waymay1305

Is it possible that my avergage mpg could increase by using a certain brand of gasoline. My 04 TL (automatic) had been averaging 21 mpg with a combination of city/highway driving. I had been using Chevron gasoline and now I'm averaging 22-23 with the use of Shell gasoline. Is this just a fluke?

AdamNJ

Are you using the same Octane from both places? I know that some brands premium is 91 oct, and some are 93 oct (depending on your location). From what I've read, fuel is pretty much the same from all these places, its just the additives that they put in the fuel that make it 'special' for that brand.

Ron A

It's possible. Sometimes a particular gas will just suit your car better. But probably just a fluke. Time will tell.

Shouldn't make any difference if it is 91 or 93 octane. The manual says 91 octane, and all the octane does is keep it from knocking, so 93 won't make any difference in the gas mileage.

Shell sells for about 10 cents more a gallon than any other gasoline around here, so a gain of 1 mpg would still cost me money, but I would save a little if it was 2 mpg.

Smittymac

You could add one of thoes tornado things. I don't know much about them, but they say they work. Even if you gain 1 - 2 mpg that would pay for it's self in a few months.

srhewes

Shell advertises a "clean" gas (i think it's called V-Power) that may explain some better mileages. But it may be just a marketing ploy to get you to buy their 93 octane fuel. However, I use the Shell 93 octane almost exclusively and am getting 32 mpg highway and 23-24 around town. I have 7,000 miles on my 04TL/AT. But I don't accelerate fast and when on the highway keep it around 70 max.

Lore

I am at 13,750 miles right now and have seen an average of about 25 or 26 mpg with combined city and highway driving. The highway driving is a lot of stop and go but a few strips of 65mph cruising...

Not too bad, in my opinion. It used to be a lot worse when I was doing strictly city driving (21 mpg).

clc

Shell's V-power (93 Octane) sounds like a gimmick...but I swear I do get better mpg. I was a sworn ExxonMobil Premium guy until I switched over--I can easily get over 300 mi per tank before the light comes on with mixed city/highway driving with Shell.

You can get 10% off Shell gas if you get their credit card through CitiBank for the first 3 months, I think. After that, it's 5% and 1% from everything else besides gas. I get about one free tank of gas per month from using the card.

G
'02 NBP TLS w/Nav

HiG4s

Higher compression engines need higher octane to stop knocking (pre-detonation). Higher octane keeps the car from knocking because it burns slower making it less efficient.. The most power and/or best gas mileage will be with the lowest octane that does not knock. Although I doubt the difference between 91 and 93 would be noticable.

Xpditor

Don't do it. If they worked, Acura would have installed them at the factory. They are bogus.

It's more likely that your car is just breaking in normally.

Using the same gas, I went from 17 MPG in mixed driving to 21-22 after I hit 3500 miles. I'm still not all broken in.

Hybrid

Who's "they"? It's a complete gimmick, as are all "miracle gas savers." If any of them worked, wouldn't the car makers be using them too, for a competitive advantage?

madehtsobi

ever since i got my 05 wdp tl i and now it has less than 3500 miles

ve been getting the shell vpower gas and i only get less than 24-25mpg with mixed driving....and i dont push my car either

im thinking about switching to chevron with techron next to see if there is any difference

kefler

One interesting thing about 'brands' of gas. The gas line from texas to here broke about a year ago. When it broke, all gas stations, all octane ratings had no gas, had to get it trucked in from CA.

Basically all gas comes from one pipe, and when they plan on sending 91 instead of 87 they actually send it right down the same pipe, and just time when the new stuff should have arrived at the destination through the pipe.

AdamNJ

Also the guy at my exxon station said that for plus (the one in the middle), all they do i a 60/40 mix with of the other two octanes.

pettydw

Shell claims a few percent MPG difference on their website, which I remember calculating at less than 1 MPG difference for our cars.