Every driver watches the price of gas as it continues to climb, costing them more with each fill-up. Those same drivers are looking for ways to keep their overall vehicle expenses down. It’s a tug of war on the wallet.
Obviously, there is not a lot of trust in our gas suppliers when it comes to pricing and the potential of price-fixing and gouging. That said, drivers can feel confident that there are regulations in place to ensure that the gas they buy meets certain standards. While some drivers focus on price per gallon and others on getting gas from their local station, in reality, they should be looking for a gas station because of the gas it sells. Top tier gas is not a myth.
Isn’t all fuel the same?
Many of us assume that all gasoline brands are similar and work the same in every car. And they are – to a point.
All gas that is sent to any station must meet certain standards. It’s all refined the same way but many companies go a step further and use additives to create their own blend in the hopes of winning over more customers. They use the draw of improved engine performance and cleaner driving in the hopes that people will decide to put their car care above higher gas prices. Fuel detergents are one of the ingredients used to enhance and protect your car’s engine and are a big part of top tier selling points.
While all brands meet certain standards, top tier gasoline brands go above and beyond when it comes to detergents as set out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They claim that this gas, though usually more expensive, helps keep your engine healthier.
Myth or reality?
Top Tier
Whether we want to believe it or not, top tier gas is not really a myth. This gas has higher standards that were set out by a group of vehicle makers. It began in 2004 as they wanted to protect their high-end and high-tech engines. The automakers felt that the EPA standards were too weak and they needed more. Companies such as Audi, BMW, Fiat-Chrysler, and others that make cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles all got on board. While these companies set the standards, though, it is the oil companies that have to make the mix the meets top tier. To create top tier gas, they are putting in additives to get rid of the build-up of deposits and reduce valve issues. All this is tested and monitored. You can not be a top tier station without having the gas that it requires. If you make top tier, then you can use the logo so drivers know where to find you.
Check out this video from Chrisfix showing what the best fuel to use in your car is:
Why Top Tier?
While the top tier can make as many comments as it wants about what its products can do for your car, it’s the studies and EPA monitoring that count. The top tier is meant to keep your engine in good shape by keeping the intake valves, fuel injectors, and combustion chambers free of the deposits that unburned gas leaves behind. These claims have been backed up by research done by AAA and MotorWeek. Engines that use top tier gas show that they have 19 times fewer deposits in their engines compared to regular gas.
If you decide not to use top tier gas, your car will still run okay but you may notice some issues cropping up sooner than when using top tier gas. If you decide to go the top tier route, you will find that any previous damage may be reversed. You can either hold the status quo or move up to better engine performance.
While the top tier gas myth isn’t true, its higher cost is no myth at all. The higher detergent means slightly higher costs. But only slightly. It tends to be about three cents per gallon more expensive so the price difference is not extreme. The financial benefits will be found after long term use. The savings come in the form of fewer repairs, maintenance, and better fuel efficiency. The short term costs will be higher but overall vehicle costs should be less.
Top tier fuel also reduces the chances of getting water in your fuel tank!
Final Thoughts
Using top tier gas is something many do not consider due to the price and disbelief that the product is better. A lot of people believe that top tier gasoline claims are a myth made up by gas stations and the car makers to make more money. This belief causes people to choose low or mid-level tiers to save some money and feel that they have beaten the system. In reality, they would save their hard-earned cash if they read the studies and used the product.
While top tier seems somewhat pretentious, it helps any engine run with above-average results. You don’t need to have a high-end German car to notice the difference. While using low to mid-level doesn’t cause damage, it doesn’t help either. You really need to look at how you want to save money and when. If you need to save a little bit of money in the short term, low and mid-tier are the way to go. But, if you want to save money in the long term, then the top tier is it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, preventing car issues early on saves you money by avoiding repair costs when the engine is full of deposits that could have been avoided. So, while the top tier gas myth is not, in fact, a myth, you have to decide for yourself whether it is worth the cost now or later.