Top Tier+ Gasoline

[Chops]

Starting this year (2025), Top Tier gas will start changing to Top Tier+…completing the transition by 2027.

Some Top Tier stations are already offering the Top Tier+ in their most expensive grade.
By 2027, all grades will be Top Tier+ and OEM owners manuals will reflect the new requirement.

“Top Tier” is an OEM designation. Voluntary, but major gas makers adhere because they want to sell gas to OEM vehicles

Below is a great explanation of Top Tier gas & the additive that makes it that way:

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[dwinch53]

Starting this year (2025), Top Tier gas will start changing to Top Tier+…completing the transition by 2027.

Some Top Tier stations are already offering the Top Tier+ in their most expensive grade.
By 2027, all grades will be Top Tier+ and OEM owners manuals will reflect the new requirement.

“Top Tier” is an OEM designation. Voluntary, but major gas makers adhere because they want to sell gas to OEM vehicles

Below is a great explanation of Top Tier gas & the additive that makes it that way:

Been using Top Tier fuel for years, Good detergents for the engine...Marathon and Shell is nearest to us

 

[bighap]

I only use Top Tier from Costco. They also happen to be the cheapest around me. No brainer.

 

[surfstar]

I shop by price. Low Tier burns the same for me.

Top Ramen sounds too expensive, also.

 

[A.Bursell]

Top Tier is owned by GM and is marketing. Doesn't mean other gas isn't as good or doesn't have the same/more/better additives, just that they haven't paid to join the club. Similar to other oil certifications and standards.

With that said, the gas I use is Top Tier, but I don't use it because it's Top Tier. If Costco stopped tomorrow, I would still have confidence in their gas and use it.

 

[Probity]

Has anyone seen/used a 'Top Tier +" gas yet?

 

[Chops]

Has anyone seen/used a 'Top Tier +" gas yet?

I haven’t been looking - but the pump will have a “Top Tier+” sticker on it instead of the “Top Tier” one.

I think Shell calls it “Shell V-Power® NiTRO+”. Other makers will have similar awesome sounding names

Eventually (by 2027) even the good old regular will have the “Top Tier+” sticker.

Edit - Exxon calls their Top Tier+ gas “Synergy Supreme+ Premium Gasoline”.

 

[zen_]

Curious what the actual chemistry is, but I guess if they have found additives that actually help GDI engines in a meaningful way, it will probably be worth it for owners that want to get the maximum efficiency and life from their vehicle. Worth noting that for that Maverick, the hybrid is a port injected engine, and the 25+ EB is GDI + port, so this will probably only benefit 22-24 EB engines that were GDI only.

Personally I just run top tier fuel when I can, and a bottle of techron on the last tank of fuel before an oil change. I would run top tier all the time, but sometimes there is a $0.40 difference in the price of fuel at Sam's Club vs. the other stations (fuel distribution racket...) where I live. Unfortunately Sam's is not top tier like Costco.

 

[Chops]

Top Tier is owned by GM and is marketing. Doesn't mean other gas isn't as good or doesn't have the same/more/better additives, just that they haven't paid to join the club. Similar to other oil certifications and standards.

With that said, the gas I use is Top Tier, but I don't use it because it's Top Tier. If Costco stopped tomorrow, I would still have confidence in their gas and use it.

You have a couple of misunderstandings of Top Tier. If you are curious - watch the video in OP. If your not curious that’s cool too

 

[Meeka]

I shop by price. Low Tier burns the same for me.

Top Ramen sounds too expensive, also.

Awe, Jeez, now I have a hankering for a big bowl of Pho!

 

[A.Bursell]

You have a couple of misunderstandings of Top Tier. If you are curious - watch the video in OP. If your not curious that’s cool too

The website used to come up as being owned by General Motors under a WhoIs lookup. Apparently now they have "fixed" that. I did watch the video, I've seen the AAA study as well. Is it the part about how I said it's marketing that you don't like? It absolutely is marketing, and that video is as well. I'm not saying it's bad or doesn't work -- of course it works and works well. But to say that no other fuels are as good because AAA did a study? The name "Top Tier" and the way they imply other fuels ("regular fuels") don't have additives, screams marketing. Most of these fuels come from the same place and the difference is which 5-gallon bucket gets thrown in the tank when the driver picks it up to deliver it to the station.

Like I said, I use it and have no complaints about it.

 

[inline_five]

Curious what the actual chemistry is, but I guess if they have found additives that actually help GDI engines in a meaningful way, it will probably be worth it for owners that want to get the maximum efficiency and life from their vehicle. Worth noting that for that Maverick, the hybrid is a port injected engine, and the 25+ EB is GDI + port, so this will probably only benefit 22-24 EB engines that were GDI only.

Personally I just run top tier fuel when I can, and a bottle of techron on the last tank of fuel before an oil change. I would run top tier all the time, but sometimes there is a $0.40 difference in the price of fuel at Sam's Club vs. the other stations (fuel distribution racket...) where I live. Unfortunately Sam's is not top tier like Costco.

I saw a pretty good testing setup on Youtube where they ran a bunch of Techron through with almost zero reduction in carbon buildup when viewed through a boroscope.

I now use Top Tier only although to be honest I am wondering if they're going to make Top Tier+ like they do "premium" grades. Used to be just a $0.10 difference, now it's more like $0.80 in my area. If that is the case, I'll switch to Low Tier™ gas.

I also use Valvoline Restore & Protect which did actually stop the oil consumption on my Prius so I was pretty happy with it, the marketing definitely got me on that one.

 

[zen_]

I saw a pretty good testing setup on Youtube where they ran a bunch of Techron through with almost zero reduction in carbon buildup when viewed through a boroscope.

I now use Top Tier only although to be honest I am wondering if they're going to make Top Tier+ like they do "premium" grades. Used to be just a $0.10 difference, now it's more like $0.80 in my area. If that is the case, I'll switch to Low Tier™ gas.

I also use Valvoline Restore & Protect which did actually stop the oil consumption on my Prius so I was pretty happy with it, the marketing definitely got me on that one.

The extra detergent in top tier fuel and techron (and gumout regain, and some others) is PEA. It's not going to work miracles removing carbon build up that is hardened and baked on, but the general idea of using top tier fuel and perhaps a periodic booster like techron is to not let it get to that point.

I get the techron in bulk when it's on sale, but it would be nice if someone just sold a concentrate so we didn't have to buy expensive, single use plastic bottles. Could probably debate how effective it is for sure, but it does have some positive effects, and $5, 1-2 times a year is not a ton of money.

 

[inline_five]

The extra detergent in top tier fuel and techron (and gumout regain, and some others) is PEA. It's not going to work miracles removing carbon build up that is hardened and baked on, but the general idea of using top tier fuel and perhaps a periodic booster like techron is to not let it get to that point.

I get the techron in bulk when it's on sale, but it would be nice if someone just sold a concentrate so we didn't have to buy expensive, single use plastic bottles. Could probably debate how effective it is for sure, but it does have some positive effects, and $5, 1-2 times a year is not a ton of money.

I agree about using Top Tier all the time which reduces buildup per the AAA study, and my impression is that a one time application over a six-month period of concentrate doesn't do that (or anything really).

 

[dochawk]

Top Tier is owned by GM and is marketing.

No.

It's a consortium. Originally Cadillac, Japanese, & German manufacturers who were looking at boosting compression. It set a standard for (at least primarily) detergent levels so that this could be done safely.

At least Chevron sells the additives separately from its gasoline (Techron).

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