I've done a bit of searching on this topic, but most of the info posted seems to be regarding the first generation MINI's.

It sounds like premium grade is mandatory, but I was just wondering if the brand of gas makes as much of a difference to the newer generation MINI's?

Please include MC or S in your reply if it's not evident from your sig.

 

The truth is all gas is pretty much the same in given octane levels. The only difference is what detergents the particular gas stations like to dump in the gas (e.g. Shell V-Power). Oh and ethanol blends matter differ as well. At some Sunoco stations you can find 97 Octane, which is pretty much a 15% ethanol blend.

 

I use any Top Tier fuel. The primary resources for that around here is Chevron/Texaco and Shell. Always 93 octane, and usually 10% ethanol.

 

I use Mobil/Shell over here in MA.

 

Otherwise you have to pay for 93 octane and you only need 91.

 

Only Shell V-Power for my MINI.

 

Not that I would put regular gas in my MINI but I thought premium gas is recommended but not required?

 

Costco premium gas for me!

 

BP Amoco Fuels. Why not Brithish Protoleum. Always have used Amoco Gas, Pure Clear and Clean.

 

I ran regular 87 oct in my 06 for several months before I found a station that had 91. It ran fine and I really can't tell the diff now that I'm running 91

 

I use only Shell, I fill up when gauge reads 1/2 full, 93 octane one time, 87 octane next time. Seems to work for me as 91 octane is not available around here.

 

Only Shell V-Power.

 

I've had trouble with the gas here in Virginia, and I live in a rural place without good, namebrand gas. Always use 93 octane and try to fill up when I'm in town - about 45 miles away. Otherwise I take my chances with no-name stuff that also has high ethanol content thanks to state regs.

 

Correct - the engine will adjust to most any gas you use. However, MPG will likely suffer with lower octanes.

 

There was an article about this very subject yesterday in the paper (whether the detergent type and Top Tier fuels made any difference). Of course Shell claims they do, Ford recommends BP (not Top Tier), many say it's all hype, and some bottom feeder brands actually could sometimes have the same detergent that Shell has. The put the detergent in the tank truck when they fill it for delivery. Some places let them select the detergent brand like a carwash lets you pick the fragrance of you air freshener. Just food for thought (I go for price, in AZ the highest you can get is 91).

 

Top Tier Brand Conoco for my mini. Amaco (BP) is great as well. BP is low-sulfur and results in slightly less emissions than higher sulfur fuels. (The sulfur competes with active sites on the catalyst bed) That is why partial zero emission vehicles work best with BP (or CA dictated low sulfur fuels).

 

Shell V-Power or Chevron. Chevron is closer so I usually wind up there.

 

Things I look for in a gas station are clean, new, brand name and busy. The more the better but none are absolute requirements.

Bad gas is worse than lower octance. I've ran a couple of tanks of 87 now in my MCS. Runs fine and seem to get 31 MPG something no matter what. In some ways I wish it wouldn't run so good and I could tell that 93 ran better. I don't mind a few extra bucks a tank for a reason. Somebody please do a scientific performance test that shows 93 makes my car faster, please.

 

All gas comes from refineries... be it U.S. refineries or imported. They are typically blended the same straight from the depot. So in reality, it all depends on your location. Gas stations near cities are required to carry gasoline that conforms to certain environmental standards. While your more rural gas station does not. Your more rural gas station may get used less often than the typical urban station thus altering the quality of the gasoline in storage (e.g. sediment).

Typically namebrand gas in a given area is the same as no-name gas in the same area since it will come from the same fuel depot. Unless of course, it's refined gasoline from overseas, in which case the quality or additives could be slightly different.

The same detergents that are used by name-brand shops (such as Shell V-Power, Chevron Techron) is the same type of fuel additive you can pick up at Pep Boys or Autozone.

 

A higher octane rating is actually an anti-knock rating. The higher the rating the less likely the fuel will detonate in high-performance or high-compression engines. If you want more HP you can go with a fuel that is higher in ethanol like e15. However, you will see a decrease in overall range and ethanol is corrosive, which will deteriorate certain engine parts over time.

 

While you may not experience problems now, you may experience them on hot days. Hot weather is a common culprit when explaining detonation in forced-induction engines.

The ECU controls the timing of the engine. The ECU will retard the timing of the engine and/or lower the boost, thus lowering the peformance of the engine in order to compensate for detonation.

 

Which leads to another point, try to avoid filling up when the fuel truck is filling the station's tanks. The filling stirs up what sediment there is at the bottom of the storage tanks and can make for some extra gunk when you're filling up.

 

I happened to stop by my Mini dealer today (Prestige) to get myself a new Mini hat. Sitting on the front reception desk was a tri-fold flier from Mini titled "What to Look for Before You Pump - The Official Mini Gasoline Guide". It references "Top Tier" gasoline and the website www.toptiergas.com.

Also, here's the list from the site:
TOP TIER Gasoline Retailers:
QuikTrip
Chevron
Conoco
Phillips
76
Shell
Entec Stations
MFA Oil Company
Kwik Trip/Kwik Star
The Somerset Refinery, Inc.
Chevron-Canada
Aloha Petroleum
Tri-Par Oil Company
Shell-Canada
Texaco
Petro-Canada
Sunoco-Canada

 

Shell V Power here.

 

Yeah, this just refers to detergents used in the gasoline. Like I said before, you can buy detergent at any auto supply store.