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Originally Posted by AppleBomb
As everyone is saying on here, octane ratings really dont affect performance in the sense of mpg. It CAN however sometimes feel smoother and cleaner, which brings me to my real point. Higher Octane rated fuel won't necessarily boost your car, CLEANER gas will. Not every station is the same, even if they have the same ratings. Gas stations that are attached to giant department stores are what i would avoid. Private gas and oil companies usually have cleaner and longer lasting fuels, and I would definitely drive the extra couple of miles to keep the gas tank happier. Down here I tend to stick to Shell and Valero down here, sometimes Chevron. When I'm feeling squirrely, I tend to pay a visit to our local VP station.  |
The only real difference is the additive mix. Which the amount has actually gone down since the '95 mandate for minimum additives set by the EPA. The same tanker goes from one station to the next filling their tanks and adding the appropriate additive for that brand.
It is safest to always buy your fuel from a busy station. At a busy station there's less potential for water to condense from the air and settle into half-empty tanks.
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''I can't say one brand is better than another,'' said Dr. Edward Murphy, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group that represents oil companies in Washington. ''Base gas is a freely traded commodity that must meet certain government specifications. It flows through common pipelines into commingled storage tanks.'' What he could say, he added, is that ''the major brands spend R-and-D money on patented additives, which they add to the basic gas.''
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