Is Cheap Gas Bad Gas?

Washington DC June 14, 2007; The AIADA reported that with Shell running a $35 million campaign, warning that discount fuel is the petro equivalent of the road to hell, consumer are wondering if they're hurting their engines by burning the cheap(er) stuff. According to USA Today, all gasoline should be adequate, as the EPA requires a certain level of engine-cleaning additives in gasoline. However, there is a rating system that's supposed to identify the best gasoline. Called Top Tier, it's meant to steer motorists toward fuels that have strong concentrations of additives to keep engines free of "gunk." But even automakers who sponsor the Top Tier system say some brands not on their list are high-quality. Finally, a respected survey can't find a difference. A twice-yearly gasoline-quality survey by the trade group Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers "hasn't identified any quality differences based on geography or brand," says an Alliance spokesman. "I see these ads on TV where Shell says, 'We filled up with Shell and some other gasoline and saw a difference,' and I think it's a myth," says Thomas Darlington, engineer and consultant, formerly at the EPA.