It means that those gasoline brands sell fuels that provide more and better additives. They have created a Top Tier gasoline designation. Some automakers and oil companies believe that the amount of government-required additives isn't enough to protect engines. More additives essentially afford more protection - but they also cost more. The real difference is the amount of additives that are in the gas, Nielsen says. "If you buy gas from Bob's Bargain Basement gas station because that's all that's available, it won't hurt your car," he says. "It's not like any of the fuels are totally junk," says John Nielsen, director of engineering and repair for the AAA. This extra shot of additives provides an additional level of cleaning and protection for your engine.īut is this extra helping of additives, which jacks up the price, really necessary? And, if you don't use more expensive, extra-additive gas, how soon will your engine's performance suffer? Then, the different gas companies - both off-brand and major brands - put their own additive packages in the gas to further boost both cleaning and performance.Ī key difference is that the major brands put more additives in their gas and claim to have some secret ingredients. Workers there mix additives mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency into the base gas in order to clean a car's engine and reduce emissions. The fuel from different filling stations comes from a common source: the "base gas" from a refinery. Steve Mazor, chief automotive engineer with the Automobile Club of Southern California, summed it up this way: "Buy the cheapest gas that is closest to you."īut this doesn't mean that all gas is the same, even though it starts out that way. They can buy the less expensive gas and still be OK. People with older cars might not be as concerned about their engine's longevity. Still, spending a few extra pennies per gallon might provide peace of mind to someone who just purchased a new car and wants to keep it as long as possible. You're unlikely to hurt your car by using it.īecause of the advances in engine technology, a car's onboard computer is able to adjust for the inevitable variations in fuel, so most drivers won't notice a drop off in performance between different brands of fuel, from the most additive-rich gas sold by the major brands to the bare-bones stuff at your corner quickie mart. It boils down to this: You can stop worrying about cheap gas. But you can't get rid of the nagging fear: Is the cheap gas going to damage your car's engine?Į put this question to experts in several fields, including an automotive engineer at a major carmaker, gasoline manufacturers and two engineers with the American Automobile Association (AAA). You'd like to save a few pennies per gallon more by going to an off-brand gas station. You already shy away from premium fuel, knowing that your car doesn't require it. Gasoline is expensive and you're looking for every way possible to save money at the pump.
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