Shell V Power vs Tesco Momentum 99

[AdamZA]

Hello All,

I thought it'd be interesting to gather your opinions on which of these two you think is better from your personal experiences.

Since I have picked up my RS7, I have only used premium fuel in the car - never filled it up with anything below 99RON. I used to swear by V Power until I had my car remapped where I was told that using Momentum 99 would give me an extra 20HP. The guy told me he'd seen the difference himself when remapping other RS7s and urged me to give it a try. "Tesco fuel?" I thought. "Can't beat Shell, surely?"

Well, needless to say I ran out of V Power quite quickly in the tank after the remap and tried a tank of Momentum 99. The difference was unreal. The car felt much more urgent, revved more playfully, the exhaust popped more and it felt even more fun to drive. Since then I've put in Momentum 99 the majority of the time, and when I've not been able to (my local Tesco station seems to close ridiculously early!) I've put V Power in and the car has felt much slower, and I couldn't wait to put Momentum back in. This has happened on two/three occasions.

I've read whatever I could online about these two fuels head to head, but I'm wondering how you fellow Audi owners get on with these fuels, or if you swear by other brands? Personally I've tried most of the other brands in previous cars and not got on well with any of them. BP Ultimate is the fuel I hate the most.

I'd be very interested to hear what you all think!

 

[Chris90]

Both fuels are 99, so in theory there is very little between them, only difference i believe it the 99 is more additive based than the v-power.

A 20bhp difference might be a bit optimistic in my opinion though.

 

[AdamZA]

Both fuels are 99, so in theory there is very little between them, only difference i believe it the 99 is more additive based than the v-power.

A 20bhp difference might be a bit optimistic in my opinion though.

I agree that 20bhp may be a bit optimistic, but it does drive noticeably different which I was surprised about. According to the remap guy, it's more noticeable in large displacement turbocharged performance cars. Have you tried both fuels? Do you think it could be due to the detergents in the Shell fuel?

 

[Terminator x]

I was warned off BP fuels by my mapper (bad for det) when I used to hoon around in Impreza's. Not touched it since.

TX.

 

[Chris90]

BP are one of the worst premium fuels.

I havent personally tried both, but I do have a highly tuned 1.8T golf, and notice no difference between the two fuels. One of the most respected VAG mappers in the country will recommend a choice of either.

 

[wolfie138]

people seem snobbish about not using "supermarket fuels" [why? if it's supplied by a tanker from a supply i can't see it's any different from the fuel that goes to any other station?] but when i first got the Widow i tried 3 types of super unleaded, Tesco was the best, never moved from it.

 

[Zaco95]

This video may be worth a watch in this case.

 

[AdamZA]

people seem snobbish about not using "supermarket fuels" [why? if it's supplied by a tanker from a supply i can't see it's any different from the fuel that goes to any other station?] but when i first got the Widow i tried 3 types of super unleaded, Tesco was the best, never moved from it.

Most of the time they do come from the same refinery, though Shell (and presumably a couple of others) doesn't. In previous cars I've had no problem using supermarket fuel if I had to - only with S5 I have noticed a difference. In that car I mostly used Esso's Super Unleaded (closest petrol station) and that gave me a satisfying performance bump over standard Unleaded (as it would if the Octane number is truly higher). It did get V-Power every now and again (Shell is a little out of my way!) but the car didn't feel noticeably different to me.

This video may be worth a watch in this case.

Interesting... Thanks for sharing that. A couple of points:

1) Thank God that fuel is not that price anymore!

2) It's interesting to see that on the GTi there was only a 5BHP increase over standard fuel and only a tiny increase with V Power over Esso Supreme. BP Ultimate definitely being the fuel to avoid! The effect is said to be more prominent the more performance based the car is... Hoping to hear more opinions from people who have tried the different brands.

 

[xpoweruk]

I only use Tesco momentum 99 in my S4.
The reasoning is the same as the OP.
I think they are worth it if the car is mapped. Vpower vs Tesco Momentum,IME the car feels sharper with the Tesco fuel,maybe because of the ethanol content allowing more timing advance

 

[AdamZA]

I only use Tesco momentum 99 in my S4.
The reasoning is the same as the OP.
I think they are worth it if the car is mapped. Vpower vs Tesco Momentum,IME the car feels sharper with the Tesco fuel,maybe because of the ethanol content allowing more timing advance

Nice to see I'm not imagining it perhaps worth noting that my S5 wasn't remapped and so maybe that's why I couldn't tell much difference but also that my RS7 was remapped on V-Power yet still feels better on Momentum 99!

 

[Raiden]

 

[xpoweruk]

Interesting video,just a shame it makes no difference to DI valves

 

[rum4mo]

I've only ever tried Shell V Power in a low powered Polo 1.4 16v which had a bad pinking problem which was probably due to a faulty oil separator letting too much oil thro - so I'm not qualified to judge these two brands, but I'm surprised about the comments about BP, I don't hold any reason to stand up for BP, so I just wonder what are they playing at, they must be getting some feedback from users!

 

[Nozrul Islam]

Shell V-Power it is then!
I've been using BP Super Unleaded since buying my A4 2.0T 2006, but little did I know it's crap fuel, thank you OP for this thread!

 

[easy going Si]

Sorry to wade in but go to Youtube

have a look at AutoExpert.com.au yes he is Australian but he seems to talk a lot of sense

or type in ( Should I use hi octane premium petrol, and what is octane rating? )

or CBC news Canadian ( Premium gas vs. regular: What's really better for your car? (CBC Marketplace)

And there only 6 major refineries ( 1 Esser, 2 ExxonMobile 3 Petroineos 4 Phillips 66 5 Total 6 Valero ) in the UK and they turn crude oil in petrol

and supply everyone from supermarkets and everyone else and I don't think any of them refine diesel I am pretty sure I read some where all our

Diesel comes from France



Enjoy

 

[xpoweruk]

 

[QuattroCalum]

I've used Shell V Power and Tesco Momentum unleaded, it did seem more eager with the Tesco Momentum, I think the Shell has the best cleaning package and that's why it doesn't feel as quick/good, price per litre is exorbitant compared to Tesco Momentum and Sainsbury's Super Unleaded.

I'm currently running with Sainsbury's Super Unleaded and the car is running really well on it so I'm sticking with that for now. I can quite easily get 38mpg on work commute in the morning which is really good for a 1.8t A4 B6 Quattro, really not much worse than my Passat 1.8t FWD was.

 

[MartayMcFly]

price per litre is exorbitant compared to Tesco Momentum and Sainsbury's Super Unleaded.

Why would you compare the price of either V-Power or Momentum to ordinary super unleaded? You either need 98+RON or you don't, depending on the engine, and if your car will run on 95 it won't magically make more power with 99 so people shouldn't really need to choose between super or premium.

 

[QuattroCalum]

Why would you compare the price of either V-Power or Momentum to ordinary super unleaded? You either need 98+RON or you don't, depending on the engine, and if your car will run on 95 it won't magically make more power with 99 so people shouldn't really need to choose between super or premium.

Ordinary super unleaded? Which one is it, ordinary or super. The Ecu in some cars can make more power by advancing the timing. My car can run on 95 or 98 but it does run better on 98 for the reason above, mpg is also better using super unleaded for the same reason.


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[MartayMcFly]

Ordinary super unleaded? Which one is it, ordinary or super. The Ecu in some cars can make more power by advancing the timing. My car can run on 95 or 98 but it does run better on 98 for the reason above, mpg is also better using super unleaded for the same reason.

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My bad, should have said "ordinary premium unleaded". And when I say run on 95, I mean properly. I could technically use 95 but it would likely damage the engine and the performance and efficiency would be hammered compared to the 98+ it's tuned to run on. If your car can benefit substantially from 98+ go ahead, but if it's a 2mpg and 5bhp boost for 15p/litre I'd say you're as well using 95.

 

[Rich76]

I'll stick with the Tesco stuff then

Does any one use additives like millers octaneboost?
Just thinking about my trip across Europe in 8 weeks time

 

[sportquattro]

Just read this thread and delighted that my feeing that my S4 always went better and further on Tesco Momentum is not just me thinking the same. I always use either Tesco momentum or Shell V-Power but the cost of V-power is a lot higher so generally use Momentum. Changing B7 S4 for an 8P S3 next weekend so will be keen to see if it the same on the S3

 

[RAF_S7]

Usually use Momentum as it's up to 10p/litre cheaper than VPower!

Ran my S7 on regular fuel for about a year, and ended up with fouled plugs, everyone said switch to a premium fuel. Haven't looked back

 

[S3Alex]

Usually use Momentum as it's up to 10p/litre cheaper than VPower!

Ran my S7 on regular fuel for about a year, and ended up with fouled plugs, everyone said switch to a premium fuel. Haven't looked back

I honestly couldn't say I notice any difference between Momentum and V-Power performance-wise on my car,but as you say,Momentum can be significantly cheaper.
I only ever use 99RON fuel though,whichever of those two it may be.

The biggest problem sometimes can be finding a petrol station that stocks either when you really need some!

 

[QuattroCalum]

I honestly couldn't say I notice any difference between Momentum and V-Power performance-wise on my car,but as you say,Momentum can be significantly cheaper.
I only ever use 99RON fuel though,whichever of those two it may be.

The biggest problem sometimes can be finding a petrol station that stocks either when you really need some!

There's a Shell App for nearest station, should help you out when you need some.


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[S3Alex]

There's a Shell App for nearest station, should help you out when you need some.


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Thanks...I do use the app,but availability can be a bit variable at times,so I tend to alternate between the two 99RON fuels depending on what's around.

I have to admit it can be down to my own laziness....!

 

[QuattroCalum]

I have Shell and Tesco in the nearest town but stick to Tesco because Shell prices are getting ridiculous now.


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[Rich81]

Never tried Tesco 99 but always use Vpower which always felt better than BP ultimate. Have always been wary of supermarket fuels...

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[S3Alex]

So.....reviving this old thread,I'm going to say something I didn't think I would....

I filled the car from virtually empty with Momentum this week,and it does drive better.

These are both 99RON fuels,but whether it's down to the mapping,the cold weather or what,the car does run smoother and pulls better with less hesitation,and I simply can't explain it.

 

[xpoweruk]

Momentum's the future

 

[oli356]

#TeamAsda here.... The cheapest fuel (standard unleaded) and most convenient for me to get to.

I put in a tank of momentum a couple of weeks ago though and had my worst economy motorway trip I've done haha :S. Can't say I noticed any difference really in performance generally either so I can't say I see much point in changing.. Though I'm not technical so rather naive on the matter.

If a Tesco was more convenient for me to get to I would probably try use it more.

10k miles / 30 mpg / 117.7p per litre would cost £1783
I think momentum was like 121.9p when I bought it so £1847


I guess for the mileage I do, the cost difference is actually a drop in the ocean... I'm surprised it's so little difference actually. There is a Shell near my work so I could start getting vPower, not sure how much more that is though.

 

[S3Alex]

#TeamAsda here.... The cheapest fuel (standard unleaded) and most convenient for me to get to.

I put in a tank of momentum a couple of weeks ago though and had my worst economy motorway trip I've done haha :S. Can't say I noticed any difference really in performance generally either so I can't say I see much point in changing.. Though I'm not technical so rather naive on the matter.

If a Tesco was more convenient for me to get to I would probably try use it more.

10k miles / 30 mpg / 117.7p per litre would cost £1783
I think momentum was like 121.9p when I bought it so £1847


I guess for the mileage I do, the cost difference is actually a drop in the ocean... I'm surprised it's so little difference actually. There is a Shell near my work so I could start getting vPower, not sure how much more that is though.

I'm a bit limited in that whilst I could use a 95RON fuel,it will reduce performance,so that rules out that option,but I still can't explain why Momentum works better....

I do at least have both Shell and Tesco nearby.....

 

[QuattroCalum]

Higher octane means less chance of engine knock/ pinking.
This is when the fuel ignites too quickly, higher octane fuel burns slower and more evenly which means more power because the ECU can adjust the ignition timing further.
Higher octane fuel won’t make much difference to a normal aspirated engine compared to a turbo charged engine.


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[rum4mo]

I thought that while the above is all correct, the lifting of the octane rating is now done by dumping in ethylene and as its specific energy, or the energy co-efficient, ie its potential to provide/release thermal energy was lower than straight 95 octane fuel, so while the drivability improves, the ultimate terminal power output from an engine using this 99 octane fuel will not be quite as high as it was for the straight 95 octane fuel if all outside conditions remained the same. As I said, not my research, just someone else's findings maybe based on proper chemistry.

 

[QuattroCalum]

I thought that while the above is all correct, the lifting of the octane rating is now done by dumping in ethylene and as its specific energy, or the energy co-efficient, ie its potential to provide/release thermal energy was lower than straight 95 octane fuel, so while the drivability improves, the ultimate terminal power output from an engine using this 99 octane fuel will not be quite as high as it was for the straight 95 octane fuel if all outside conditions remained the same. As I said, not my research, just someone else's findings maybe based on proper chemistry.

You have a point but the key is that it can pull more timing with 99 ron than with 95 ron that is one of the variables not taken into consideration.


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[JohnM100]

Octane rating is not a measure of the calorific value of the fuel.

Separately, isn’t it still the case that Momentum has a higher percentage of biofuel in it compared to other petrols?
I know in years gone by many fuel hoses and fuel pumps in cars weren’t certified beyond 5% biofuel as it made them rot quicker, but don’t know if that is still the case.

 

[rum4mo]

Quote "calorific value" - that is the term that I was looking for!

I think also that I meant Benzene and not Ethylene, though I'm sure that biofuel must now be in there!

The point that I was trying to make was, that by raising the octane rating by simply adding in another compound instead of what I thought was the original way used at UK which was to "refine further up the stack" - the end result was normally a lowering of the overall calorific value of the resultant mix.

From my own experience of recent years of using Shell Nitro+ etc, the MPG per tank was lower than when compared with records when using normal, maybe Esso UL. Now the only reason that I changed from UL to UL+ on that old 1.4 16V Polo, was to avoid pinking which I think was due to too much oil vapour being drawn in with the air due to an unknown oil separator problem. The drivability of that very "dead/flat" engine was improved quite a bit when using UL+ which left the drop in MPG to get forgotten. Even after replacing the faulty oil separator I had to keep on using UL+ as my wife had come to expect that extra drivability, but the MPG remained at the same, lower level for the remainder of the time she ran that car.

I did try UL+ a few times in my 2000 VW Passat 4Motion with the Audi 2.8 30V engine, and it did give better MPG on long journeys than it had done when fuelled with UL.

 

[QuattroCalum]

Bio ethanol I think they use now, as stated n/a engines don’t gain much if at all power / mpg wise but forced induction engines can advance the timing and gain power/ mpg.
No more than 5% used in the fuel regardless of supplier as I understand it.


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[xpoweruk]

This is the Momentum 99 breakdown from 2015
93AKI in US terms

 

[GaryP]

I don't have much choice over in Northern Ireland. No Tesco Momentum or Shell as far as I am aware. We don't even have Shell stations at all...!!! Is BP Super Unleaded really that bad??