Sigh. What a frustrating discussion based on no facts whatsoever. Talk about hype - it's total internet hype that "there's no difference between gas brands". What an irony for those of you say that, yet fall for an obvious marketing meme to say something else is "just marketing".
If that were true, why did you buy a Genesis, if not falling for marketing campaigns?? There are better cars available for whatever your interests are, right? There are faster, or more economical, or more luxurious, or more exotic cars out there. Or is that all just marketing, and there's no difference whatsoever in engineering and design of any car? Your argument is that all technology and engineering is totally blandly the same exact stuff. So, a Kia Rio is the same exact thing in all aspects as a Genesis 5.0 R-Spec, since it's pure marketing to think otherwise??
Just like there's a difference between cars, there's a difference between brands, grades and blends of gas, and those differences are in their additives. Where else would they be?? Top brands like Shell and Chevron and others spend big money on chemical engineering R&D, and it's reflected in their superior additive packages. This, and how the gas is handled through their network is what makes a batch of gas "Top Tier", average, or just crap. These are facts, guys. Yes, the top brands also spend big money on marketing, but it's a fool's fallacy to assume marketing is automatically false, or worse, that those of us who know about these differences from decades of experience are merely fooled by marketers. Personally, I base my claims on hard experience with many vehicles and the hard experience of a lot of people I've known, not slick advertising or internet hype. I've run just about every gas brand there is in North America, and my vehicles respond differently to them.
If you don't notice these differences, it doesn't mean they aren't there, but you're probably comparing two types that are very similar (like mid-range and regular of the same brand), or driving in a way that wouldn't matter (ie. slow, short commutes). Again, cheapo lawnmower gas from Skippy's Stop-n-Go will run in your precious prized Genesis just fine and you can pat yourself on the back that you saved a few bucks at the pump on a fill-up. Yet, you're totally fooling yourself if you presume there is no difference between Skippy's crap and the Shell-Chevron-Exxon good stuff across the street. The money you "saved" will be spent later on more cheap gas due to lower mileage, and spent again eventually on repairs to your fuel system, if you keep cars for the long haul. If you keep a car for a year or two, you're just passing the problem to someone else, which is really more of an ethical problem on your part.
If you've ever scene an actual fuel distribution center, all the tankers fill up at the same depots. Very few brands have dedicated depots. Yes, the bigger brands do, but they often resell to the generics too...it's simple supply & demand.
