Besides Shell and Chevron, what other Top Tier brands are best?
Posted by RevolutionLeast8587@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 67 comments
Shell V-Power and Chevron (with Techron) are usually considered the gold standard for Top Tier fuel and strong detergent packages.
What I also like is that they seem to have tighter quality control across distribution — especially with fuel transport and additive blending — which gives more confidence in consistency from refinery to station.
Costco is Top Tier too, but they don’t control the fuel supply chain the same way.
So which brands would you put right behind Shell and Chevron for detergent quality and overall fuel consistency?
sendme_your_cats@reddit
So I usually run 40% ethanol in my tank. 60% 93 Costco fuel and 40% Kroger's ethanol.
I've done pulls with only 93 from Costco , Shell, Citgo, Conoco, and Valero.
I run log during all these pulls and to no one's suprise the Costco 93 + Kroger ethanol resulted in 17 degrees advanced timing we with 0 timing being pulled. This is at 21psi from the turbo too.
Costco/Shell V power by itself resulted in timing corrections but nothing too bad. 2 degrees retarded timing in a few cylinders.
Citgo conoco and Valero were absolute dogshit. Timing corrections across the board and noticeable loss in power due to the ECU pulling timing to prevent damage.
So when you consider that premium fuel at Costco costs me 3.10 and it's performance being the same as the expensive ass Shell v power it, it's a no brainer.
Add ethenol to your car tuned for it and then you're cooking
LimeDapper228@reddit
Being an educated automotive mechanic and aircraft mechanic25 years.....My company has surplus 100 octane leaded waste fuel [ fuel drained cannot be put back into air craft due to chance of contamination) And the company has to pay for hazardous material disposal.BIG MONEY. I VE BEEN RUNNING IT STRAIGHT I. MY OLD TRUCK AND CAR. MY O2 CHEVY TRUCK AND RAV 4 I MIX IT HALF AVIATION AND TOP TIER REGULAR. NO PROBLEMS RUN SOME FUEL CLEANER THRU THEM OCCASIONALLY. SO MUTCH STUFF ON INTERNET IS BULL SCHIST. AND ALOT IS TRYING TO BE HELPFUL AND PEOPLE WONT LISTEN.........USE EITHER TOP TIER OR OCCASIONALLY TECHROLINE FUEL TREATMENT WITH PEA. OR BETTER YET RED LINE BRAND FUEL TREATMENT WITH PEA.
Ok-Pomegranate-6885@reddit
How can I be assured gasolines are what they say they are?
Dierks_Ford@reddit
They’re all the same. Even non top tier gas is fine.
More-Frosting2828@reddit
That's not true, research the information
Dierks_Ford@reddit
I have. Gas that’s not top tier can meet or exceed the top tier standard. They just haven’t paid for the label. The gas all comes from the same place.
krypto_klepto@reddit
For a Ford fusion
steveoa3d@reddit
What kind of answers are you expecting to get from this group? How many people in this group have run distillation tests on gasoline to see what the quality is ? I’ve been a petroleum products inspector in state government for almost 30 years. I have sampled and tested product from refineries, terminals and retail stations.
You are actually asking what companies marketing to you believe the most unless you are actually testing the product you have no idea the actual quality. What matters most is the distillation points not what brand of additive it has.
You mentioned Top Tier is the gold standard. The gold standard of what? marketing ? Top Tier is just a double shot of the same base additive that all gasoline gets. “Twice as much is twice as good, gold standard!” Ok whatever…
Here’s how it works in the US. All the gasoline base product gets shipped into the regional terminals. Often this is by pipeline from the gulf refineries in the south.
The same batches of product gets divided into the different terminals and then the additive for the brands is added when the transport truck is filled.. Enter the code for BP, get the BP additive, code for Shell, get the Shell additive with the same exact base product coming from the same tanks.
Before the additive is added the product is sampled and tested (by me) to make sure it meets all minimum requirements for product quality. This is what is the most important factor in how the product will perform.
The end user doesn’t know what they are getting, no idea what the IBP is, what the FBP is, no idea the RVP is, no idea if the product meets the advertised octane numbers.
So if all the product in your region is the same base product with just a small amount of brand specific additives, how is a user going to have a favorite brand based on anything tangible?
Again all marketing, how can BP get you to choose its gas over Shell when it’s 99.99% the same gasoline delivered from the same terminal tank. “The additive is what makes it better”
aeroG1@reddit
Thanks for this. Don’t think anyone can argue with the facts on sourcing. But about the additives, there seem to be studies indicating they do make a difference. I am not qualified to have a real meaningful opinion on these things but you are. Curious what you think of this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/velugh/comment/icr99ne/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
OberonsGhost@reddit
One thing I can add to this (which is a great answer) is thast additive is usually added before the gas is shipped to the station but Costco mixes the gas and additive at the pump (they have a separate additive tank which its product is delivered separately.)
steveoa3d@reddit
Not all Costco’s do that, the two Costco’s I inspect do a diesel additive on site but not a gasoline additive….
OberonsGhost@reddit
Well, I just worked here in the western US and the company I worked for did not do them al. The ones I checked all did though.
wickedcold@reddit
Just hoping you can clarify, you say that top-tier just means that it gets twice as much of the same additive as regular cheap gas. But then you’re saying “press the BP button to get the BP additive”. So it seems like you’re saying two different things. What is the stuff going into the “generic” gas, I assume they’re not hitting the “Sunoco button” for stuff going to an unbranded pump in front of a MA state inspection station.
steveoa3d@reddit
Sometimes the brands like BP use the double shot for Top Tier and in other markets they use the proprietary additives. Think BP calls it “invigorate”. Shell has V-Power but they may also be calling it just Top Tier. Doesn’t matter, it’s all just marketing…
Costco doesn’t have a branded Costco only additive so it’s always “Top Tier”.
At the terminals there are separate ASTs for the different additives for the different brands. Some terminals may have a BP additive tank and some may not..
DblDueces222@reddit
My belief, I guess based on marketing, is that the base gas is the same for a region and the difference is the additive. For example, Shell V Power claims better and more detergents and other things such as lubricants. Other brands have their proprietary add packs. Are you saying these don’t matter at all - that unbranded gas with the minimum govt required additives is the same as Shell V Power or Exxon SynPower? I’d think the higher end additives packages have to do something and are a differentiator?
osorojo_@reddit
I know top-teir is just a branding exercise, but I have no way to do the testing you do. Do you have any advice?
RevolutionLeast8587@reddit (OP)
I believed that too until I saw the recent Denver contamination story where diesel was accidentally mixed into gasoline and sold at multiple stations.
https://www.denverpost.com/2026/03/06/bad-gas-cause-sinclair-denver/
That’s the kind of issue I’m talking about. With Shell and Chevron, contamination events like that are extremely rare because of how tightly they manage fuel handling, additive blending, and logistics.
It’s not just marketing — it’s about quality control and consistency from terminal to pump.
steveoa3d@reddit
The article literally says a valve was left open at the terminal causing the contamination.
The product at the terminal could be sold as 10 different brands depending on your region. Stations buy from whomever has the best price on that days. A Citgo station will buy from Flint Hills or Buckeye or BP if the price is better.
The consumer has no way of knowing what terminal the product comes from and no way of avoiding contaminated product if a valve is left open. That’s where petroleum products inspectors like myself come in to sample and test at the terminals.
Your plan of avoiding a brand because you believe that brand is exclusive to a terminal that had a contaminated product event won’t work.
cl0udmaster@reddit
It is unfortunate that this post is buried at the end of these peabrained answers up above. It's all the same shit. Suckers gonna overpay.
Specialist_Name_7295@reddit
I really want someone to tell me, seriously, that they would be able to tell the difference between their “preferred” brand and another major brand by driving/how their engine is running. Please. Seriously. Tell me and explain how you know.
BreakFun2436@reddit
If you do oil analysis it shows up in fuel dilution from dirty injectors and viscosity breakdown. I've got a few thousand dollars invested in samples. Kwik Trip(first one to adopt Top Tier certification) lost their detergent supply in some fire in Germany or something during COVID, my samples changed significantly. Nothing else changed, not miles driven, not oil, not the filter. Just the fuel I was using. There is a KT on every corner of every town in WI so it's hard not to use them. I now use Cenex and BP top tier or add a fuel additive if I use Kwik Trip fuel. The difference isn't immediate as detergents take time to work and it takes time to have a negative effect not using them.
ThatBayAreaGuy718@reddit
Prob only exon/mobil and 76…my num 1 is shell 91 tho then Costco even tho it’s not as smooth as shell but price is really good.
Unlucky_Wolverine_85@reddit
This sub is full of so many idiots
Specialist_Name_7295@reddit
I mean, it IS pretty funny to watch people argue different brands that all use Top Tier/proprietary detergent blends are somehow better because. Im by no means a mechanic or ….gas…ologist..? but I would assume of course you want an additive/detergent blend in your gas. Outside of a reputable brand of that, which pretty much if not all major station brands use I’m pretty sure, I refuse to believe anyone can tell the difference beyond someone in a lab lol.
ThatBayAreaGuy718@reddit
How can you not tell lol? My car runs the smoothest on shell 91 then the only other fuel I’ve used is Costco and I can def feel the engine and throttle isn’t as smooth…I’m pretty sure shell and chevron are the gold standard for additives as they always charge the most. However, even tho arco is “top tier” I wouldn’t trust it as I’ve head they’ve had shitty gas in the day
krypto_klepto@reddit
Mobil runs fantastic in my bmw 440i
Specialist_Name_7295@reddit
So if I put Shell in you’d totally be able to tell the difference right?
krypto_klepto@reddit
If I put Costco in I'd be able to tell the difference
set-monkey@reddit
Shell is shit. Mobile, Exxon, Sunoco.
Specialist_Name_7295@reddit
I’d LOVE for you to explain why and somehow not sound stupid.
set-monkey@reddit
My car runs like shit every time I use Shell. Suck it!
rtshtbtshtdrtyldtwt@reddit
I like Sinclair because their mascot is a dinosaur and we are filling our cars with dinosaurs
gcnplover23@reddit
Dinosaur plants, not T Rex.
rolph4@reddit
They're always the cheapest Top Tier station in Los Angeles, and I get 15cent or more discount per gallon when using their app. But I religiously use them for their Dino mascot.
AbeFroman42@reddit
Cheaper than Costco?
rolph4@reddit
Costco is 10ct cheaper than regular Sinclar prices here, but 5ct more expensive if you have the Sinclair app. Sinclair app is free, Costco membership is not. If you have a membership anyway, get gas at Costco, if not, get gas at Sinclair.
DharmaBummed69@reddit
Our Costco here is right on the edge of a reservation and they match the Siclair that is a down the way on the rez for the base price without the 10 cent discount.
AbeFroman42@reddit
Ah yeah I didn’t factor in the cost of the membership. Makes sense
D-Alembert@reddit
FWIW, oil comes from ancient plant matter, not animals
rtshtbtshtdrtyldtwt@reddit
>FWIW, oil comes from ancient plant matter, not animals
TIL, but hmmm
is it possible I'm filling my car with dinosaur turds?
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
Plot Twist: It's all SOLAR ENERGY!
The hydrocarbons that become fuels were originally created by plants via photosynthesis.
Ichno@reddit
There are 4 kerogen’s that generate oil. In different settings. Source rocks that create oil can actually be finger printed to where they were generated. Oil typing has all kinds of uses in oil exploration, refinement and manufacturing. For example the Uintah Basin in Utah has very waxy crude that derives from algae and plants in a lake environment. Black, green and yellow wax can get different pricing depending on market conditions.
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
Plot Twist: It's all SOLAR ENERGY!
The hydrocarbons that become fuels were originally created by plants via photosynthesis.
Canelosaurio@reddit
They're just a cheap ripoff of Dinoco. They just changed the color, the bastards.
Ichno@reddit
Geologist here. No you aren’t. Sorry to burst your bubble. But a fun fact, Sinclair was involved in the Tea Pot Dome Scandal over 100 years ago.
rtshtbtshtdrtyldtwt@reddit
TIL but that is a fun fact indeed! I'm gonna keep going to the corrupt dinosaur. I feel like the dinosaur needs a tiny top hat and tea pot now
pseudonym7083@reddit
+1 for Wyoming oil.
mpython1701@reddit
Exxon?
OberonsGhost@reddit
I did testing on gas stations all over the western US states and I use Costco gas whenever possible. If not Costco, then I will use Chevron, These 2 are head and shoulders over any other station I checked.
steveoa3d@reddit
You distilled the samples and the boiling points were better ?
RevolutionLeast8587@reddit (OP)
Not sure you if you are referring to my comment or other posters
The fuel mixup happened and people were affected by that?
RevolutionLeast8587@reddit (OP)
https://www.kktv.com/2026/01/14/colorado-springs-costco-gas-station-among-40-impacted-by-fuel-contamination/
NarcoCow@reddit
Does it matter? I run Costco 87/93 every chance I get, otherwise it’s whatever is cheapest/most convenient
LITTELHAWK@reddit
Exxon/Mobil would be next.
Conoco/Philips after that.
Anything else is probably about the same.
foolproofphilosophy@reddit
Costco
freshoilandstone@reddit
Sunoco 93 is what my Volvo uses. It seems to like it.
SuggestionOrnery6938@reddit
Amen
Gladiz1972@reddit
We have so many Wawa stations now in South FL usually they are the least expensive I use them mostly
sheltonchoked@reddit
The secret is that all base gasoline comes from the same terminals. The additives are added at delivery or as the trucks that take it to the stations are filled.
Techron is the best additive. But all top tier gasoline is very good.
TrueKing9458@reddit
It all comes thru the same pipeline. The larger brands without their own refinery are often buying tank bottoms. Not always the best stuff.
Costco puts their own additive in at the retail station.
osmiumblue66@reddit
Citgo. I hit them in a pinch, Shell is my go-to.
thisismydayjob_@reddit
I'm a fan of Cenex, but only because it's one of the only top tier options near me. Maverick just moved in, but I don't know anything about their gas. Quik Trip is the "it'll do" option otherwise.
Immediate-Share7077@reddit
Marathon, they use STP additives
RevolutionLeast8587@reddit (OP)
Hmm, I found this https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/is-marathon-petroleum-dropping-their-stp-partnership.399730/
Immediate-Share7077@reddit
Interesting - I am from the midwest and all the marathon gas signs still say STP additives on them. Wonder if they just need to update it
If they ended the partnership, then whatever new generic additive is probably not as good as v power or chevron.
RevolutionLeast8587@reddit (OP)
Was STP on par with Shell V-Power?
Immediate-Share7077@reddit
I would consider them in the upper echelon but I think V power is the best out there