Optimax

[lab44]

Anyone with a petrol C4 tried filling up with optimax or any other premium fuels. My mate reckons her car feels better and returns more mpg with optimax (VW Polo).

 

I tend to use Shell petrol anyway - seems to make my car smoother (same with my old 306) but then again could be all in my mind lol.

 

Also find its pretty difficult to compare anyway - I filled up with Optimax the other day and then got stuck in a huge traffic jam for an hour so wasnt really comparable.

 

I know different cars respond differently so just wondering if it makes any difference to the C4 or would it just be a waste of money?

[wozza]

Had discussions like this before some of us have noticed differences others have not i got a noticable difference and higher mpg in mine. Car just seems smoother when taking off etc.

[Z3M Roadster]

There was a recent test in EVO magazine saying that smaller engined cars with low compression ratios will notice no difference whatsoever. There is no benefit in spending the extra money on optimax.

 

I have to use optimax 98+ Ron in my z3 and have never used anything else, other than the occasional fill of Tesco 99 but mine has a relatively high compression ratio and will pink if run on lesser RON fuel.

[Stuey]

I use BP Ultimate most of the time and as I have a small engine the extra octane helps quite a lot. I filled up with Sainsbury's super (because it was running on fumes and I was sure it wouldnt make it the 10 miles to the BP garage) and it seems to run just as well as Ultimate and its about 7p a litre cheaper and on a 60 litre fuel tank makes quite a lot of different

[Z3M Roadster]

How does the extra octane help with smaller engines? It has been proven that it makes little if no difference on small engines, for the reason I gave above.

[Mike5483]

I normally use Shell, but when I last filled my car up on my return home from holiday, I filled up in France from a Total garage, and that petrol seems to make my car run brilliently.

 

Really smooth, puchy etc. I cant explain it. It could possibly just the amount of use its had over the last couple of weeks. I did over 2000 miles in 2 weeks, so its had a fair amount of use!!!

[Stuey]

Z3 I have no idea mate ;) it feels a lot more punchy and eager to go...It might just pschological but it feels different...

[wozza]

optimax isnt just a high octane petrol though it has a cleaning agent in it as well which keeps your engine running better.

 

Can say the difference is noticeable on the 1.6 which i know it should not be but well when my friend comments its not running the same as usual when i had tesco fuel in it i know its not just physcological.

[syrup]

The handbook actually reccomends 98 ron for the petrol models.

 

My brother works for a petrolium company and says performance aside the cleaning agents in them look after the engine more, agreeing with wozza.

[Stuey]

the ultimate/optimax fuels are filtered more (or something more scientific) to stop the build up of deposits that "normal" petrol has...according to the BP website...oh and they have just introduced 102RON petrol ;)

 

I have read the same article in EVO and the bloke from Shell and Ferrari said that small engines wont feel the difference...they clearly havent driven a car with a small engine...I can feel the difference so thats all that matters and i dont think I will go back to lower octane petrol again...

[ham's c4vts]

i suppose its the same when your car is clean inside and out it seams to run better ;)

[lab44]

Shell and BP reckons it makes ALL cars run better but then they would wouldnt they LOL

[C4VTS]

I only use Shell because it's the cheapest where I fill up :D ;)

[Z3M Roadster]

The handbook actually reccomends 98 ron for the petrol models.

 

My brother works for a petrolium company and says performance aside the cleaning agents in them look after the engine more, agreeing with wozza.

The book recommends 98 because I don't believe you can get any lesser RON in France, the norm is 98RON.

 

As for the difference in performance for smaller engines running 98RON, I would say that yes, the difference is purely psychological. Scientific tests by numerous motoring establishments have proven that small engined cars with low compression ratios do not benefit in any way shape or form from running higher RON fuel.

 

102RON is only available in certain BP stations, and I wouldn't bother trying it as it is £2.49 a litre.

[Ciaran2903]

I can feel the difference so thats all that matters and i dont think I will go back to lower octane petrol again...

I say let stuey have his psychological tendancies!

 

I think that i will only get admiring glances if the car is spotless, and hardly ever stop cleaning it because of it, but a C4 could be covered in sh*t and still get looks from everyone! ;)

[wozza]

Theres no performance increase but the car seems smoother at takeoff. Try it yourself Z3 if you dont take our words for it and see what you think couple tanks and i bet you noticed improved MPG etc.

[Z3M Roadster]

I put Ultimate Diesel in my C4 almost every fill up because I have a fuel card and don't pay for any fuel. Sorry but I have not noticed any difference in performance or fuel economy over the 42,000miles the car has covered.

 

If it were my own car I wouldn't waste my money on optimax for no gain. I'd stick with standard diesel or 95RON.

[wozza]

Cant comment on the diesel have not driven one myself.

 

But the 1.6 deffinately does feel better smoothness wise and i used to get 29mpg in mine i now get 31mpg with optimax. Thats just compard to the last 4 fillups.

[Z3M Roadster]

How many miles has the car done? Generally fuel consumption will improve with age and mileage.

 

Saying that I reset the computer for the first time last month and fuel economy has dropped for 54mpg to 51mpg. Still pretty good all the same and it doesn't get driven lightly.

[wozza]

cars done 8000 miles. but there was a difference between 1 tank and if anything i think i have driven the car harder. it was in the triple digits area on the speedo the other day.

[Z3M Roadster]

You will never get a true fair test as you will never drive the same roads at the same speeds twice on two separate tanks of fuel, so direct comparison is impossible.

 

Driving in triple figures probably gets better fuel consumption than constant town driving. I know it does in my Z3.

[wozza]

I can do a direct comparison actually as my main and near enough only trip recently has been to and from the shopital to see my mum thats all the car is being used for currently. A 30 minute drive to the hospital each day.

 

That was until i took my friends to doncaster airport the other day thats the only time its been on the motorway recently.

[Z3M Roadster]

Yes, but do you use the exact same amount of throttle opening, you never get stuck in traffic? Always change gear at the same revs and at the same time? Is there a head wind or a tail wind? A fair test is impossible unless in a controlled environment. You can get a near fair test but that is all.

[wozza]

Just to bring this up todays the last day optimax will be on sale apparently gets replaced with V power tomorrow 99ron. So does not matter if you want use it or not now lol.

[Stuey]

I will see how much it is before I go and fill it with V power. Ultimate is about 105 per litre but Sainsburys Super is 95.6 and it feels the same and every time I use my Necter card I get something free...I think it might be busted but in a good way :lol: