When I had my chauffeur company [retired 5 years ago] the last car I had was a Jag Sovereign 2.7TDV6, gorgeous car she was & sold her at 252k. 90% of the time she was on Esso diesel [garage local to me] I was pretty anal then & had a 'book' with mileages/fuel mpg on every fill up, the lot] so one month I decided to run Esso 'premium' I used three or four tank fulls every week at an extra £8 a tank then so it wasn't a cheap option. At the end of the month there was zilch difference in mpg or performance. I will spend money on a car or bike without hesitation but I honestly couldn't tell or see or feel the difference in premium diesel over standard diesel. Just as a side note, every MOT emissions she went through she passed, even at 240k the emissions readings were virtually zero, whether that's to do with oil changes every 10k or regular long runs or fuel, I don't know.
As a last note, I wouldn't use supermarket fuel under any conditions.....but that's just me, sorry. 2012 Orkney Grey Westminster 4.4TDV8 with Ivory interior.........nice!
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Just one Montesa now, 349 White Wonder
Austin A40 Farina MK2
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1973 Honda CB250 K4

Thanks all, well I put 75 worth of shell premium in let’s see how I feel after running around on it, every little bit helps with those EGR/Dpf etc add ons is my thought

I’ve had this conversation at a few ‘school reunions’ with an old buddy who’s been a tanker driver most of his working life and he’s of the strong opinion that supermarket fuel being inferior is an urban myth.

He would often deliver the exact same stuff to both supermarkets and so called premium brand petrol stations.

He puts any bad experience of certain fuels down to bad house keeping by a particular petrol station more than anything else. A bit like a pint of beer can be excellent at your local and the very same pint terrible at a pub 2 miles down the road.

As long as the fuel meets the manufacturers specification I think you’d have to be unlucky to suffer catastrophic failure due to perceived low grade fuel.

I follow one strict rule, if its running low on fuel, put more in from which ever is the closest filling station.

Personally the closest one to my house is a texaco one, which has different tankers filling it up, some texaco branded some not, other than that I tend to use the Costco forecourt in Derby.

Haven't filled up at a supermarket for ages, not through deliberate choice, but because I've come across a closer one.... Im not a believer in saving the nth penny on a litre of fuel, this is imho generally offset by having to drive 10 miles to the cheapest place, so just go to the closest.

When away from home base I will more often than not use a motorway filling stop, for convenience.

All fuel is made to an ISO standard ad trading standards are supposed to regulate and test this. So diesel is diesel, fancy diesel has stuff in it, it all now has some level of bio in it now as well and has done for years... There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

It’s an interesting debate the premium fuel one, with most people firmly on one side or the other. I did a load of googling and reading on it a couple of years ago. One thing that stuck in my mind was a fuel chemist saying that: with premium petrol, any benefit will be pretty immediate; but with diesel, it would take 5,000 to 10,000 miles for benefits to show.

I keep a nerdy fuel spreadsheet (do avoid me at parties) and run mostly V Power unleaded in my 4.4 M62. My 3.5 years of data shows that often when I’ve had the odd tank of normal BP or Esso or Texaco, that tanks mpg is a bit better. But when I thought about it, it’s probably because I tend to only fill up with normal stuff when I’m further from home and don’t know where the Shell PFSs are. So the difference I am seeing is almost certainly down to longer journeys than the fuel.

I use V Power because I tell myself it’s the kindest thing to do for a high mileage engine and it might stave off the point where it needs a rebuild a bit longer. But that’s probably more superstition than science! 2004 L322 4.4 V8 Vogue Bonatti Grey
(205,500 miles and counting.......)

As SS.Lyria says it's all the same stuff.

I used to get a weekly email telling me where the cheapest petrol was in my area (usually Asda) but since Costco Derby started selling fuel I always go there, just down the road and reliably cheap. Range Rover 4.2 Supercharged 2006
Ford Focus EcoBoost 1.5 2017
MG TF 2003

Previous Cars of note
Land Rover Discovery 2
Jaguar Mk2 3.8 - Company car
MG Midget 1974 - Concours

It is most definitely not all the same. There are different standards for the different types available. There are different labels and then also different RON.

Really don’t understand how these tails of it’s all the same come about.

Its, all from the same refinary, base stock is the same for texaco, bp, shell, asda, morrison etc etc, additional additives are blended into the base stock at the companies requirements to increase octane and antiknock and clean running capabilities.

On all range rovers you might as well just use the cheapest you can get because thats, what they're designed to run on 😊.

If it makes you feel better to put the most expensive stuff in carry on, but really its not necessary.


And anyway my tvr always went faster when I'd washed it.....

😎

I'm a big fan of washing etc as well - my car always goes better when it gets some TLC. I'll leave the conclusionless debate about fuel to others - obviously it keeps everyone amused in lockdown Geoff

EN 590:2009 gives the minimum standard for the current Diesel at all the pumps. All fuel sold in the UK and Europe needs to meet that. Some may be better. None are be allowed to be worse.

So the argument over are some fuels better than others, possibly yes. But in answer do all fuels meet and comply with what the car was designed to run on, obviously yes, the supermarket fuels will be closer to the base level without additives, the premium will have anti deposit additives and cleaning agents added, these should help reduce deposits on injectors etc over extended periods. The question is would any one notice the difference in running the car over a few years/20,000 miles on just premium fuel. The answer is probably no. If a vehicle was run its entire life on a premium fuel with cleaners in it then yes I would hazard a guess there would be less deposits on injector systems etc as the car aged.

Costco fuel is quite highly regarded, no idea what refinery it comes from though, could be any. Their signature diesel has anti deposit additives similar to premium diesels, at a much reduced cost, so if I’m close, that’s where I’ll go, premium fuel yes, but just cheaper, and given that I generally I don’t care which brand I put in any benefit from the odd tank of V power etc would go entirely un-noticed! There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

This is petrol, not diesel, but I think it helps illustrate the benefits of special cleaners in fuel. Premium fuel is convenient, but specialist additives are better and are better value.

 L405 P400e Autobiography (MY2020)... Silicon Silver / Espresso

All petroleum fuels are produced by a few refineries, most are owned and operated by companies other than the big brand oil companies and most fuel stations are now not owned by the big oil companies but are franchises. Neither Shell or BP refine in the UK now.

Again fuels for a supermarket or fuel station, private or branded come from the same refinery, same processes etc. yes the different RON fuels are different but they are still made in the same refineries.

A little research on Google will show you what you need to know, also check out tests done on ‘premium fuels’ by various companies etc, the only difference is when an engine is tuned (ignition advance, compression or boost) for a high RON fuel it will loose power on a low grade fuel, OEM’s don’t do this as they don’t know what the customer will put in.

Having worked at some refineries across the globe I believe it’s all marketing... just put the correct grade of fuel recommended for your car... putting a higher quality / higher RON fuel will not improve your fuel consumption or power.

You are very unlikely to pick up ‘dirty’ fuel in modern fuel stations, transportation and storage is very strictly controlled and fuel tanks are regularly inspected independently by law to make sure they are fit for purpose, clean and not leaking external or internally.

 Range Rover 4.2 Supercharged 2006
Ford Focus EcoBoost 1.5 2017
MG TF 2003

Previous Cars of note
Land Rover Discovery 2
Jaguar Mk2 3.8 - Company car
MG Midget 1974 - Concours

Just because something comes out of the same “factory” does not have to mean it is the same. Foxconn makes iPads for Apple and Kindle for Amazon, as an example. The parameters of manufacturing aren’t just different products but also to entirely different quality criteria and many other difference. Yet they do all follow regulatory standards. That doesn’t mean that the iPad and the Kindle are the same.

And yes definitely the vehicle adjust for the type/quality of the fuel. It rarely causes issues these days. But that doesn’t mean that when you put better stuff in it it won’t run better. 👍

Some of these engines are well tuned already, I’d would treat them well and make the most of the performance on offer given the choice.

I'm surprised BP or Shell havent tried marketing premium electricity for EV's, electrons with added whoomph, leaves your fuses and semiconductors cleaner for a longer life LOL BMW i3 Electric Car
2012 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8 (now gone)
2006 VW Touareg 3.0 TDi V6