What the best gas for V8, 4.6

[martyk]

I have a new 2012 V8, 4.6 Genesis, and would like know what the best gas to use.

 

[Mark_888]

The 4.6 runs on regular or on premium for a bit more horsepower (and very slightly more MPG). Obviously, you can also use mid-grade, although it might be less fresh than the others since it does not sell as much, and the fresher the gas the better.

If you are talking about which brands, my opinion is as follows in order of preference:

1. Chevron
2. Shell
3. ExxonMobil (Exxon or Mobil)
4. BP

 

[hwks1]

Premium but you can use regular. The cost difference isn't a deciding factor. Do the math... it costs $10-$15 more per month assuming you drive 1000 miles month and depending on the price differential - usually $.20gal

 

[hwks1]

...If you are talking about which brands, my opinion is as follows in order of preference:

1. Chevron
2. Shell
3. ExxonMobil (Exxon or Mobil)
4. BP

If its available where you live. QuikTrip is the cheapest and is rated as Top Tier: QuikTrip Guaranteed Gasoline with IQ has been recognized and approved by General Motors, Toyota, BMW, Honda, Volkswagen, and Audi as a Top Tier Detergent Gasoline.

http://www.quiktrip.com/Guaranteed-Gasoline

 

[TJPark01]

The 4.6 runs on regular or on premium for a bit more horsepower (and very slightly more MPG). Obviously, you can also use mid-grade, although it might be less fresh than the others since it does not sell as much, and the fresher the gas the better.

If you are talking about which brands, my opinion is as follows in order of preference:

1. Chevron
2. Shell
3. ExxonMobil (Exxon or Mobil)
4. BP

I only use Chevron or Shell. Couldn't tell a difference between 87 & 91 in terms of power or mileage. Sticking with 87.

 

[homeofstone]

Here is part of an article regarding brands of gas. They are all about the same.

"Oil companies spend lots of money explaining why their gas is better than the competition s. Chevron s gas, for example, is fortified with Techron, and Amoco Ultimate is supposed to save the planet along with your engine. But today more than ever, one gallon of gas is as good as the next.

True, additives help to clean your engine, but what the companies don t tell you is that all gas has them. Since 1994 the government has required that detergents be added to all gasoline to help prevent fuel injectors from clogging. State and local regulators keep a close watch to make sure those standards are met; a 2005 study indicated that Florida inspectors checked 45,000 samples to ensure the state s gas supply was up to snuff, and 99 percent of the time it was. There s little difference between brand-name gas and any other, says AAA spokesperson Geoff Sundstrom.

What s more, your local Chevron station may sell gas refined by Shell or Exxon Mobil. Suppliers share pipelines, so they all use the same fuel. And the difference between the most expensive brand-name gas and the lowliest gallon of no-brand fuel? Often just a quart of detergent added to an 8,000-gallon tanker truck."

 

[Junkie49]

The 4.6 runs on regular or on premium for a bit more horsepower (and very slightly more MPG). Obviously, you can also use mid-grade, although it might be less fresh than the others since it does not sell as much, and the fresher the gas the better.

If you are talking about which brands, my opinion is as follows in order of preference:

1. Chevron
2. Shell
3. ExxonMobil (Exxon or Mobil)
4. BP

I owned/managed gas station and gonna clarify few things that came up. The brand of gas doesn't really matter. Also price of gas that comes in does not differ between store brand since there are few if not only one gas distributor in an area.
About the mid grade not being fresh... Well guess what. There is no additional tank solely for mid grade. Which means mid grade just mix regular and premium 50/50 to sell as mid grade.
Also about old gas. Unless you go to unpopular gas station(store that you never see anyone buying gas there). There are no time for gas to go bad. Normally you order a truckload (8000 gal) once or twice a week for regular, once or twice a month for prem.
My word of advice about filling up. Avoid very cheap gas station or very very old gas station (cracked concrete, rusted dispenser etc). They are cutting costs in maintaining the tank (must be replaced after 20-40 years), pump or dispenser. Exception is sams club, costco and bjs etc since they cut costs by buying gas in bulk volume.

 

[Mark_888]

Here is part of an article regarding brands of gas. They are all about the same.

"Oil companies spend lots of money explaining why their gas is better than the competition s. Chevron s gas, for example, is fortified with Techron, and Amoco Ultimate is supposed to save the planet along with your engine. But today more than ever, one gallon of gas is as good as the next.

True, additives help to clean your engine, but what the companies don t tell you is that all gas has them. Since 1994 the government has required that detergents be added to all gasoline to help prevent fuel injectors from clogging. State and local regulators keep a close watch to make sure those standards are met; a 2005 study indicated that Florida inspectors checked 45,000 samples to ensure the state s gas supply was up to snuff, and 99 percent of the time it was. There s little difference between brand-name gas and any other, says AAA spokesperson Geoff Sundstrom.

What s more, your local Chevron station may sell gas refined by Shell or Exxon Mobil. Suppliers share pipelines, so they all use the same fuel. And the difference between the most expensive brand-name gas and the lowliest gallon of no-brand fuel? Often just a quart of detergent added to an 8,000-gallon tanker truck."

Yes, the base stock for gas is usually the same in a given locality, since there are only one or a few local refineries in any one area. It has nothing to do with pipelines, since only crude oil is carried by pipelines (not talking about natural gas, etc).

However, it is the additives in gas that make a difference, and each brand has its own additives. Some are better than others IMO.

It is true that most brands of gas now meet the "top tier" requirements, but when the standards first came out, very few brands passed the top tier test. So I am sticking with those brands that passed the top tier requirement before it became popular, and that probably exceed the requirements by a comfortable factor and have greater quality control over retail operators (who may be incented to cheat on where they get their gas additives from). But I agree that the margin of difference "may" not be significant. As I mentioned in another thread, if the government ever did impose European style taxes on gas that doubled the price, you would see a lot more cheating and more black-market gas.

Chevron in particular has sort of cult following due to stories about auto manufacturers preferring it for their EPA testing. One story going around is that Ford actually trucked in some Chevron to Detroit to do their EPA tests, since Chevron is not sold locally in that area. One problem with all these stories (and all the stuff quoted in this thread about testing that has been conducted on gas) is that these stories are usually a bit dated, some as much as 15 or more years old.

 

[Mark_888]

Here is part of an article regarding brands of gas. They are all about the same.

"Oil companies spend lots of money explaining why their gas is better than the competition s. Chevron s gas, for example, is fortified with Techron, and Amoco Ultimate is supposed to save the planet along with your engine. But today more than ever, one gallon of gas is as good as the next.

True, additives help to clean your engine, but what the companies don t tell you is that all gas has them. Since 1994 the government has required that detergents be added to all gasoline to help prevent fuel injectors from clogging. State and local regulators keep a close watch to make sure those standards are met; a 2005 study indicated that Florida inspectors checked 45,000 samples to ensure the state s gas supply was up to snuff, and 99 percent of the time it was. There s little difference between brand-name gas and any other, says AAA spokesperson Geoff Sundstrom."

The Top Tier standards were started by auto manufacturers (BMW, GM, Honda, and Toyota in 2004) because the government regulations where not strict enough for their own requirements in keeping engines clean. It was based on studies done by BMW that showed only a few top brands did well keeping engines clean on the BMW 100,000 mile (simulated) engine test. So I would completely discount the above explanation.

 

[homeofstone]

Yes, the base stock for gas is usually the same in a given locality, since there are only one or a few local refineries in any one area. It has nothing to do with pipelines, since only crude oil is carried by pipelines (not talking about natural gas, etc).

However, it is the additives in gas that make a difference, and each brand has its own additives. Some are better than others IMO.

It is true that most brands of gas now meet the "top tier" requirements, but when the standards first came out, very few brands passed the top tier test. So I am sticking with those brands that passed the top tier requirement before it became popular, and that probably exceed the requirements by a comfortable factor and have greater quality control over retail operators (who may be incented to cheat on where they get their gas additives from). But I agree that the margin of difference "may" not be significant. As I mentioned in another thread, if the government ever did impose European style taxes on gas that doubled the price, you would see a lot more cheating and more black-market gas.

Chevron in particular has sort of cult following due to stories about auto manufacturers preferring it for their EPA testing. One story going around is that Ford actually trucked in some Chevron to Detroit to do their EPA tests, since Chevron is not sold locally in that area. One problem with all these stories (and all the stuff quoted in this thread about testing that has been conducted on gas) is that these stories are usually a bit dated, some as much as 15 or more years old.

I just confirmed with our local fuel depot that all gasoline and diesel to our local distribution facility does indeed come through large pipelines and pumped into large storage tanks. Each brand (company) draws gasoline from the tanks and adds their additives at the time a truck is filled for deliveries to stations. Mid grade is nothing more than a 50/50 mix of reg and prem. as stated earlier.

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[TJPark01]

Mid grade is nothing more than a 50/50 mix of reg and prem. as stated earlier.

That is my understanding as well, as many stations are space constrained and it's cost prohibitive to have another tank to house midgrade.

 

[Mark_888]

I just confirmed with our local fuel depot that all gasoline and diesel to our local distribution facility does indeed come through large pipelines and pumped into large storage tanks. Each brand (company) draws gasoline from the tanks and adds their additives at the time a truck is filled for deliveries to stations. Mid grade is nothing more than a 50/50 mix of reg and prem. as stated earlier.

You are absolutely correct that petroleum products such as gasoline is transported via pipelines in many cases, but I was referring to "common carrier" pipelines where the pipeline company is different than the product owner, as is the case for crude oil and natural gas.

However, I may be wrong about petroleum products also, and there may be common carrier pipelines that carry product for multiple refining companies, but I am not 100% sure. I guess I spent too many years in Texas, where refineries were in almost every city, and only crude oil was piped.

However, even if there are shared pipelines that carry products from different refining companies, apparently they have technology whereby the product stays more or less separate (so gas from one refinery is not comingled with gas from another), and they even ship regular gas and diesel using that method in the same pipeline.