Fuel type & mpg.... Does it work?

[mwyndhamlewis]

I've got an 08 Leon FR TDi... 33k. 10 months old... I like to think the engine is worn in by now. Since the fuel prices have dropped a bit I've started using Shell Ultimate Diesel rather than just the cheapest in the area (helps work are paying most of it!) I think ive noticed a difference, a little bit in performance / grunt but also in mpg / miles per tank. Gone from c. 42mpg average on the car to just shy of 44mpg and now gone from around 510~520 miles per tank to 550 plus depending on journey... Anyone else found similar? Or better? What fuels are people using? Tried the BP version but the difference between standard and their performance diesel doesnt warrant it.

Fridge

 

[J0N]

For petrol engines, I was using Sainsburys 97RON, was going to change to Tesco 99RON but they've never got any so I thought I'd give V-Power a whirl. I'm only on perhaps my 4th tank (I wait until the light comes on and then fill up until the pump cuts out) and I'd say I get roughly an extra 20-25 miles per tank. Fuel prices might have dropped but they are certainly on the up again, V-Power in my closest Shell Garage is 109.9p per ltr, it seems to go up every time I visit.

 

[bqd]

Cupra... with remus dual exausts... NIS Petrol unleaded ron95 (cca 1,09EUR/l)... 11,2 l/100km...
goes around 25% worse than with Shell V-Power100 when I buy it abroad...

 

[stuartsjg]

If i want over 500 miles per tank i can drive carefully with cheap fuel, or i can get over 500 miles per tank and lots of smiles per tank if i use V-Power.

Ive got a 300 mile drive on Friday and i was thinking of sitting at 60 as opposed to 75 and see how i get on, will only add 30 mins perhaps onto the journey time.

The TDI does well, ive done the same journey with the cruise at 85 and only lost 4-5mpg.

Interestingly, as shell keep the V-Power at 6p/l more than standard, as the price goes up, the V-Power becomes better value...

Std: 100p/L , VPower: 106p/L = 6% more expensive
Std: 102p/L, V: 108p/L = 5.88% more
Std: 104p/L, V: 110p/L = 5.77% more
....
Std: 150p/L, V: 156p/L = 4% more
etc etc etc

Im sure come a point they will increase the price gap, but looking back to the high fuel prices last year, they were happy with keeping the 6p/L more.

So, even at the current prices, provided you go from, say 450miles/tank at at least 477 miles per tank then you break even, if you get more than break even then your better off!

Add to that all the stories about cleaner engine, better starting, quieter etc - seams Win-Win to me!

Stuart

 

[Nath.]

For me it seems to make no difference at all apart from the price

 

[GainfulShrimp]

With my old Golf I noticed a difference using Total Excellium Diesel, but it was more a 'smoothness' thing. The car just seemed to behave better when running on it. The extra mileage, if there was any, didn't compensate for the increased cost.

On the petrol side, I've read good things about the efficiency of Tesco 99 Octane, so I've been using this in my new FR since I bought it. Most reviews seem to indicate an increased mpg which certainly almost compensates for the cost, although it's a close thing.

 

[SpursMadDave]

I use cheapest standard diesel I can find and a dose of millers

 

[AndyCon]

For me it seems to make no difference at all apart from the price

Agree over the last 6 months with my FR I have tried a combination of heavy and light right foot and Shell normal and Shell V power unleaded and noticed little difference in mpg per tank on the same route to work.
Although V Power does give better performance and is better for the engine especially VW FSI engines, well so they say in the fuels R&D team at work

 

[seremotors]

I have used Millers DPS4 (double dose) from new in my FR TDI and I have noticed a drop in performance and smoothness on the occasional tank I have not stuck some in.
Also, I am convinced that it runs far better on branded fuel (Shell, BP) than on supermarket stuff. MPG also drops a little on the cheap city stuff.
1000 mile average is 43mpg