All gasoline is not created equal, according to a new study by AAA. Researchers say TOP TIER, a brand of detergent-based gasoline designed to improve vehicles’ performance, helps cars run better and more efficiently.
The fuel is recommended by many car manufacturers including General Motors, Toyota and Honda.
“I think we were surprised at some of the findings and when we looked at detergent-based gasoline versus non-detergent, or the gasoline that has additive package in there we found that really there were 19 times the carbon deposits when consumers used the non TOP TIER gasolines,” said Jerry Hooven, Vice President of Automotive Services at AAA.
According to Hooven, many carmakers are jumping on the TOP TIER bandwagon, as well. He says drivers can reduce mileage between two and four percent by preventing excess buildup in a vehicle’s combustion chambers if the detergent-based fuel is consistently used.
“If you continue to have excess buildup in your combustion chambers and other parts of the vehicle you could reduce your mileage as much as two to four percent. For a lot of people, that’s not a consideration. The more important things for them is how much they’re paying for the fuel and how much it costs,” Hooven said.
TOP TIER costs an average of three cents more per gallon than regular fuel. It is available at select gas stations across Western New York.