Fuel grades test and the price of petrol these days

[GPH]

Watching a three year old Fifth Gear on the Quest channel (every Sunday at 7pm) and they did a test of the higher grade petrols I'm sure we all run our Vees on.
Firstly the cheapest 95ron petrol from Asda was £1.36 a litre ! I forgot it was that expensive ! 99p these days in west London.

They tested 5 fuels in a 2012 Golf GTI 35 and checked the bhp on a rolling road and the most expensive fuel, the 97ron BP Ultimate that I often use, gave only 0.6bhp more than normal BP Unleaded and 0.9 bhp more than ASDA. what a rip off!
Results were
Fuel BHP Price
Shell V power 98ron 240.9 £1.45
Esso Supreme 98ron 240.5 £1.44
BP Ultimate 97ron 236.7 £1.47
BP Unleaded 95ron 236.1 £1.39
Asda regular 95ron 235.8 £1.36
A tank of fuel cost £4.94 per tank more for the winner Shell V Power compared to just filling it up at Asda with 95ron

 

[Kett]

I remember another article (in evo magazine) where they found the performance 'higher than expected' at Asda and 'lower than expected' with Performance fuels.
Their summation was that the supermarket fuels which sold quicker were less likely to degrade (or oxidize).

Seems feasible...

 

[clarkeeuk99]

Kett, that is exactly what I read regarding this tests (i.e., that the rate at which they shift the fuel is more conducive to a higher performance fuel).

Regarding the benefits of these fuels though, I have read that the higher octane fuels are "cleaner" for your engine (injectors, etc). I have no idea how true that is.

I always put high octane in the Vee because it's allegedly "tuned" for it. Conversely, I always put 95 in my Porsche 944 S2 as it's more of a period car that it "tuned" for that grade of fuel.

 

[rustedandrotten]

Bio ethanol added to ordinary 95ron is hygroscopic and wreaks havoc if you leave your car for any length of time and is also very prone to attacking seals, none in the 'performance' grades so better from that perspective. Overwinter storing with ordinary unleaded not really ideal and the uptake of water leads to ropey running until the tank is cleared.

 

[ed_harland]

Bio ethanol added to ordinary 95ron is hygroscopic and wreaks havoc if you leave your car for any length of time and is also very prone to attacking seals, none in the 'performance' grades so better from that perspective. Overwinter storing with ordinary unleaded not really ideal and the uptake of water leads to ropey running until the tank is cleared.

As far as I am aware the only fuel now without ethanol is Esso supreme

 

[Ali]

Use Tesco is all my cars! I'd choose it over Shell/BP etc.

 

[matt.v10]

Shell v power every time... Wouldn't go near a supermarket.

 

[ed_harland]

As for me I run a lot of older vehicles and have seen the damage ethanol will do. So I won't go near a fuel with ethanol if I have a choice, which we do with Esso Supreme at the moment.

Renault 5 GT turbo guess which one used fuel with Ethanol