gasoline as do most vehicle manufacturers and industry experts. However, I am unable to find a single industry expert (other than perhaps the fuel manufacturers themselves) who recommends using a higher octane gasoline than what is recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. The vast majority of industry experts claim it is a waste of money to do so and I agree.