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A reprot all about premium ranges of fuel.

'However, the VW Group still advises that its cars with FSI and TSI engines are run on 98 octane fuel, because it's 'more efficient'.

Of course, we're not able to assess the fuel companies' claims that these products prolong engine life, and de Nayer argues that after this test, second-hand buyers will probably be the real beneficiaries.

'If you use fuels that potentially clean your engine then you might reap the rewards, because a 40,000-mile engine that's been coked up will need cleaning,' explains de Nayer.

'That's little use to someone with a brand new car, though. I know it made me blanch when I went for my first fill with BP Ultimate and paid 106p a litre, having paid 93p for a litre of 95 octane at Asda - you really have to be devoted to the idea of cleaning your engine internals to be prepared to do that every time you fill up. It's like having a hole in your pocket.'

So what do you save if you stick to 95 octane fuel? According to official figures, a 1.6-litre Ford Focus should do 42.8mpg.

So, if you do 12,000 miles a year, you'll spend £1226 on regular fuel at the current national average of 96p a litre.

If you use a premium fuel, which costs an average 103p a litre, your annual fuel bill will be £1309 - a difference of £83.

I use it as my car has been 'tuned' to run on higher octane fuels, but I have no problem using the premium supermarket fuels.

I think its genreally only modern cars can take real advantge as the ECU adapts do the quality of fuel to enhance/retard ignition timing?

There was a simalar test done 6 moths ago by another magazine that showed differences in the fuels for bhp?

A number of points spring to mind although I am taking these from your précis as I haven’t read the article.

98RON Super Plus unleaded isn’t available from any garage in the UK as far as I am aware; it is either 97RON Super unleaded (BP Ultimate, Texaco Excellsium, Esso Supreme etc) or 99RON Super Plus unleaded (Shell V Power and Tesco 99) and some rare 102RON from BP as well.

VAG cars that have an instruction inside the filler cap to use 98RON fuel primarily and 95RON in exceptional circumstances, will suffer a loss in performance, and increase in emissions and possibly long term engine damage such as the burnt valve seats we are seeing on Golf 4 1.6 16v 105PS engines. The VW quote for such as Golf with the AUS engine is "98 unleaded (in exceptional circumstances min. 95 RON, however with reduced performance)” .

If second hand buyers are the only ones who will see the benefit, then the same mind set could apply to oil, “use cheap oil in a new car as you won’t see the benefit of expensive oil” and what idiot would do that?

If second hand buyers are the only ones who will see the benefit, then the same mind set could apply to oil, “use cheap oil in a new car as you won’t see the benefit of expensive oil” and what idiot would do that?

Exactly my thought when I read that part that I posted.

If thats the case, don't buy second hand

I've read a lot about high octane petrol for the FSI and T-FSI engines but I have a brand new Octavia vRS diesel.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to the new performance diesel fuel you can purchase at certain supermarket forecourts? Will it make a difference in any way?

the same mind set could apply to oil, “use cheap oil in a new car as you won’t see the benefit of expensive oil” and what idiot would do that?

Wouldn't quite agree with that.

Doing low annual mileage I am perfectly happy to use a really good quality semi synthetic oil, changed annually at about 8500 miles, than use the incredibly expensive long life stuff changed at 20 to 30K according to when a service light comes on. I suspect that any differences in engine wear would show up not only after the car was scrapped but probably long after I was too!!

I am rather a fan of Tesco 99 though. Haven't found the Shell V stuff yet, nor a 98. But definitely prefer Tesco 99 to, say, Sainsbury 97.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/fabia/what-car-dont-support-premium-fuels/90339/

was started earlier today as a by the bye

By cheap oil I didn't mean a semi synthetic, that type of oil would still fall into the higher quality bracket, more specifically I meant something along the lines of discount motorists shop reclaimed multigrade being used in a new car as opposed to a quality brand name oil. The VAG Longlife oil is a whole different subject. I personally think these Longlife intervals are a disaster, we see a large number of premature engine failures on this schedule, but that is a whole different story. Tesco 99 is very handy for my VRS and I have a Tesco just around the corner. As for performance diesel fuels, the jury is still out on that one.

Well I got to say, I put a full tank of fuel in the company 1.9TDi...and on a usual run from Manchester to Gloucester I usually get about 54.mpg. However with the Diesel V Power I got around just under 60mpg. To me that was a significance difference, as in fact I was pushing the car harder as I was 'testing'!

As for performance...couldn't really tell the extra power output if there was any!

Well I got to say, I put a full tank of fuel in the company 1.9TDi...and on a usual run from Manchester to Gloucester I usually get about 54.mpg. However with the Diesel V Power I got around just under 60mpg. To me that was a significance difference, as in fact I was pushing the car harder as I was 'testing'!

As for performance...couldn't really tell the extra power output if there was any!

Which 1.9TDI engine do you have? i.e. what's the output? Do you think the 2.0TDI PD 170 will increase the mpg by using this fuel?

Only just got the car 2 days ago so it's a bad time to be judging the mpg at the moment but it's only achieving around 35mpg at the moment and that's driving sensibly! Bearing in mind that the car only has about 120 miles on it at the moment so the engine is still tight as a camel's **** in a sandstorm!

I have a 2.0FSI and have noticed that when I use Tesco 99, as opposed to Tesco 95, the car seems more flexible in that I can use 6th gear more, hence I get a slightly better fuel consumption than when using 95 oct. I do suspect though that there might be differences between individual vehicles and the way people drive (I tend to be more of a "sunday" driver, not a "boy racer")

I've read a lot about high octane petrol for the FSI and T-FSI engines but I have a brand new Octavia vRS diesel.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to the new performance diesel fuel you can purchase at certain supermarket forecourts? Will it make a difference in any way?

What new performance diesel fuel? I thought there was only Shell V-power and BP Ultimate.

What new performance diesel fuel? I thought there was only Shell V-power and BP Ultimate.

Sorry, that's what I meant! I thought I'd seen a supermarket petrol station selling their own brand premium diesel but I'm most probably mistaken. I had Shell V-Power in mind.

my old Lupo Sport (1.4 16v, 100bhp) HATED 95 ron.. it would jerk and stutter.

Tesco 99 ron and it ran lovely

I tried a full tankful (from nearly empty) of Shell V Power Diesel and tbh I didn't notice any increase in performance or mpg. The engine did seem a bit quieter and smoother though. I'll also point out my normal fuel is just bog standard Tesco diesel, as it's cheap (and clubcard points too ) - a fuel seemingly not regarded for it's performance or quality, so it's not as if I'm comparing shell diesel with v power diesel.

For those DERV users, try Millers Power Sport 4. I get an extra 50 miles to a tank on the Disastra using the Millers.

What new performance diesel fuel? I thought there was only Shell V-power and BP Ultimate.

There is also Total Excellium diesel (as well as an unleaded version). I've been using the Excellium diesel when possible for a couple of months now. It seems to be giving 3-4 mpg better on my 1.9TDi which just covers the extra cost of 3p per litre. The performance feels slightly better. In fact the difference is most noticeable when I put ordinairy Total or supermarket fuel in - it then feels flat and unresponsive in comparison.

Only one problem - most Total garages have Excellium unleaded but only a few have the Diesel variety but luckilly my neaest garage has it.

The VAG Longlife oil is a whole different subject. I personally think these Longlife intervals are a disaster, we see a large number of premature engine failures on this schedule, but that is a whole different story.

That's more or less what my service manager said - he did not like the look of the long life oil when drained out, nor what the inside of the engine looked like at that point.

Going back to RON, has anyone done measured (rolling road?) bhp tests comparing 95 with 98 or 99 in the same car?

Going back to RON, has anyone done measured (rolling road?) bhp tests comparing 95 with 98 or 99 in the same car?

To do that with any degree of accuracy would cost a lot of money, serious money, and something that would have to be funded by an organisation with interests in the supply of such products, the manufacturer or a government sponsored body. Supposition and personal opinion from various different users is very interesting but at the end of the day, it isn’t accurate. We have to take it for granted that VAG themselves state that running a car on 95RON when it is supposed to primarily use 98RON is going to reduce performance.

Going back to RON, has anyone done measured (rolling road?) bhp tests comparing 95 with 98 or 99 in the same car?

Yes; evo magazine did a test about a year ago with various fuels in a Golf GTI. It proved the obvious that 98/99 octane fuels are better than 95; but it did show that different fuels have different characteristics.

My 1.9TD150 Leon runs much better on Shell Supa Doopa Diesel. It has more power and since I drive it a bit more spirited as a result, the MPG staying pretty much the same seems like a benefit. The better running is probably exagerated by the fact that its Revo'd too, making more out of the better fuel.

I haven't tried the Millers stuff as yet but intend to. Reports I've read with it in a tank of Tesco derv seem to rate it highly and its cheaper than using the expensive stuff.

Which 1.9TDI engine do you have? i.e. what's the output? Do you think the 2.0TDI PD 170 will increase the mpg by using this fuel?

Only just got the car 2 days ago so it's a bad time to be judging the mpg at the moment but it's only achieving around 35mpg at the moment and that's driving sensibly! Bearing in mind that the car only has about 120 miles on it at the moment so the engine is still tight as a camel's **** in a sandstorm!

Its the standard 1.9tdi...i think its 105.

Not sure about the 2.0tdi, I haven't tried the V Power in my car yet. Did a run from Manchester to Northampton and got an average of 41mpg...and i've covered 8500miles now. When I got the car I was getting mpg similar to yours. Mine is due a service at 10,000. Hoping the mpg rises after that, as its pretty poor at the moment!

Its the standard 1.9tdi...i think its 105.

Not sure about the 2.0tdi, I haven't tried the V Power in my car yet. Did a run from Manchester to Northampton and got an average of 41mpg...and i've covered 8500miles now. When I got the car I was getting mpg similar to yours. Mine is due a service at 10,000. Hoping the mpg rises after that, as its pretty poor at the moment!

You've no idea how much better I feel knowing that someone else is/was getting similar mpg when the engine's new!

I've been driving my car pretty carefully since I got it on Wednesday yet the mpg never budges much over 34/35. Can't remember what my old Fabia vRS did when it was new but I do remember it used to get between 45 and 50mpg on the run to work in a morning once the engine had done about 12000 miles or so. The Octy at the moment gets about 32/33 which by comparison is appalling! Seriously hope the mpg improves with mileage.

The 2.0tdi isn't as frugal at the 1.9tdi PD130 and PD100/105 units in my experience. My Fabia PD100 used to average 50mpg, and I used to drive it harder than I do my Octy, but my Octy struggles to get mid-40's mpg on average.

However, the 2.0tdi is a much smoother and quieter engine though.

Last week I put in super diesel by mistake! I only noticed when I saw the sign saying is was £1.05 per litre rather than 95p for 'normal' at that particular filling station.

I have to say I saw not one jot of difference in performance or economy from my 170 TDi.

I have gone back to ordinary diesel this week.