Using Top Tier Gas or Discount Gas for the Best Gas Mileage

Top tier gasoline has more additives than cheap gas to fight deposits on car engines; however, using top tier gasoline versus discount or cheap gasoline may not have enough benefits to make paying the extra price worthwhile.

I saw a billboard advertising Union 76 along the 91 and 57 freeways near Anaheim that read "Our top tier gas will make your car last longer." Nice advertising for Union 76 but it may be an overstatement.

I recently asked a mechanic who owns a BMW what octane and brand of gasoline he prefers and he told me it really doesn't matter. He says he'll use ARCO in his car and not worry about it.

I've had other BMW owners state they only use 91 octane since that's what the manual recommends. Certainly, sticking with the owner's manual is a good idea but it may not be essential to guarantee a cleaner car engine.

The co-author of the book Car Advice for Women (and Smart Men), Susan Winlaw, told an interviewer that "there is no legitimate need to ever put premium fuel in your vehicle."

Different brands use different additives

Oil companies swap base gasoline all the time. But the additives used in the gasoline are different. I came across an online article from a chemist who only used premium gasoline in his Corvette. He then makes an argument for using one brand of gasoline for 5,000 miles and then switching brands for another 5,000 miles to get rid of the deposits that build up on car engines. His premise, as a chemist, is the deposits can develop a type of "immunity" to the additives after a certain number of miles.

Do gas additives increase mileage?

Drivers may buy mileage boosters, gasoline additives, from Kragen or AutoZone. But John Fanning, writing on the website Chiefengineer.org says don't bother: The first rule of gasoline additives for all consumers to understand is that gasoline additives have pretty much always been offered - right at the gas pump. And if someone is interested in finding ways to increase their gas mileage through additives, increasing the grade of gasoline you use is a pretty good first-step.

One way to test gas mileage in a vehicle is to use one brand for 1,000 miles and check the miles per gallon. Then switch to another brand for the next 1,000 miles and check the mileage.

Road conditions and driving habits need to remain similar for an accurate comparison.

Vehicle maintenance

Keeping your vehicle properly maintained is another way to keep the fuel efficiency stable and operating at its peak.

We own a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, a 2000 Chevy Astro Van and a 1989 Dolphin motor home on a Toyota truck bed (we're not trying to impress the neighbors or family).

Our Dolphin motor home was getting about 10 miles or 11 miles to the gallon and it was overheating easily while driving up moderate to steep grades. The same mechanic who told me he doesn't care what gasoline he used in his BMW installed a new fan clutch, a new radiator, and a new thermostat for $ 900.00. I recently checked the mileage and the motor home got 13 miles to the gallon on a recent trip to the mountains where there was a gain of almost 6,000 feet over 30 miles.

That's an extreme example of maintenance improving the performance of a vehicle; but regular tune-ups and changing air filters and dirty oil may mean that using 87 octane is enough to keep your vehicle running well.