I currently moved to Boston, Mass. from Vancouver, Canada, and was really surprised at the lack of top-tier gasoline in the area. In Canada, I am used to using either Chevron or Shell V-Power. Here, the only "good" gas seems to be Sonoco Ultra. But I am not sure if the Sunoco Ultra in the USA is a top-tier gas. In Ontario, Sunoco Ultra is rated as a top-tier gasoline. Is this the same stuff as that sold in the USA?

I really believe in the top-tier gasoline keeping the engine running smooth.

 

I'm lucky enough to have a Shell right where I work. Unfortunately, my wife drives the RDX so my Audi gets the shell v-power. According to the list of "approved" gas stations that audi gave me Gulf is only one i can remember off the top of my head. Stay away from mobil/exxon if possible. of course shell would be the best imo.

this is going to be the first winter for us with the rdx. the tires are pretty worn out (we bought a used '08 with 20k miles) so we'll be able to see how much the SH-AWD can make up for the lack of tread.

 

First of all, what do you mean by Top Tier? You want brand name? I believe that most gasoline stations serve the same from different taps...with some exceptions off course.
I think that what you are experiencing is a difference from the blends in Canada and the US blends....If you think that it is bad, wait for winter time blends....

 

Great point, I forgot to mention that. In my audi i go from 32mpg in the summer to 24-26mpg in winter... awful! i'm sure that would put the rdx in the <20mpg for sure. we get around 22-24mpg on the rdx right now.

 

[QUOTE=dzasta;11366318]Stay away from mobil/exxon if possible.

Why? I've always used Mobil/Exxon in all my cars, and have never had a problem. Is there something I should know?

Mike

 

First of all, if you google "Top-tier", you will come to a site that talks about what it is. It is the designation of gasoline that has detergency that far exceeds Govt. EPA requirements, and these top-tier gas companies have to ensure that the gasoline continues to meet this superior detergency level (some as much as 5-10 times the EPA level), and also their detergent package has data to show superior deposits control.

So far, Shell, Chevron, Sunoco Canada, 76, meets this rating.

It is not about the gas mileage thing. I agree with you, when winter comes, the gas consumption goes down. This is true on the eastern seaboard of USA, and true of north western USA as well.

The top-tier gasoline is all about superior control of engine deposits. The Govt. minimum level of detergent level requirement has been shown not to be adequate for long term engine deposit control.