Best Petrol - final analysis

[minime1275]

I've read various topics regarding which fuel and which octane is best but there have been many, often conflicting, opinions.

Im doing a 700+mile round trip to Newquay at the weekend for the www.minifinity.com Riviera Run (but my minis fcuked and Im using the 320 instead) and I'll be doing a load of cruising and non-timed rallies/treasure hunts when im in Cornwall. As I am gonna be spending a fortune on filling the tank a few times, I want to to use a petrol that gives the best MPG and motorway performance (in conjuction with my new oil, filter and air filter) and best performance to keep up with 150+ tuned Mini's on twisty roads.

Based on previous posts, Ive almost ruled Optimax out but BP Ultimate sounds like a better deal.

Anyway, to keep this (boring & familiar) thread as short as possible, which brand/octane petrol should I use for getting v.good MPG during huge motorway miles and best performance when screaming round Cornish countryside? Just recommendations on a brand and the type/octane please, no need for description.

Thanks

[Demlotcrew]

I use the petrol at tesco, its so cheap (and have been for 3 years).

Andrew

[Richy325iTouring]

I use the petrol at tesco, its so cheap (and have been for 3 years).

Andrew

your joking right

[6potWil6pot]

Ive heard sum kids claim that Supermarket fuel is dirtier and worse for the car, id have thought youd have used something decent like Shell anyway since you look after your car that much more...

[Davenotouring]

I'm suprised Andy!!

I don't think it's 'dirty' Wil....It just doesn't have the additives which protect your engine like Shell/Esso/BP/Texaco do?

Where's Russ?!

People seem to get worse MPG from supermarket petrol.

They put 'Ultra-low sulphur' on the pumps like it's a selling point....

[Demlotcrew]

I use the petrol at tesco, its so cheap (and have been for 3 years).

Andrew

your joking right

Y?

I have been ussing it for a long time and i really dont see the problem with it. Do you know something i dont?

[Simon]

If anyone wants to know anything about petrol, give Sooty a PM, he works in the industry testing a lot of fuels....

[Richy325iTouring]

used tesco uel once to take advantage of the money offvoucher when i went shopping never again though.

was crap lucky to get 200 from a tank and car ran rough as fcuk.

esso all the way now

[Zayyan]

I've only used it once recently but standard Shell is good stuff and not too expensive, tried it again the other day.

Got well over 200 miles out of 20 quid in my 1.6i and performance was impressive at the times I needed it as well.

As you say though, a familiar and boring thread!

[Simon13]

TBH my car runs fine on anything i put in, and the economy has never dipped or rose using anything in particular

[Adam318i]

Hey minime1275, you'll be going past my house then

You going into cornwall via the Tamer Bridge, as i live just off it.

Cant say ive heard of this mini run tho, have you ever been Run To the Sun down Newquay?

Its well class, 3 days of parties, and in the day the streets are fully of funky modified beetles etc, im gona take a digi cam this year.

Adam

[Russ]

I'm suprised Andy!!

I don't think it's 'dirty' Wil....It just doesn't have the additives which protect your engine like Shell/Esso/BP/Texaco do?

Where's Russ?!

People seem to get worse MPG from supermarket petrol.

They put 'Ultra-low sulphur' on the pumps like it's a selling point....

I cant be arsed to comment, lol

[Davenotouring]

Git.

[6potWil6pot]

*hisssss* Turbo Russ! He could be burning out the cylinder linings of his 4cyl and u wont give him some friendly advice!

[Simon13]

these petrol threads are getting a bit yawn now! why can't we read the old ones, like the one literally a week ago!

Whats the best tyres for my 318i with 15's on the front wtih 30 profiles and 18's on the rear with 55 profiles. I've heard remoulds are good? The wheels are offset et 55 with 4 inch spacers and 10 inches wide. The tyres rub a bit (more with the arches than the road) but handles like it's on rails! so tyres wear quick ya.

Plus where can i get an exhaust which will smash windows but still look standard?

[Nelly]

to keep up with 150+ tuned Mini's on twisty roads.

I don't think a 320i is gonna keep up on the twisties, i had a 1992 Black+White 1.3i Cooper(best car i've had)with all the sports pack on it as well as 1" spacers on the back/1/2" spacers on the front with High low adjustible suspention and spaxs asjustibles all round.

There's no stopping the little f*ckers when it comes to bends - they just stick to the road and fly.

I used to do Mini in the park at Cornbury pk in Oxford and the London to Brighton run.

[minime1275]

these petrol threads are getting a bit yawn now! why can't we read the old ones, like the one literally a week ago!

Ok, lets just limit this forum to buying E30's, drifting them, blowing them up then breaking them for spares. Like I said, I was only after a list of recommended brands and which octane, not an in-depth debate, because non of the previous posts reached any useful conclusions (although I do appreciate all the advice).

Read the topic title and the author - if your not interested, don't read it or post a reply. Everyones happy

[Moofles]

Ok, lets just limit this forum to buying E30's, drifting them, blowing them up then breaking them for spares.

i'm cool with just the breaking them for spares, don't ask for much

[Simon13]

Ok, lets just limit this forum to buying E30's, drifting them, blowing them up then breaking them for spares.

Or ask the same questions everyday too cos no one can be arsed to read the threads. Not saying its u, but loads off peeps do it.

Ages ago the mods used to say on topics like this "do a search this has been answered a 100 times thanks"

[316eyes]

Maybe I'm missing something but, if the supermarkets don't buy there petrol from Esso, Shell & BP etc., who DO they buy it from? I was under the impression that, like beer and breweries, most petrol comes from quite a small number of BIG refineries around the country. Thought that's why the fuel protest a couple of years ago had such a big impact on supplies.
Or is it that some of you are saying that the giants produce an inferior grade fuel for sale to Asda etc.?
Perhaps Sooty can give us the low down if he's "in the trade."

[Nelly]

I got into the habbit of breaking them for spares and am at present in rehabilitation on putting them back together LOL.


oh yer, and i use fuel from BP petrol stations/ normal unleaded for the use of one reason - i can use an Electron card in them

[Moofles]

haha neil electron?? you aren't 16!

[M5pilot]

Been using Optimax in the M5 for a while now, other day went to Esso and actually got better economy and no difference in performance.

Even used super market fuel a couple of times and felt no difference.

I dont think super market fuel is dirtier or of any poorer octance, they must get it from the big refineries. Some people say the octane is vry low on them but i dont think so. My remapped Alpina was mapped on 97 Octance fuel from Esso and ran fine this one time I hasd no choice but to go to supermarket. No pinking, no loss in performance.

I think alot of its in our heads.

[Nelly]

F*cking bank took my multi functions card from me because i was over drawn??????????????isn't this how banks earn their money from situations like this???????I thought i was doing them a faver by spending their money LOL.

[Moofles]

oh no! sorry to hear it mate

[Simon13]

Neil bet u had a Morgan Stanley card too robbing b8stards!

[Moofles]

LMAO Morgan Stanley Dean Witter you mean the card still has the Dean Witter even if the company dropped it

[Nelly]

I've had numerous amounts of cards in the past (but where they genuine they ask!!)and their all robbing ba5tard5. Sorted me self now .

[Moofles]

phew, good to hear it mate - cards can be ok but you gotta play them right, get the deals etc..

[Simon13]

one account is hard enough for me literally and i ahve trouble with that!

[Demlotcrew]

I really cant tell the difference between tesco and shell, i would never touch Esso, most of the stations are so run down that the rusty tanks the fuel is held in will do more damage than the so called 'dirty' petrol you get from tesco. Plus i use my card all the time and esso is full of dirty people who skim cards for a living, its the only way the station stays open. Tesco stations are always busy and the tanks are filled everyday with fresh 'dirt' so ill let you decide.

Andrew

[Jhonno]

i use Sainsburys or Esso if there isnt a Sainsburys near... N i know Sainsburys are supplied by BP..

[bryang]

just my tuppence worth!

Unless your motors designed or more likely tuned/tweaked(and most likely turboÔš'd) itÔš's a waste of money to run it on anything but standard unleaded..

E30 are desinged to run on 95RON fuel, unless you've modded it to take advantage of the higher RON rating your wasting your money..

And letÔš's not forget the higher RON rating is there mainly to prevent detonation, not necessarily more power Ԛ… a true performance engine will take advantage of the increased RON to prevent detonation/pinking

Running Optimax or similar in a car designed to run on 95RON is only giving you the feel good factor because of its marketing..

As for "i filled it up at tesco's/sainsburys/morrisions and it ran like a bag of spanners"...dont make me laugh, the previous owners have been running your 10-15+ year old car on 95RON fuel since its birth...


As for the PROPER, SCIENTIFIC proof, well, RiDE magazine tested these advanced fuels a few months back on a couple of 600cc, 15,000RPM sports bikes, on a dyno, in controlled conditions...The difference compared to "normal fuels"?


ZIP...


So, if a 15,000 RPM 200BHP per litre sports bike canÔš't benefit, then any standard road car isnt going to...

Its your money, a standard road car(unless specified by the manufacturer) doesnÔš't need itԚ…

[PeteE30Tourer]

I've been recording the mpg on my car religiously on every single tank for nearly two years now. I've used supermarket fuels for many months at a time and Optimax for many months at a time. I've drawn up trend graphs showing my mpg for each tank against date and guess what? No difference whatsoever. I cant even say the ride was any better or worse with either fuel. I've therefore concluded that the only potential benefit of using fuels like Optimax is for their engine cleaning properties.

[bryang]

I've therefore concluded that the only potential benefit of using fuels like Optimax is for their engine cleaning properties.

..and being realistic, a more advanced fuel isnÔš't going to take off years and years of tarnishing/deposits a 10-15 year old engine has already accumulated
it's hard to imagine a solvent /additive in petrol removing baked on deposits that require much elbow grease to scrape off with a hard object