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I've found "Premium Gasoline" to usually be a rip-off

glen
22 Posts
#1 · December 14, 2024, 7:07 am

After a few years of buying Premium (93 octane) gasoline all over the country, my experience is that it's not worth the expense.   I run a 3.5 liter 2015 Ecoboost (dual turbocharged) engine to tow a 3500-lb load.  Carefully monitoring MPG and boost levels going up similar hills, I'm able to see how different sources of 93-octane gas perform. I've tested 93-octane gas from MANY sources, like Shell, Loves, Flying J, Murphy, Casey, BP, Speedway, Allsup, and many others.

Here's my findings (all are 93-octane fuel):

  1. No single gas chain offers consistent quality/performance - it seems all storage tanks hold fuel at various conditions of degradation
    • The octane level of fuel is not regulated at the source - the seller does not have any validated instrument proving the octane they are actually delivering at that pump
    • I suspect some stations are selling 87-octane fuel claiming it is 93, whether they know it or not (perhaps their delivery person loaded the wrong fuel in the tank)
  2. I have run 87-octane fuel that peforms the same as 93-octane fuel from other sources
  3. I have run 91-octane fuel that performs better than 93-octane fuel from other sources
  4. There is a slight trend that buying fuel from busier stations gives better results than from stations that refill their storage tanks less often
  5. fuel containing alcohol has less energy density than fuel without.  This is simple chemistry.  So MPG with alcohol should always be less.
    • inexpensive octane-measuring devices sold on eBay and Amazon cannot be used in fuels containing alcohol, per their manufacturer - the readings are thrown off
  6. The 50% markup of 93-octane (eg. $2 fuel vs $3) should relate to a 50% increase in MPG to be worth the cost.  This is absolutely not the case, in my experience.  At best, I have only seen a 15% improvement in MPG with a good 93-octane fuel.
  7. In my case, using 93-octane fuel was optional - my vehicle manufacturer doesn't state it is required.
  8. I suspect this market situation is ripe for a class-action lawsuit, as many consumers have been deceived for years...

Here is another article simlar to my findings.

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