glava2876

This may have been covered, but this was brought up on the GM truck site.
Everything that I had seen indicated that SUNOCO wasn't Top Tier, so I didn't have any other brand Top tier stations close and had to add Chevron Techon.
This is great for me because SUNOCO is the closest station for me and they have 93 octane.

DALLAS, Feb. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunoco Ultratech™, a high detergent fuel blend, will be available to customers starting April 1, 2017 across all grades of gasoline at every Sunoco station across the country. The introduction of Sunoco Ultratech is the company's latest effort to provide customers with the high quality fuel they've come to expect from Sunoco.

"This is an exciting announcement for the company and our customers," said Mark Burford, senior director of marketing strategy and design at Sunoco LP. "Customers tell us that they highly value the increased engine efficiency and durability benefits that may result from the regular use of high detergent fuel. With the introduction of Sunoco Ultratech, customers will have the same detergent level as Sunoco NASCAR fuel, continuing our tradition of high quality products."
Sunoco Ultratech meets the demanding specifications of the TOP TIER™ Detergent Gasoline Program, which was developed by eight automakers including BMW, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Top Tier's enhanced gasoline detergency helps keep engines clean and ensure compliance with tighter vehicle emissions and engine durability requirements

l.i. bruce fan

I will have to check this out. I've been using BP for my Vette and my DD G8 GT, but there is a high volume, lower priced Sunoco station about 2 blocks down from BP. Thanks OP!

Procrastinateur

Yes, Sunoco is now Top Tier.


When in doubt, check the Top Tier website. I buy my Top Tier gas at Costco.


http://www.toptiergas.com/licensedbrands/

phrenetiK

will there be a price increase with this? I always fill up at sunoco because they are cheap. I got used to going there in my mustang for e85.

Nordic_Samurai

I can't speak for Sunoco, but that list of top tier gas stations seems questionable at best. What major gas company isn't on that list? Valero?? You couldn't pay me to get gas there.

VinceBlack

And ARCO made the list as well??

dvilin

If it states 93 octane on the pump I am good to go, really not impressed nor impacted by all this top tier gas company stuff.

Red Mist Rulz

Your loss. Top Tier was created by auto companies after seeing that the EPA minimum detergent requirements simply wasn't doing the job. Possibly less important in a direct injection engine, but not unimportant.

Zymurgy

What do you have against Valero? I avoid Citgo - Venezuela owned.

vbdenny

Not that i often ever buy gas there but Valero js top tier and America owned (as much as anything is now) so no point in avoiding. I think Valero has not do e a very good advertising campaign as for years I thought it was bargin gas. I buy most of my gas at Costco but on the road Sunoco, Shell, BP or Exxon/Mobile. Love burning the stuff too.

Nordic_Samurai

I think they are second tier brand along with a whole bunch of the others on that list. I stick to Chevron, Texaco, Shell, and 76. In all honesty, I would use them in a pinch, and I should have listed BP instead. **** them for Deepwater Horizon.

Foosh

LOL . . . here we go again. All fuel regardless of brand goes through the same pipelines. The only difference is octane rating. In the pipeline and storage facility it's all just generic gasoline. Shell, Sunoco, Exxon/Mobil, Valero, Arco, BP, Costco, etc. are all exactly the same gasoline stored in the same tanks in your local area distribution point.

Top Tier is simply a detergent additive package that meets certain agreed upon standards, and it is added to each individual delivery tanker based upon the brand name it is being delivered to. I'm glad to hear Sunoco has finally seen the light and gotten on board.

speed4tu

I try and use top tier gas when available or convienent tho if not no big deal for me. It all comes in on the same ships and goes through the same process.

segen77

I must be really ignorant on this subject. I thought any 91 or higher octane was acceptable. I assumed that getting gas from a newer walmart/murphy (93 octane) would be better than an older shell. Guess that's not the case.

Foosh

Gasoline is not coming in on ships. Some crude oil still is perhaps, but we're not importing much oil anymore. However, all crude oil is refined in the US, and distributed through pipelines.

There is some merit to the notion that gasoline from newer stations may have fewer impurities. Older underground tanks can have more impurities, but that's what fuel filters are for.

Again all gas is the same at the distribution point. The additive package is what differentiates Top Tier brands, and that goes into each individual tanker when loaded.

mtaxman

I like your posts. You've given me some real good info.
I wish I was confident that the unbranded tanker truck delivering to whatever top tier station really had a special , differentiated, additive package.
Shell vs. Sunoco vs. whatever. Is it really different or is one better than the other or just marketing?
I guess it doesn't matter as long as its "really" in there.
Wonder how that is policed?
On another corvette facebook site one poster thought the station owners injected the additives.
Imagine that.

Red C8 of Jax

No change in trade in value!!!

ZenicaPA

I agree to an extent.

Companies that have rigs and drill/pump for their crude are the ones in control, that leaves out sellers like Valero, Shamrock, Express and others. I doubt very much Exxon after expending the resources to drill for crude just dumps it in with BP for Valeros benefit.

I'm not in the oil industry but I posit that the companies with drilling capabilities sell crude to refineries that then sell those that aren't able to drill. Perhaps Exxon has its own refineries and sells the final product in which case they probably sell the stuff that tests the lowest.

As for that Top Tier rating, I do not place that much emphasis on it. If for no other reason than my preferred fueling stations are all on it rendering my opinion of it moot.

Red Mist Rulz

Yes, it all goes through the same pipelines. But pipelines carry multiple batches of product. The same pipeline might carry gasoline for a set period of time, then a batch of diesel fuel, then a batch of jet fuel.... These different products clearly don't all end up in the same tanks. So it's possible that a refinery could send a batch of Exxon fuel, then a batch of another brand, then some diesel, then another batch of Exxon, etc. I'm not saying that DOES happen, just point out that using the same pipeline doesn't preclude different brands of gas being batched separately. And, as you yourself indicate, it doesn't all get the same detergent or other additive package. So buying from a station that isn't Top Tier doesn't get you the same gas as buying at Exxon or BP or other Top Tier stations, even if that gas came through the same pipeline in one batch.

Red Mist Rulz

We import about 25% of the crude oil used in the U.S. I'm not sure I'd call that "not...much."

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=32&t=6