Do Performance Fuels Make A Difference? - Fifth Gear

Vicki finds out if expensive performance fuels can actually make a car run better.
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[@Edwinedwin1]

You can really really feel those 5 extra hp while being stuck in London traffic behind an old focus.

[@tropicalpalmtree]

Jheez man it's not all about the power, it cleans the engine providing better longevity, and it 100% makes a nicer engine note. In my toyota caldina gtt its worth the money

[@zachaphina3140]

@@tropicalpalmtree definitely placebo

[@tropicalpalmtree]

@@zachaphina3140 i've seen the effects on the fuel system with both types and using 99 octane consistently the entire system is clean and free of sh!t.

[@Fizzy.g]

@@zachaphina3140 are you stupid its simple science it's not a placebo from anywhere

[@heisenberg9739]

@@tropicalpalmtree bs how do u know its clean LOL. But yeah I do agree the cheapest or worst stuff can create swarf. But V power is EXCESS

[@Can-Am1989]

1.45 pounds per liter? I will never complain about fuel prices again.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

+Dan yes, in USA,Russia you can buy 3,5Liter fuel for that money!! In Iran about 15Liter

[@DerangedSloth555]

lol, been pumping 98 at $2.13 per liter.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

ClubbySuperCharged per Gallon maybe!! and US gallon is 3,7854 Liters and here is the price of gasoline&diesel fuel www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/

[@DerangedSloth555]

Mr11ESSE111 lol, I'm not from US. Shell 98 full tank(70L) for my car was more than $140.

[@Mr11ESSE111]

ClubbySuperCharged i talk about US prices

[@omfgwtfbbq90]

I think you are gonna feel the decrease on your bank account more than you can feel the tiny increase in power lol

[@userunknown10]

Until that cheap gas destroys the injectors and leaves gunk in your engine causing more serious damage. Mechanics love you.

[@gngan]

userunknown10 gas companies love you.

[@edddenby9745]

omfgwtfbbq90 where I work in the north west we sell pace fule its standard 95 and a bit more expensive than others in out area but its the best economy fule with out the status.

[@gravemind6536]

userunknown10 It won't do anything especially on a modern car where the ECU adjusts to the fuel quality. The increase in power with the higher quality fuel was because the sensors and the ECU detected it was better and thus allowed the engine to produce more power. And older cars will run on any old fuel since they were designed with lower quality fuel standards at the time anyway. Putting premium fuel in anything that isn't a high end car or sports car is just burning money.

[@Goodstegosaurus]

Very much depends on the car though, as the higher octane the higher temps an engine can sustain before 'pinking' which is useful is highly modified cars.

[@M00DS87]

Switching from 95 to 99 v power made a WORLD of difference to my FSi engine. Any engine with injectors should be run on 99. Better throttle response and runs so much smoothly. I couldnt believe how much of a difference it made. Even got a few more MPGs! Highly recommend guys.

[@model_building_fan7708]

And its much healthier for your engine

[@petergabriel1606]

I concur. I thought it was all marketing hype, until my VW 1.5 evo active started clogging with carbon, mainly because I used to use cheap petrol with 10% ethanol. I was recommended going premium because of the additives that lesson the carbon deposits and the general maintanence it provides. Shell V-Power seems to be the best, based on numerous tests, but I have used other premium petrols from other brands, that seem to work just as fine.

[@jameslove888]

@@petergabriel1606 you can’t remove carbon with detergent additives. The only way is brute force with something like a walnut blasting. Anything else is snake oil.

[@tamdam]

My 2014 Swift Sport went from struggling while starting to firing up 100% smoothly after I changed to 98 V-power. I had been using normal 95 octane for years without any issues, which makes me think fuel quality in general have just gotten worse during the last 3-4 years

[@MisoElEven]

@@jameslove888 It may clean it up a little but you need to get to the right temperature so yeah this is mostly a case of prevention..

[@Alexandra-Rex]

Vicki shouldn't have known which fuel she had in the test runs until it was all over.

[@akamikeg]

+Alexander Rex Evensen I was just about to type that. Had they told her she was driving the ASDA thinking it was the V-Power she probably would've said the ASDA fuel was noticeably quicker. Just a psychological effect

[@ScottPC]

+akamikeg exactly what I was thinking! Like when doctors prescribe pills with nothing in them and people believe there getting better! It's a big mind game!

[@Pogo-A-Gogo]

+ThatGuyNamedScott. C *Placebo effect*

[@FungusLabel]

+ThatGuyNamedScott. C What's the point if she said that there is no difference?

[@rubenTR309]

Dunno mind. the Asda fuel is so bad it's noticeably worse than v power

[@harmstrongg]

Higher octane fuels are *NOT* designed to provide higher performance. This is yet another video contributing to that myth. Despite their acknowledgment of the facts they go on pretending like they should see an increase in power, which is not the case. Octane makes gasoline more resilient to spontaneous combustion due to pressure. Engines with high compression ratios need higher octane fuels to prevent the fuel from igniting before top dead center, introducing knock which can quickly damage or destroy conrods and the crank. Octane does *NOT* make gasoline's combustion release more energy. The *ONLY* power increase you will ever see is in a vehicle who's ECU adjusting to make use of the fuel. These gains would be so minimal as to essentially be within any methodology's margin of error. This power increase will come from adjusted ignition timing, not from the fuel. In the States (and possibly other countries) Octane rating uses the acronym AKI. AKI stands for anti-knock index. It isn't about power, it's about getting the gasoline to not detonate on the compression stroke. Buying premium fuels when your car is built for normal fuels is not only a waste of money, but in a vehicle that doesn't have the capability to adjust may actually be causing additional carbon buildup over time and causing problems. Obviously, the VW engine in this GTI isn't one of those vehicles, but the point remains. Lastly, by using a different brand for every test they completely invalidate their testing. They should have used a high- and low-AKI fuel from each vendor and compared them against each other, not across brands. Seeing an increase in power using this methodology could simply be a result of gas quality across brands rather than Octane content.

[@karimkhalifa8610]

Absolutely correct.

[@Hellsslave666]

+wildcardNP High octane is designed to be able to build and tune the engine in a way that makes more power. An old car will see 0 benefit without tuning. A modern car will see some, because it adjusts automatically. A well tuned car will see quite a significant advantage.

[@harmstrongg]

Hellsslave666 Again, the point here is it isn't the fuel that adds power, which is the myth that this video is perpetuating, despite their acknowledgment of the facts. I'm not salty or anything, I just wanted to point out that buying higher quality fuel for the sake of buying higher quality fuel is not only a waste of money, but can potentially be harmful if your car isn't designed to adjust.

[@thelifeofjools8384]

Not arguing with you.... but I've done over 500k miles in diesel landrovers and VW vans, and they always seem quieter and run smoother and get slightly better mileage using premium fuel..BP ultimate mainly. So why ? The engines were all stock, no adjustments.... I've been running my 14 yr old motorhome 2.8 diesel on premium .. and fellow owners say mine runs quieter and smoother. I don't want to coke up the engine, so would appreciate your thoughts ? Cheers...J

[@NickLiang]

The quality of fuel makes a big difference. You may notice improvements in mileage and some power if you changed from a super market fuel to a producer fuel. They may also add additional things into the premium fuel to make it burn more efficiently. It is unlikely to be the octane content that is making a difference.

[@Half_Centaur]

For any Americans who watched this and, like me, thought that these octane ratings were incredibly high, I looked into it and, apparently, we use a different octane rating system than most of the rest of the world (of course we do). AKI (Anti-Knock Index) is used in the US and RON is used basically everywhere else. AKI ratings are generally a few points lower than RON, but the actual quality of the fuels is almost identical.

[@PeterPain90]

Haha, had to laugh at the (of course we do) ! Special snowflake the us ;)

[@Skare147]

Thats interesting I allways thought that you americans use lower quality petrol (gas) than we europeans do.

[@Half_Centaur]

+rover 75 I guess that's technically true. But, more importantly, go fuck yourself.

[@saggo1712]

I love your reply..its witty and brilliant. Thank you for making this Australian laugh.

[@PlatinumSan]

Do you personally like how the US has a different measurement system in so many areas compared to the rest of the world? I don't understand why the US needs to use a different petrol rating system, is it just to stand out or are people poor at change?

[@M0HKB]

Would love to see this done again on Diesels showing mpg differences.

[@DCHZS]

Brought to you by: SHELL V-POWER

[@Chris.Tustain]

+DAN V. how I feel it went .....

[@mechanizedape2998]

I liked how when they show her testing the fuels at the end, they use editing to make the car look like its accelerating faster on the straight when using the "V-power" than when using the regular fuel. you can't feel five hp when your engine is only in the mid to low 200hp range. Fuel level,cargo, and even your lunch will vary so much that it would be impossible to drive two identified cars with two different fuels and say afterwards which has the extra five hp.. This video was just buzz bait with no real info to help the average driver.

[@theant9821]

+Mechanized Ape it's not just the bhp gain though it can make some cars and lot more responsive and run far smoother

[@mechanizedape2998]

+Antony Collingwood you mean v-power? Yeah they say it does. I'm inclined to believe them after all the evidence they have shown over the years. They would be setting themselves up pretty bad otherwise. I still think regular premium 93 with some Lucas ad. And maybe a seafoam treatment once every 30k would be almost as good if not the same as v-power for every fill. Price and cleanliness. but more work.

[@BensCoffeeRants]

Some cars respond better with certain fuels than others, I Tried 93 Vpower and wasn't too impressed. PetroCanada 94 octane with Ethanol is good for mine, power wise, I can feel the difference, but that might be more because Shell has no ethanol vs Petro Canada with Ethanol and Turbos love ethanol. I can definitely tell between 91 octane no ethanol and 93 or 94 octane with ethanol in my Turbo Fiesta ST

[@Connor-kd3mv]

The ECU would take a while to adjust timing/compression. Seems pretty flawed to assume it’s instant.

[@VTBOW]

That was actually very interesting and well carried out ! Keep up the good work

[@jumbaleo1]

I occasionally used to run (what was Shell Optimax) many years ago in an old Peugeot 309, 1.3 litre. The difference between running standard petrol and Optimax was huge. So much so that when I sold the car the new owner was convinced I had fettled with the engine which was not true. It sounds crazy but the performance was amasing. So I would say you are really going to notice more of a difference in a standard family type car rather than something that is already supposed to be a performance car. Also, the performance change was also almost instantaneous, filling up an empty tank with the Vmax you would feel a difference within a few miles. When I moved on to a standard Ford KA a year or so later I would go through a phase of every three or four months just filling up with Vmax, and I would definitely get more miles per tank after prolonged usage, although, as it was more expensive their was little point in using it for the purposes of economy alone.

[@jasonjudge7966]

they fail to explain the benefits of the premium fuels burning cleaner and keeping injector jets cleaner it's not all about the performance also they should have tested tescos premium momentum at 100 Ron

[@2k9amh]

Mometum is 99 and shell v power is now 99 ron

[@timmuller2599]

In Germany we have fuel with 102Ron

[@jansteen5640]

@@timmuller2599 Lucky germans... I'm coming over soon to tank some of that sweet 102 octane. Which is also cheaper in germany than our standard 95 octane, ridiculous!

[@timmuller2599]

@@jansteen5640 ok that's good you have to drive to Aral their are Blue and It's called 102Ultimate

[@jansteen5640]

@@timmuller2599 Thanks for letting me know!

[@TheMidnightNarwhal]

It's not about HP or how much power these fuels give you it's more of how it cleans and leaves less carbon.

[@joshbriggsDayZBeast]

+TheMidnightNarwhal You are extremely miss-guided. Let me explain... higher octane fuels make virtually no difference to cars unless they are very performance orientated (for example a Subaru WRX and above in performance levels) cars/engines, and even then they will make absolutely no more than %5 more power. There is very strict legislation in my country (England) that demands a certain quality of fuel, this level of quality is absolutely adequate for a cars engine and will not suffer from long term carbon build up ANY more than premium fuels. People think the 'standard' fuels are inferior and that they should be using premium fuels in their Honda (or whatever) but they are wrong, i cant blame them because the adverts claim the fuel is better than it really is. 15 or 20 years ago in America there were massive lawsuits against fuel companies for falsely advertising the benefits of premium fuels. I could spend so long explaining in detail tricks and deceptive wording companies use to make you waste money, but i cant be bothered, just give them money and make the Arabs richer.

[@CAR_NL]

+Josh Briggs All remapped modern turbo cars have massive advantage with ron98.

[@joshbriggsDayZBeast]

+skycrap You are correct, although i personally wouldn't use the term 'massive' as that implies a big increase to horse power, which RON98 doesn't produce..... big a significant increase, of course.

[@CAR_NL]

+Josh Briggs Because of the Ron98 tuners are able to enlarge the turbo pressure much more compared to ron95. The increase could deliver 15% difference in hp, which feels quite massive.

[@joshbriggsDayZBeast]

skycrap Oh ok i was not aware oh that with turbo engines.

[@jamesmeek754]

I’ve put V Power in my Vauxhall Astra 1.8i Sri 57 plate the other day . I didn’t put it in to get any extra power . I put it in Just for the cleaning capabilities . The car runs smoother and picks up a lot better . Probably because the V power as given the engine a good clean and restored my engine back to factory settings ? Anyway I’m happy with how the car is running now rather than on Shell fuel save . So I’m happy to pay the extra per tank just for maintenance purposes 👍

[@MC_AU]

Australia: I did the mpg test several years ago with ULP 91/95/98 RON. Same brand. My standard load was 95, and ran approx 2000km mixed cycle of roads & traffic. I refilled with 98, and another 2000km mixed cycle. 91 was ignored at the time as MY06 180KW car was engineered for PULP Result was 12% higher cost vs 16% better economy. I was getting 4% for free with nothing more than stopping at a different pump.

[@OneThousand98]

Unless your "mixed cycle" was the exact same mix of low speed and high speed driving, stop/start conditions etc, then your test is totally invalid.

[@m.d.f3797]

The comparison should have included: 1. Fuel efficiency -mpg 2. Effects of the fuel to the engine as advertised (clean the engine etc) 3. Performance (which is the only one tested and shown here)

[@prawler646]

+Mohd Faisal Agreed, I use to think that if I buy the 98 I'd end up with less liters per km, and therefor break even, or even earn on it. Also I got a tuned ECU

[@Fizzy.g]

@@prawler646 99 octane will give u better MPG, better performance and it'll clean you injectors and so on

[@SeverityOne]

Some months ago, we got 98 RON fuel here in Malta, in addition to 95 RON. So I decided to give it a try in my 1.4L Turbo Opel Astra GTC. Perceptively, the car performs a little bit better, and throttle response is better. Something that can be accurately measured is that the increased fuel economy balances out the €0.15 extra you pay per litre. So I still get to drive the same number of days with €50 worth of fuel, but since I can fuel up more now, I don't have to fuel up so often, and my car performs slightly better.

[@FatRakoon]

I did a little trial on my Kawasaki ZZR a few years ago, with Shell and Shell V-Power, and I am really sure that the V-Power helped the engine run somewhat better and more responsive. I ran it mostly on stock fuel and only now and again, I would plop some V-Power in and I was sure that it helped it. It may very well have been placebo though?

[@Jwm367t]

Not a placebo - the premium fuels do actually have some cleaning properties to remove deposits in your engine. My local mechanic said what you doing is actually the best thing to prolong engine life without having to overspend each time.

[@ThatSashaBee]

The overall message I was getting from the petrol was better mpg so you pay more to save more. I'd be interested to see the results after a week of the Asda compared with the Shell or Esso.

[@dougsullivan9022]

Interestingly, a few years ago, my wife owned a Daihatsu Charade. I took it out a few times and felt that it was a bit sluggish. I let the tank (nearly) empty and then filled it with premium unleaded. The difference was quite remarkable. On std unleaded, the engine needed to rev up to 2500rpm before changing up a gear. If you didn't reach 2500rpm, the engine would struggle in the next gear up. Once on premium unleaded, that 2500rpm dropped almost exactly to 2000rpm where I could change up a gear quite comfortably. This was a consistent result over several tanks of fuel. The consumption figures improved quite a bit and the engine just felt 'happier'and more responsive on the premium fuel. I have since done similar tests on more recent cars that I have owned but I have been unable to notice any discernible difference between fuels. My more recent cars have been bigger and more powerful (not hard compared to the Charade) and would certainly have better engine management systems. In all, I would say that a car like the Golf GTI fits that latter category.....more power and better management. So the premium fuels may be better justified in lower powered older cars. I also know that the premium fuels go 'off' quicker because of the additives. So, if you don't use your car regularly, cheaper fuels are better anyway.

[@JJ_ExMachina]

The main issue with this sort of test is you are relying on the vehicle (in stock form) to advance its own timing to take advantage of the added octane. However if you were to do a software upgrade and tune the engine properly for the fuel you were using, you would most certainly see a huge increase in performance over all. The VW does a descant job at detecting the octane (RON) of the fuel, since there is a notable difference in power output, otherwise there would have been no difference. The issue here is what type of vehicle you are using and how it is set up from the factory. A naturally aspirated vehicle with standard compression would not really benefit from a high octane (RON) fuel. However high compression vehicles like the Toyota GT86 or sport bikes like the ZX6R will see a difference (high compression engines can not run lower octane (RON) fuels with out causing damage). Forced induction vehicles are even more flexible then high compression ones, since the amount of "compression" the engine would see is dependent on how much boost there is. That is something that can be easily controlled by the computer and thus take advantage of the higher octane (RON) fuels.

[@Joel-mp2oo]

Yeah they should understand this considering they test cars and stuff kind of shows that they really know fuck all about how modern combustion cars work and how to tune. SMFH

[@JJ_ExMachina]

***** So what you are saying is that the average person could not understand or would want to watch a proper test done?

[@TNX255]

+MasterMech77 Exactly, well said. They should've also tested with an old 1.6 Astra or something like that to see what a regular, mundane "banger" (as the Brits say ;) would benefit. Probably nothing at all IMO.

[@antman5474]

+MasterMech77 good post you know your stuff, I had an old 1978 Datsun back in 2001 and ran it on the only cheap fuel available at the time which was rated at 95 octane, the car was sluggish and had flat spots thru out the revs. It was only after reading the hand book did I discover the engine was designed to run on 88 octane fuel, I'm no expert but I knew enough to start fiddling with the distributor timing. I loosened the bolt with the engine running and twisted it both clockwise and anticlockwise all the way until it ran smoothly, I then retightend the bolt, It completely transformed what little power that engine had and made it run smoothly, no flat spots and no sluggish performance. I've since then tried out different fuels in newer cars and found the shell v power to match up with fifth gears claims. It does liven up motors, average Joe's can tell the difference it seems. Same seems to apply with diesel's, my employer's prefer me to use the cheaper fuels on account of my mileage but now and again I put the good stuff in and it definitely improves throttle response.

[@mateuszzdyb3547]

2% increase in power is a huge difference for the start

[@bbc6]

You forgot to test the most important part, how long the fuel lasts. More expensive fuel always seems to go more miles

[@danielbass09]

Pozdrav Kuja yes. How many kms per litre!!! That's what consumers care about. Not the maximum horse power. Especially on long freeway drives!

[@sogerc1]

Everybody keeps saying that but in my old Opel this was not the case. With the 98 gasoline my consumption was almost 10% higher but at least I could feel more torque (compared to the cheaper 95). I should check it with my new(er) VW too...

[@jamendetvarjukul]

sogerc1 means your old Opel was not able to adjust to different fuel quality. This is common on older, cheaper cars. Modern and premium cars have sofisticated engine mapping software that can adjust engine mapping to benefit from higher quality, higher octane fuel. Note that octane is not the only difference, there are also additives and higher quality fuel components in those fuels.

[@holmiumh]

Higher octane in the fuel mixture results in less energy available in the fuel valumetric wise, so theoretically the fuel consumption will INCREASE with higher octane fuel. Most people have no idea what the hell they are talking about when it comes to even the basic principle of physics.

[@nickwalton8864]

Well said. Mine always lasts a bit longer with the annual treat when I pluck up the courage to pay that bit extra. 😊

[@theprince08853]

Wow thank you for doing this!

[@DBGMLV]

On a stock engine it doesn't make a differnce. However if do a remap using higher octane fuel means you can push the engine further while not blowing it up.

[@alfamonk]

+DB8 horseballs. octane will make a difference on turbocharged engines.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

+alfamonk Not so much in stock configuration I think.

[@DimitrisTheodopoulos]

+DB8 quite true my ex car was a vw golf 1.4 75hp i remaped it to 83hp with a simple 95unleaded. When i put 100unleaded i feel it kind of stronger.

[@TheDox451]

+alfamonk The higher the octane the less self-combustible fuel is. Lets say a car is made for 95 octane. Putting fuel with more octane wont make a difference, but putting fuel with less octane will cause engine knock (too early fuel combustion and combustion with no spark).

[@DimitrisTheodopoulos]

TheDox451 Not nesesarely. Most of the cars today have controlled injectors or knock sensors (or both) so the cars unit will attend to correct any mixture fail. By putting higher octane gazoline you are more confident that your engine will run better on ther other hand don't forget that a lot of fuels are distorted so a 95octane gaz it's possible to be even lower and that is more possible to harm your car.

[@jxckc351]

Yes performance fuels do make a difference, a difference to your bank balance.

[@benpar8120]

I used to use cheap supermarket fuel and put a shot of Redex in the tank, until I had to use BP petrol once as it was the closest station when I was in urgent need of petrol for my motorbike. I was a bit peeved at paying 2-3p/litre more for the " same stuff" I instantly found that the bike idled much better and on successive days it started and warmed up quicker, using less choke ( I closed the choke earlier ) AND it gave me much better mpg,around 80mpg more per tank. ( Yes I didn't believe it either) Since then, I have switched over to BP or Esso fuel and both my car and bikes run better and give me better mpg. Yes it costs a bit more every time I fill up , but it means that I don't have to fill up as often. I challenge others who use supermarket fuel to do the same

[@jazedftw1108]

I drive a BMW 120d 2014. When filled up with V Power Diesel, there is definitely a difference in driving. Car doesn't feel faster but it feels as if it accelerates with less effort. It is definitely good for keeping the injectors clean aswell! I use this gas every 10 fuel tanks to help keep the injectors clean.

[@peteryoungpeteryoung965]

I work for an engineering company, we have a fuel lab, the guys in work were arguing about fuel company diesel compared to supermarket diesel, so we analysed it in the lab. We found that supermarket diesel in the UK, which usually comes from Siberia, has a lot more water and impurities in it than proper fuel Co. diesel. This can cause engine parts to wear more. Hope this is of help to people when they choose what fuel to buy.

[@gaffnaldo1]

Thanks, this is truly helpful

[@markatherstone5650]

Stop talking BS. The fuel is exactly the same, what makes a difference is the additives that are added.

[@jjssousa81]

You'll only notice a difference if your car requires high octane. In my owners manual it says you can run lower octane but at reduced performance. You can really notice a difference. Most modern cars will adjust the timing so it won't knock but gives you less power.

[@davidr.flores2043]

Nice test. I always put Shell VPower and my 5 cylinder, Liter VW Golf engine runs very smoothly; however, when I have put the standard 85 octane on it I hear the engine knocking when at low speeds (city traffic) so that's why I have always put premium petrol.

[@Jameshoward999]

147.9? Damn. Now it’s 147.9 at sainsburys for base petrol

[@SDMTB14]

The thing is fuel quality is not just about octane or the 3 extra hp, theres a lot of chemistry involved. Maybe you wont feel anything between the cheap and the expensive fuel but your engine does. In my country for example, most of the fuel is known to be crap and cause some engines from some brands to fail prematurely, specially diesel ones. They meet the octane ratings but that doesnt make them less shitty. Even when you dont actually feel a real difference get the better one IMO

[@mrmysterious6006]

It depends on timing. If you were to get a custom tune you would see a considerable increase in power especially with forced induction

[@JD-qd1bp]

Good article but missing a few important considerations, probably most importantly is the question of which fuel your car is designed to run on. Many cars are designed to run on 98 RON and using a lower rated fuel will cause damage to the engine - eg WRX STI, a car tuned to run on 98RON fuel will also achieve much more of a benefit from using it - potentially anywhere between 10 to 30 bhp upwards depending on the car. I think Fifth gear did a test that demonstrated this some years ago. The test also neglected some other important factors such as claimed increased economy using higher RON fuels and potential benefits from the additives claimed to be added to the fuel to clean injectors etc.I am not claiming that these factors are true but should be considered when comparing the fuels.

[@adam300tdi90]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/embaYmCaZayYjM0 a much better test....

[@BlueDecember06]

Hey, I come from the future, enjoy the 2010s because here petrol costs 2£/liter lol see ya

[@Psychoticisownage]

It's also important to note that you should always go by the manufacturers recommendations!

[@tristanmiller5215]

What they didn't show is the difference in fuel economy means that the Distance per pound is better with higher octane in high compression engines.

[@stotty0191]

there's 'performance' and then 'cleaning' - I think for everyday drivers its obvious the performance differences are so tiny its not really worth it. However, it would be interesting to test the cleaning power. The supreme fuel is advertised to have more additives and detergents to clean components within the car, they are supposed to reduce carbon deposits left behind as the fuel burns through. Mechanics working on cars often say they can tell when a car has had a years worth of Supermarket fuel vs branded. Test 2 cars over the course of a year using Asda and Shell and see what they look like inside.

[@michaelbarnes9401]

its pretty cool seeing the different octane levels around the world or even in different places in the same countries

[@Ryzza5]

Now you just have to compare two Golf's that have done 60,000miles on cheap and VPower fuel to see if there's more crud on the cheap one. No point saving on petrol if the car starts misfiring 3 years later.

[@hedrick5286]

It's all bullshit. All fuel comes from the same base at the same place. It's naturally 100 octane. The additives are the only difference.

[@Ryzza5]

With the different opinions out there I'd just love to see some independent research with pics to see what exactly the additives do or don't do. Just a few videos ago Plato restored 5BHP to a Corrado with some fuel cleaning additives.

[@RDMracer]

+Ryzza5 Indeed, the way these fuels work is the additional chemicals added to the fuel keeping the engine clean. You can buy these chemicals separately as well and add them to your fuel at home, but that's just too much extra work. These chemicals are mainly to keep the engine clean, adding chemicals that burn better and increase power output would be useless and petrol companies know it would be bad for an engine otherwise they would sell fuel with added nitro chemicals.

[@4wdsome444]

Well there is a saving in money, and what car starts misfiring after 60,000miles from new that is unheard of golfs last from 100,000 to 300,000 miles easy the 1.9/2.0 diesel last forever and the petrols are among the best.

[@ICEGTN]

in other words, ASDA unleaded has the best performance/price ratio

[@dimmacommunication]

I am using cheap fuel since is had my bike at 16 and can't distinguish from normal petrol.

[@winibaldcroux8339]

Andrea how could you distinguish it from "normal petrol" if you only use "cheap fuel"?

[@BruceCarbonLakeriver]

then ask mechanics how many cars are in their workshop due to fuel pump failures just by using cheap piss fuel ... and ask the custumers how much they are actually saving money by that LoL

[@MrVeryfrost]

@@BruceCarbonLakeriver How does different fuel octane affects fuel pump ?

[@BruceCarbonLakeriver]

@@MrVeryfrost The octane rate doesn't but the general quality of the fuel does ^^

[@MKN2024]

thank you so much for this video :)

[@Logicalx]

A repost? Always nice to see again.

[@user-el2zj3pw5r]

These people should know that it is most effective difference is on remaped turbo cars

[@MrPaganizonda]

+Romas Pasukonis But only 0.005% out of total population of drivers remaped their car.

[@ivovanzon164]

You don't need a remapped Ecu to feel the difference, a pair of good ears and knowing how your engine sounds enough. My stock Saab 9-3 ran a bit better on 98 octane. Normal fuel was mixed results, and the cheapest crap you could get gave rough idle with the AC on. My current car does sound different with cheap crap in the tank, but performance wise it doesn't care at all And while branded tankers will refill the non branded pumps, you still have to enter the customer number on the pump unit. So there may be some additives involved in the filling process,

[@kristianspencer1978]

Try putting Morrisons crappy fuel in your car, then try vpower, it doesn’t matter what car you drive you will notice a difference, not power wise but smoothness and responsiveness definitely. And vpower will keep your engine in good heath.

[@stevewills7408]

Interesting to know if the % increase from the fuel scales with a more powerful engine to begin with, would 5hp on a 240bhp engine translate to 10hp+ on a 480bhp engine ?

[@MisoElEven]

I know that your comment is 5 years old..but it takes the onboard computers quite a while before they figure out youre using better fuel. If its not knocking the control unit will increase the power in small increments until it gets to either the limit of the fuel or the control unit itself :D usually coding is necessary to get more out of that fuel.

[@gerardjpk]

The dyno measure horsepower (at the wheels), however the term bhp or break horsepower is being used which is measured at the crankshaft

[@Delta2D2]

I drive a lot of miles on motorways & county roads. My local is a Shell & I do feel a difference with V-Power. There’s an extra confidence for overtaking. I also get an extra 3.4-4.7MPG, per tank, depending on the weather & temperature. On a 45ltr tank, that’s a ‘Huge Saving’ of £4+ per tank, plus the Shell app cash back means an extra £5 off every 10 fills + offers, so it works for me.

[@SeanBZA]

The differences are easily explained by the differences in the blending. Fuel is never made with 95, 97 or 98 RON exactly, but is different components which are blended ( using an actual engine in the plant) to make a fuel that is around ( plus or minus a small amount, depending on the day and just how the output is at the time) the right figure. Your BP ULP and the ADSA ULP might actually have come from the same tank in the same tanker during delivery, but depending on what the actual RON of the rest of the tank ( and whether there was more or less water in the fuel) was easily explains the differences. The 97 and 98 RON fuels are exactly the same, blend wise, just a different additive pack ( or coloured dye in most cases to tell them apart in the tank) added at the refinery. I doubt they are all different refineries, likely all came from the same refinery in the vicinity, and just were delivered to the different garages in a tanker, either branded for the garage or plain white, depending on who was paying for the delivery. BP green tanker if BP was paying, white if the refinery was paying. Here all the same fuel, all delivered in the same tanker from garage to garage, so the BP tanker is a common sight at all garages, even non BP branded ones.

[@seckinboy]

I wanted to know if they help with fuel economy and most of all do they actually help clean your engine and keep it healthy. Not how much performance it gives although it was interesting.

[@TheDox451]

+seckinboy Higher octane does not help with fuel economy, but different companies will probably make a slight difference. I would trust premium companies since they should have higher standards for fuel storage.

[@winibaldcroux8339]

TheDox451 Well it depends on the engine management really. The VW engine in this test for instance adjusts the fuel mapping according to what you put in the tank. It will most definitely run a higher milage (very noticably) on a higher octane fuel.

[@richardspears349]

@@winibaldcroux8339 Engine size not mentioned just said it was a GTi. It may be worth noting that Skoda make both the 1200 and 1400 engines as fitted to the golf. I have 65 Reg Fabio TSI, Fuel consumption does not vary significantly with either fuel. I suspect that the golf although chipped for performance would also show little difference in economy.

[@francoisnarrainen6413]

good review, i always use v-power on my honda Accord, makes a great difference, engine quieter, and more speed for sure

[@alexisamtosta]

Back home in Portugal I got a mk1 Punto and I normally run it on 95 unleaded but I do notice a difference with the 95 premium. Mor than with the 98 and 98 premium.

[@matthewzuber9823]

The last test needed to be a blind test to assure a non biased results. (though even IF the results there were effected by bias, the conclusion still swayed the other way so i guess it doesn't really mater any ways)

[@DxCBuG]

+Matthew Zuber Maybe they should have also put out the Torque numbers they made on the Dino

[@matthewzuber9823]

hhhmmm good point, i didn't even think of that

[@twinkd6363]

+DxCBuG they also need to run atleast a full tank thro for the ecu to read the new fuel

[@matthewzuber9823]

Also a very good point!! you Tim Doughty and you DxCBuG are really good at this! haha

[@mechanizedape2998]

+Tim Doughty not all ecu can read fuel type, does the gti have a flex sensor or an octane sensor? Is it common for all new cars to have a fuel type sensor? I would imagine it would be common in new vehicles with all of the ethanol blends we are seeing.

[@ThirdLife86]

Well...using better fuel makes only sense if your car can actually take advantage of it. Give this car a Vpower or even just 98 RON Tune and you'd see the difference easily. Also those ECUs need some time after a tune to fully develop all the possible power. With four Dyno runs it can't adapt completely to each fuel. If your manager does not tell you about a budget increase how can you take advantage of it ? Makes no sense at all.

[@GIitchclan12]

+ThirdLife86 This title astounded me, people don't realize fuel type and octane rating effects their engines performance or reliability?

[@1Ministras]

+ThirdLife86 Actually only higher performance cars that have innate higher compression ratio's can use 98 effectivelly. If i remember correctly you cant even use 95 on some BMW.

[@GIitchclan12]

1Ministras Depends on the ECU or if you do a tune of your own!

[@1Ministras]

Shane Smith Wait, you cant change compression ratio's of a car without changing out internals, cant you?

[@GIitchclan12]

1Ministras Sorry I misread your comment, I interpreted you saying that engines that started out at a lower compression ratio and were then modified could not take advantage of higher octane. We are on the same page that you cannot change compression ratio without changing physical dimensions of the engine.

[@klntym]

What I would like to have seen was a fuel consumption comparison result. I know I get more km/l out of a tank, but what I don't know is weather the added cost per litre makes it worth using.

[@winkipinky]

Thanks you, I really wanted to know this. 👍👍

[@AustraliasBiggestBassChannel]

V-power for everything has been my moto for the past 5 years good to see it was the right choice!

[@banjopete]

Australia's Biggest Bass Channel , motto,? From NZ

[@dalejenkins1558]

peter olsen motto means a short sentence or phrase chosen as encapsulating the beliefs or ideals of an individual, family, or institution.

[@nevetsreyd4688]

moto

[@DxCBuG]

Also for your Honda Lawnmower ? :D

[@HRHooChicken]

2% more horsepower? Big woop

[@HW.0029]

High octane fuel needs a high compression engine to work effectively. Normal stock city cars, stick with normal petrol.

[@GPigTV]

My BMW 320d M Sport Touring loves BP Ultimate Diesel. It runs quieter/smoother, gives me an extra 50 miles plus to the tank on motorway journeys and throttle response is much sharper. Car loves the stuff

[@RatelHBadger]

In New Zealand we still use Unleaded 91 as standard fuel. Would be interesting to have the same comparison with a 91 fuel brand.

[@MrBuzz2313]

It depends on the time you run your car with the Performance Fuel. After a period of time the fuel injectors get flushed, therefore creating more fuel flow. That way the engine gets more power.

[@TheFoxfy]

That's why I always fill up at shell fuel stations :)

[@pureblood1980x]

my astra is a 1.4 petrol(87 bhp) and I can totally tell the difference using shell v power. ive done months of checking averages around local driving spots to long distances. with standard asda petrol I was getting around 32-35 mpg around the doors...car felt sluggish at times especially getting down to last eighth of a tank. then I swapped over to the shell v power and noticed a massive difference after the 3rd full tank. the car felt nicer pulled away from junctions better altogether a nicer drive. albeit in a small engine car. I usually get 35-38 per gallon on the v power so overall for cost its probably the same as using standard petrol but since the car has been on the v power it is noticeable. you might not think it in such a small powered car but the facts are there,if you're willing to give it a shot do it...but stick to it. per full tank its about a fiver more but honestly you get more out of it. I do the same kind of driving every week so its not as if I do motorway one week and town driving another. v power is pretty decent stuff. and no I dont work for shell. normal petrol I was lucky to get 310 miles before light came back on but the v power I can get as much as 360 usually its 350ish. but the fact it cleans as you drive is enough to keep me on it. I wont use anything else unless its a necessity.

[@nathanprice7666]

Under $5 at every fill up for an extra 5 horsepower seems like a pretty good deal. And in the US where gas is by the gallon and cheap, rather than by the litre and expensive (although I wish we had 97 octane here!) it would only be about $2.60 per fill up for the increase. Rework the ECU and throw on some bolt ons and those gains in the GTI are more like 15-25 horsepower difference between octane grades which is def worth under $3 per fill up!! Great vid and test, loved that you used my daily driver as the test subject.

[@SmellyStains]

Interesting test. In real world driving I consistently get about 60km more out of a tank full of 98RON than I do from 95RON. The higher cost of the better fuel is more than offset by better fuel economy.

[@dimmacommunication]

seriously? nahh!!

[@lennartknarvik2112]

I got the results as you did on my motorcycle, but since it's only a 125cc I gained a noticeable difference in power to! 😛☺️so in my case, it was win win to use 98 octane/ron

[@mace106]

+Subaru Pro on my old leon cupra always got better mpg using v-power but performance was no difference

[@dimmacommunication]

+Lennart Knarvik no offense,but i'm calling bs I has a 125 for 4 years and never saw differences. It's called placebo effect.

[@harmstrongg]

+Subaru Pro Bullshit. If you saw any gains it was from other causes. The only thing higher octane fuel does is make fuel more resilient to compression.

[@FrodoTEST]

Why didn't you test the 100+ octane shell racing?

[@sila.yolcusu]

+FrodoTEST Because this stock ECU has no 100+ octane maps. It has no advantages for this car.

[@FrodoTEST]

erc_çınarcık But then the test is pointless. If it has a map ofc it will make some difference. My 2nd tought was that in the uk u cant buy the v-power racing.

[@sila.yolcusu]

wtf?! Are you kidding me? THIS CAR IS STOCK!!! If you want a test with tuned cars, so make it yourself!

[@FrodoTEST]

erc_çınarcık What are you talking about? If this car has a map for shell v-power than whats the point of the test? It will be better than with the 95 octane fuel......

[@mitropoulosilias]

because it is part of BP advertisement. BP=britain petrol fifth gear=british.

[@guestandsons]

Shell v-power is meant to be the best for keeping the valves cleaner. The late Subaru tuner "Jolly Green Monster" said to me V-power is the road fuel to use. So I do in my JDM Subaru.

[@SpacedOdyssey]

Shell V-Power is like adding extra BHP but only if you have a car that needs it.I have a Corolla Gti-16v and V Power is worth the money, unless you are driving to work and back

[@scrumpyyos8554]

Problem is supermarket fuels have less additives so they don't lubricate parts as good as the "Posh petrols" do and can cause a few problems earlier for the car. So i would buy the standard BP fuel at least to make sure your not putting crap into your engine. Unleaded has different metals in it as a substitute for lead and some supermarkets like to put less of that into your fuel to lower the cost...

[@silversx80]

+Scrumpy YOS Tetraethyllead is not an additive for increased lubricity of the fuel, but is an octane booster. The effect of the additive is to allow for increased compression ratio, which has the effect of increasing thermodynamic efficiency of the engine (read: get more power from the heat generated by the combustion). In a standard gasoline/petrol engine, the engine oil does the lubricating, not the fuel. In some common-rail diesel engines, the fuel does, in fact, lubricate some components in the high-pressure fuel pumps. Now, it is wise to buy fuel from a high-turnover (fuel, not employee) station. That will mean that your fuel is fresher, and there is less of a chance for contaminants to settle at the bottom of those stations' in-ground fuel tanks. Many times the small stations are using the same fuel supplier as the bigger stations. Source: Trust me, I'm an engineer.

[@matthewmaxwell-burton4549]

+silversx80 Ah finally some sane input. Was waiting for thermodynamics to be discused. I also know that on high compression engins a higher ron is needed to stop knocking.

[@douglasaranda2010]

I make my words Silvers', normal gasoline/diesel lubricate your engine like any hydrocarbon, with time, this starts to make your engine dirty, additives are compounds that clean your engine, with them, it may or may not have something to resist compression. For instance, if you have a low compression engine, you're just wasting money, because your car can't burn all the fuel, and you may even end up fastening wear on your car's catalyzer

[@douglasaranda2010]

Just remember that in order to burn, fire needs oxygen, lack of oxygen, lack of fire. Low compression engines normally pulls less air in the combustion chambers, which means you'll have less fuel burning, and less power too. Compressed engines, like turbocharged ones, do just what the name means, it compresses the air in a more compact manner, this way you can inject more fuel inside the combustion chamber without wasting it, making it more efficient

[@waqasahmed939]

I buy standard Shell/Esso/Texaco. I get the best results with those tbh

[@PepegaPig]

This test is old but not really relevant. Some cars like some TFSIs are supposed to run on 97 minimum.However most use 95 , but the power increases will be most valid when you tune the car, a remap combined with 99ron on a stock edition 30 golf for example will get you around 300bhp where as if you use 95 ron, you'll only get around 265.

[@nickfoster9350]

I've heard numerous times that premium, high octane fuel is a must for turbocharged engines. The supposed boost in hp is obviously pretty cool, but in the end, if it means longer engine life, I'll keep using it.

[@johnjerrehian9367]

I can feel the difference when I run regular, (87 octane) vs 93 in my Audi A6, (which has 12.5.1 compression ratio. Car does develop more power and has a smoother delivery. With this said, the high compression ration has a lot to do with it too as retarding the timing will reduce power and that is noticeable in this car

[@CaptainXDFalcon]

2:53 Life is Strange soundtrack

[@wingedstring]

5:04 just imagine that she has the clutch down all the time while speeking

[@FRS_Heero]

🤭

[@ronnie3626]

Oof :D

[@paulhaynes3613]

Having been a fan of high end octane petrol for my motorbikes and fast estate my take is this. Unless you drive hard accelerating then you probably wont noticed the difference. I accelerate hard and I do notice a difference in all my cars and motorbikes using higher octane petrol and diesel. I was glad to see Shell V Power come out on top as this is my favourite fuel but as we don't have many nearby Shell stations I tend to use BP Ultimate. I might start filling up with Shell more often now.

[@HA05GER]

Tesco has a higher Ron alot of my mates with performance cars run Tesco momentum.

[@Dackysballoons]

I never used higher octane fuel but I did use different fuel companies . I had 50 cc bike . With whatever fuel I would fill it up ,it could hardly go 60km/hr ,but with shell fuel it would go as fast as 70km/hr . As she said for every day driving you would not feel the difference ...but you would...unless you are totally not interested to pay attention . When I was driving mostly in town and using cheapest fuel in town,pioneer ,as it was on my way and closest to my house ,my 1997 honda accord would be somewhat stalling in first and second gear ,that is where I felt it most . Now I drive 2 km more just to fill it up with shell . No stalling .

[@gsilva220]

I don't think The ECU will sense a better fuel and just crank up boost pressure and ignition advancement curves indiscriminately. There are emissions in play here, especially in the UK and EU. Furthermore, the octane rating difference between those fuels is very low, and the difference between american regular and premium would make the power difference more evident.

[@joolspirog]

My 635D sport makes 356 Bhp on standard diesel & 390 on V power. Tested on rolling road. Remap by DMS of Southampton

[@NickLiang]

LOL I can't tell if you're being sarcastic....

[@joolspirog]

I am not but I do get that it's funny. I have hated Diesel engines with a passion and especially after having no choice but to sell my 996 911 turbo but the 635 goes well and can carry stuff too. I will be back in a turbo in August

[@Qthefun]

is the motor tuned for each fuel? doubt it

[@43854586]

+Qthefun With each refill, at least as the computer sees it (opening the fuel door, adding fuel), it tests the octane and if it feels it can run higher compression it will

[@allothernamesbutthis]

is it better to think of the vpower etc being just a good non aggressive fuel line cleaner?

[@Burningwhisky96]

I own a mazda 3 2019 model, when i drive 95 for a while my engine starts to feel sluggish and unstable with the rmp's every 3/4 months i put in a full tank of 98, i always notice how the engine runs way smoother as if it adapts to the new fuel and it seems quite happy like it can breath again, its worth it if you fill up once in a while :) that is ofcourse my personal experience, you deside what u want

[@robbo777cricket]

It basically works best on high compression or boosted engines.

[@SuperMKi1]

+Huw Robinson yes but then again, so does the cheap one. it is the compression that really helps with your mileage.

[@robbo777cricket]

+SuperMKi1 the difference between Lower octane and higher octane is greater with high compression or forced induction.

[@chriskey99]

+Huw Robinson Agreed!

[@SuperMKi1]

Huw Robinson yeah cause it is more likely that the fuel combusts early when it is in a high pressure environment, I do get your point.

[@thomaswolf8609]

Hi, It would be more interessting, how high the ignition advance agle would be withdrew under full throttle. Especially for tuned cars. We also compared on the dyno and on the road several fuels like Aral Ultimate 102, Shell V-Power 102, Standard "no-name" fuel. It showed quite interssting results. The 95 and 98 fuels cut the angle up to 4° which is at the end quite an amount of power loss. Regards, Tom.

[@dimmacommunication]

Do you have a video about it? Germany,right?

[@djzyx]

Apparently shell v power cleans your injectors and engine with one fill up. Tried it recently in my 2012 Honda Accord V6 HFP. I can feel a slightly quicker throttle response, but thats about it. My car is designed for 87 octane and I will continue using it until I hear knocking. No point in wasting money if the car isn't designed for better fuel.

[@stevewallis8197]

You should have also tried Tesco's 99 octane Momentum unleaded as well.

[@youngstayoung6633]

The more expensive stuff has cleaning agents and lubricant in aswell . So is better for your engine. So 4 quid extra per tank might be worth a good reliable engine?

[@siliquaesid703]

Shell V Power petrol, BP Ultimate Diesel. Engines run smoother and quieter. Stuff the mag the car is just nicer to drive.

[@foppo100]

Agree about the engine running quitter regarding my diesel engine.

[@CenobiteBeldar]

I believe I watched Engineering Explained and Jason said that higher octane fuels contain more things to help your engine run better than regular gas and that higher octane is better in the long run than regular gas as far as keeping insides clean as possible...and using the same high octane gas brand like Shell..

[@artmallory970]

i had a friend who worked in oil filing an he said they just put the 'budget' name bottles under the same tap as his company's 'brand' name tap, always been a bit suspicious of that

[@dickard8275]

How about a car that has a specific tune to 98RON? I guess there would be a bigger difference

[@dimmacommunication]

every octane makes about 1% difference,so i think not. Considering that a golf gti is born to run on 98-100 ron

[@chrisjay7736]

+dimmacommunication A standard tune on a golf gti ed35 is over 300 hp on 98.

[@BFanist]

+Tanker Buzz in a car with very high compression ratio - strongly modified or racing cars you have to use gas with higher octane number to prevent self ignition before the spark

[@dimmacommunication]

+NickLiang I don't know where you got your info ,but all german cars are optimized for 98-100 RON and can run on 95.

[@AndrewPolandATP]

What I find interesting about this is that in the U.K., y'all only use the RON number. In the states, we use the R+M/2 method for determining octane number. For those that may want to know, those numbers relate to ASTM D2699 and D2700. In petroleum laboratories, we have these two large engines named "Research Octane Motor" and "Motor Octane Motor". These two tests are virtually identical except for the instrument being used. A technician often can run the same fuel on both engines simultaneously. These tests do not account for driveability, horsepower, emissions. Rather they strictly test the detonation or "knock" of the fuel. Using a detonation meter, a sample fuel is compared to reference fuels that we blend in house out of toluene, isooctane, and heptane to specific, known octanes. The research engine simulates an engine running under more or less ideal conditions. The fuel is kept at a specific temperature as it makes its way to combustion, the engine and the air intake is kept to specific temperatures. Everything is tightly controlled by the engine operator. The motor engine is the converse. That motor is not as strictly regulated. The way the motor itself is tuned is to simulate going up hill in the wrong gear at about 35 mph. It is meant to put a strain on the fuel.Thus, at the end of the testing, we have two numbers: a MON, which represents how the fuel performs under difficult conditions, and a RON, which simulates near ideal conditions. This gives us a range of performance to expect in changing conditions on the roadway. That is why in the US we use R+M/2 method to classify our fuels. What this video does not address is certain additives and the affect that they may have on fuel system components and carbon deposits inside the combustion chamber of the engine. Octane number will not affect those questions. All octane number signifies is the likelihood of premature combustion under certain circumstances. Shell V-Power, Exxon(Esso) Supreme, BP Ultimate or any of the others all may have additives that positively or negatively affect combustion and fuel delivery conditions.

[@clarksonbarry]

A member of my family did a test on dearer petrol and found that he got better mileage on the higher octane fuel which more than payed for the higher cost.

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

Probably the best option is to get the cheapest company's fuel at the next highest octane so it's about the same price as the competitor's lower octane fuel. A few more HP from the higher octane will result.

[@spoonyspoonicus4648]

You won`t notice any real power increase but your engine will run smoother and have better throttle response. I think it makes the most difference in diesels to how your car feels though.

[@gravemind6536]

Thats because in Diesels there is a higher compression ratio and higher octane fuel boosts help high compression engines more. Also in a diesel the power is low down meaning that immediate throttle response being good already would be even better on higher octane fuel. There are more variable with petrol engines.

[@Mr330d]

Gravemind Diesels have cetane not octane

[@HiteshTailor86]

Flawed test. What about fuel economy? you said it yourself "Higher RON....more efficient" If power difference is negligible, what about mpg? That's what will convince me to spend more money on power fuels.

[@stoatythesecond888]

+Hitesh Tailor Likely any economy gain, probably marginal at best, would be negated against the additional cost of the fuel.

[@joes.7536]

My turbo vw likes 93 v-power with boostane added to bring it up to 97 octane. Potent mixture on a budget. Of course I only add the boostane once in awhile, usually for road trips.

[@ANTxMC]

Question. Would putting premium unleaded petrol in my 2-stroke 50cc scooter help with engine longevity? Or would it just be a waste of money and do more harm than good? I'm not trying to get better performance out of the bike i'm just thinking about the engine & looking after it as best as possible.

[@FKfilmphotography]

4hp you ain't feeling

[@JohanFasth]

Perhaps I'm opening a can of worms here, but I'm pretty certain that this engine is to basic to take advantage of higher octane. The more tuned an engine is it will make more difference. So a "mainstream" car will have no advantage but a performance car will. Then if there are so many cars out there that can use that advantage is an entirely different question.

[@Micknesss]

+Johan Fasth It's European with a high compression ratio and a turbo, the engine in the GTI is tuned quite well as it is (although it can be a lot better). People who drive performance cars wont be watching this and making their minds up, they know exactly what fuel they'll be putting in their cars lol

[@JohanFasth]

+IBM2217 I know what engine it is and it's not that special. I have seen better more serious tests on this subject and they did come to the conclusion that it has to do with how tuned the engine is from start. This GTI is above standard but not so much that it makes any big difference, just what they also concluded. With a performance engine it's another story, there it makes a difference. Btw, I find your statement that a person that drives that kind of a car wouldn't watch this. It's just not make any sense, it's like they wouldn't be interested in cars which in most cases should be the opposite. But that's another story. :)

[@Micknesss]

+Johan Fasth - Fair enough, some would argue that with an APR tune, the GTI's engine is quite powerful (I have one :D) but I get your point. What I meant about the people with cars that watch this is that they wont necessarily take the advice of the TV show. Car enthusiast (I have a few friends who are) would most definitely watch 5th Gear, but I'm saying that they most probably have their own beliefs about RON fuels and use additives and shit..

[@JohanFasth]

+IBM2217 I see what you mean with entusiasts now. I agree. And make no mistake, the GTI has a good engine no doubt about that. What does the cars handbook say that it should run on? It might be tuned for 95 and thus not take the advantage of the octane as much as an engine tuned for 98 octane? My car says in the owners manual that it should run on 98+ octane and the fuel consumption is actually lowered with about the same as I pay extra for the fuel. That's the only thing I can measure so... It also feels more responsive. But that is hard to say for the same reason they mentioned in this video.

[@Micknesss]

+Johan Fasth - The TSI engine in the car I have is designed for 95 RON (In Australia) but it can also run on 98 and the ECU does compensate a little bit when it is stock. However mine had the APR stage 1 tune and it made a massive difference! When I fill up 98 RON and set it to 98 mode, its very fast for a 2L engine. That being said, because it's a FWD, you get a bit of torque steer, which is why they de-tune them in the first place I believe.

[@ThomasWellner1965]

Thanks for Your Test Vicki We, in Germany have here 100 oct Shell and 102 oct ARAL(BP), it would be nice to see a test with that petrol.

[@timmuller2599]

Shell hat nur 100octan

[@zhbvenkhoReload]

I use Murphy's, HEB and SUNOCO and the best one so far of them is SUNOCO Ultra93 which actually makes me gain 4mpg on city driving. the best one I have ever had was when I went to Houston and got me Chevron with Techron. I averaged 40mpg