V-Power useless???

S

S3 LTN

Guest
Just come across this on PistonHeads.

Which? Car claim super fuels are pointless and there are no gains from it.. economy or performance...

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=18722

They so wrong because when fuel prices were... lets just say "abit" too much i started using normal Shell petrol for couple of weeks... and boy o boy did i notice the shyt economy on it... when i went back to v-power the economy had improved incredibly... i've actually experienced that FACT...
and now im reading their report... i dont think they got it right.
I'm not just saying this but the car felt slower after a couple of tanks on normal fuel... now back on v-power its improved.
But the economy is the most noticeable thing for me by a long shot.
 
I wouldn't say it's useless.... Alot of higher powered cars [eg. Clio 197] are mapped specifically for higher octane fuel [ie, 98 RON+]
Not sure if the S3's are mapped for 98 or not, I'd think they are. That's probably why you noticed the difference...
 
You are right when you say your car feels slower on a normal tank of fuel, I just read that report and thought what aload of rubbish.

They took a standard 1.6 focus thats has it's engine mapped for normal 95RON fuel and put super unleaded in it expecting a power and economy boost? How biased can you get?

Get them to get a car that has an engine mapped for 98RON fuel like a S3 and do the test again and I am 100% sure there will be a difference in power and economy.
 
Note the cars used.

I think the title should of said super fuels not worthwhile in non performance cars. Which we all knew anyway.
 
David said:
I wouldn't say it's useless.... Alot of higher powered cars [eg. Clio 197] are mapped specifically for higher octane fuel [ie, 98 RON+]
Not sure if the S3's are mapped for 98 or not, I'd think they are. That's probably why you noticed the difference...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say it's uselss... it's great!
I remember reading a thread before and some of the guys with their standard S3's were reading above standard bhp figures running of v-power when they did RR.

For me on my S3 i'm saving money because the economy is better on v-power then normal petrol.
 
Not read the report but don't the ECU's take 40-50 miles to adapt to variances?

I agree with S3 LTN though, on my old 8L S3 I noticed the difference between optimax and standard ful, from both performance and economy.
I've never run the 8P on anything other than v-power since it was delivered.

Also, does the report try the fuel on a car that's got 50k miles under it's hood on standard 95 fuel adn then run it for a 1000 miles on 'premium' fuel, as I thought one of the USP's were the 'cleaning' elements that could then improve economy????

You'd think a company like which? would conduct several types of test before publishing results....
 
Hmm let me think... Shell do extensive research running into the multi millions with Ferrari to develop fuel to run with high performance engines to meet optimum performance standards....

Which? run about a bit in a 1.6 Focus and decide it's rubbish??

I know who i believe. Not to mention my own experiences of the car feeling far more eager and responsive on high octane fuel.
 
It should say 98/95 on the filler,my last one,a 2.0 fsi said the same. Although they'll run ok on 95 if 98's unavailable,you obviously get optimum performance from the 98. It just takes a while for the ECU to adapt...i had to run on 95 when on holiday in Devon,'cos 98 isn't widely available (at least where i was),and i felt the difference straight away,although it got better as time went on.

I was just glad to get some decent 98 in again (V-Power) More mpg and power...noticeably!

Incidentally,i filled my old 2.0fsi with 95ron from Morrisons,as it was well cheap......NEVER again!
 
Which are rubbish at there so called reviews, the best way to get a good opinion on any product is to ask the people actually using them regularly.

when i buy anything new eg a tv i dont trust which i goto an avforum and get people who have the product to tell me the pros n cons.

Vpower works for me in my 8L and i defo get more miles to the gallon and more performance. Even the guy from Custom Code when i got my remap could tell it was higher octane fuel so he adjusted the map to suit.
 
So for example the lesser engine models ie the 1.4TFSi...I have been putting VPower in mine whenever I can. Just because my car has a smaller capacity will the hi ron fuel do it any damage?
 
I have used V Power about 2 weeks after getting my S3, before that I used normal unleaded (from shell) and I can tell the difference, i mean the car feels ALOT more responsive and the fuel economy is SO MUCH better, i get told "yea but it costs more" but at the same time those extra couple of quid make the car go a long way more.
 
5th gear did a proper survey a few years ago and based it on a Clio 172, Subaru Impreza and a Ford Focus 1.6 or 1.8 (cant remember which).

The performance fuels made nearly 20bhp extra on the Subaru little bit less on the clio and next to nothing on the focus.

The basic result was that if you have a "performance car" then you benefit from the better fuel, if not you dont!

It will generally say in the handbook (as it does with the S3) if you run on 95ron fuel you will get a decrease in performance.
 
Its amazing a supposed reputable outfit such as Which? can get it so badly wrong.

Wonder if they do a Halloween themed survey.

Which? Witch?......:Flush:
 
I dont think which are saying anything that isnt true.

"For many cars it is a waste of money paying over the odds for so-called 'super fuels'," said Richard Headland, editor of Which? Car magazine.

According to PH, WHich? say they tested the golf with 1.4TSI engine and it responded well to V power.

Has anyone actually read the full article? rather than the clips from new reports, I havent, but I dont think I can argue with any of the statements I've read.

I think what they're trying to get at is that shell and co market vpower (et al) as if it will improve the performance and economy of every single car, when that is clearly not the case.
 
Good summary Julian, I think the way the fuels are marketed is a bit misleading because most people would assume their 800cc Daewoo Matiz would run better with high octane not knowing that high octane fuel is only really beneficial on performance cars.
 
LOL, what a load of BS by 'which'

I always get **** loads more miles out of a tank on super than normal (50+miles) and definately 100% feels more responsive

even noticed than in my old fiesta zetec 1.6!
 
On the last Prosport RR day the 3 cars that used Vpower/Tesco99 had 9bhp more than the 2 cars that didn't.

p
 
I can see what Which? were trying to get accross... A lot of people who drive 'average' cars are mislead into thinking that optimum fuels will transform their cars into a quicker, more economical vehicle.....which it won't. Hence using a bog standard Focus to prove that. Educating the masses i suppose.

If Which? did a test with more performance orientated cars i'm sure the outcome would be very different.
 
Maybe Shell will be shamed into knocking 30p/litre off V Power as a result of that report.:jump:
 
PaulAr said:
Maybe Shell will be shamed into knocking 30p/litre off V Power as a result of that report.:jump:
Click to expand...

Hang on I'll just pick myself up off the floor at that comment.....

Price isn't bad in Sunderland at the min....105.9 for normal stuff (not that I use it!)
 
JamS3 said:
Hang on I'll just pick myself up off the floor at that comment.....

Price isn't bad in Sunderland at the min....105.9 for normal stuff (not that I use it!)
Click to expand...

I have to drive 15mile round trip from South Shields to Whitemarepool get some of the `hard stuff`

Was down your neck of the woods today, Jesus! Grangetown is bleak.

Especially after sitting on the A66 flyover for 30mins because dome guy had stuffed his Merc into the central reservation.

Sorry guys, off topic.

Paul:thumbsup:
 
I must have passed you then because I saw that from the otherside!!

I work your neck of the woods so am always round Sunderland.
 
JamS3 said:
I must have passed you then because I saw that from the otherside!!

I work your neck of the woods so am always round Sunderland.
Click to expand...

Im on the border of South Shields and Whitburn so Sunderland is just up the road, so to speak.
Did 6 years day release at Longlands so know Boro pretty well.

Will be down at Tees Offshore base quite a bit over the next 3 weeks.

Paul
 
On mildly and high powered engines there WILL be a difference when using different fuel grades.

There will be more chances of detenation if you use a lower ron fuel, in my line of work i have seen differences between 98 ron and 99ron fuel.

With lower ron fuel the engine would be seeing more knock ****** due to detenation.

I would advise all 2.0TFSI and S3 engines to be run on 99ron good quality fuel!
 
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