Does Chevron withTechron gasoline help improve gas mileage?

Question

I have a Prius and have only been able to get 46 miles to the gallon at best. I filled up the other day with Chevron gas-something I generally don't do but I had no choice. My mileage improved to 50 mpg. Then I put in another tank of cheap gas and I am back down to 45mpg

Answer 1

not really..the cheap gas you bought probably has more alcohol in it which really hurts mileage..

what chevron does do better than most is filter the gas multiple times ..

you might be surprised by the things that come out of some gas pumps

Answer 2

Chevron gasoline is a Top Tier fuel, as rated by a consortium of automobile manufacturers, including Toyota.  Top Tier fuels have to pass quality and detergency standards much higher than the federal minimums.  A portion of your improvement may be attributable to the better gasoline and its cleaning properties, but most is due to some change in your driving pattern.

Any gasoline on the Top Tier list will help your engine run better and in a highly efficient hybrid, you will certainly see a difference.  Would I expect a 4-5 mpg difference between tanks?  Seems surprisingly high, but if you're buying truly c**p gasoline, switching to a Top Tier will make a large difference.  I've provided a link to the website below.

Try another gasoline on the Top Tier list, see how that compares to your discount and Chevron numbers.  If you continue to see this difference, I expect you should make the switch to Chevron permanent.  The few cents a gallon extra are more than paying for themselves in a 4 mpg gain.  That's almost 10%, which by today's prices is a 30-35 cent value.

Answer 3

You are missing something.  Even with a fuel system that was full of garbage from sub-standard gas, you won't get this kind of jump out of a single tank.

What else has changed?

Driving pattern...

Speeds....

Not letting a teenaged kid drive the car..

Not on CA interstates.....

Tires are now getting worn a tad, creating less friction....

The electric drive portion is staying engaged longer.

Answer 4

Study after study proves that there is no difference in quality or efficiency between brands.  Techron is nothing more than marketing.  Brand-name gasoline.

Answer 5

The Techron additive is a fuel system cleaner. If you noticed a mileage increase it is probably due to the quality of the gasoline.

I see a 10% change in fuel economy tank to tank and by season. I get my worst mileage with no name dealer gasoline in the winter.