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The best bet is to log MPG and compare for yourself. This applies to brands as well as fuel grades. The results when you look at facts can often be surprising.
I've logged MPG on the vehicles for many years, through various vehicles and mods to some of them. Generally fuel that gives a better MPG in one vehicle will also do so in all vehicles I've owned at any given time. And really brand names don't mean much of anything. In my area our current vehicles always get lower MPG with Exxon fuel. Always. Right now BP and quicky store 7/11 give the same MPG return, with the 7/11 being more cost effective. At one point years ago (before ethanol blends here) Amoco/BP was one of the most expensive fuels, but also most cost effective dollar for dollar.
The same applies to grade, the only way to know is to properly log and test. Our economy car will actually lose MPG using premium fuel. Our SUV gains MPG using higher grades. It's not a great deal more and just barely more cost effective, but we don't have to fill as often since the tanks go farther. A lot of the variation these days will be based on the major design factors that Rollo mentioned above, along with the electronics side of how the vehicle manages timing and such.
Over here in the US it's not uncommon for an engine to cross platform between brands (Chevy/GM/Cadillac) with only minor changes and programming changes. While the higher end models might require premium fuel, others might not. But that is not to say they can't benefit from the engine design.
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I've spent nothing on fuel in at least six months and currently getting around 55mpg...however I do seem to be giving HMRC a good chunk of my salary :(
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I fill up at either Esso or Tesco for my diesel. I notice no difference in MPG between the two.
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On the question of diesel, does anybody know how to remove the red dye from red diesel? I'm told it can be done. But, remember that as it is totally illegal we can only discuss this out of academic interest.
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I R A know how to do it ! They have been shipping red diesel south of the border and getting the dye out and shipping it back as white diesel nearly since Nelson lost his eye
,And making money on it !
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@airshifter Yeah I've just started to log the mpg myself now. I got 500miles from a 50 litre tank of Esso based on filling up at another station. The amount of litres that went in before the tank was full was 28.32 so I knew that's how much Esso had been used. I then took the mileage I had completed in this period, calculating and extrapolating to 500 miles/50 litres.
With the 28.32 of Sainsburys fuel added to the remaining 21.68 from Esso, I got what was looking like much better mpg. Took about 150/160 miles for the petrol tank to get down to 3/4s compared to 125/135 for the Esso alone. The experiment didn't last long as my car packed up. Turns out with 138,000 miles on the clock, my Vauxhall Astra has quite simply "had it" (in the words of 2 garages).
