Giving 97 Octane a try.

[Jocko]

Basically I try to avoid using the brakes as much as possible. Anticipation and lifting off early make a huge difference. I also make great use of Deceleration Fuel Cut off. The more use you can make of DFCO the better. It is like coasting in neutral, with the engine off, except you are in full control of the car.
The Mk 1 doesn't have an Instantaneous so I fitted a ScanGauge E which displays the Instantaneous and average mpg for a trip.



Today I started out with a trip to the local supermarket, then on to The Western General in the centre of Edinburgh. From there I went down through Granton, Newhaven, Leith and Seafield, then on to Danderhall. I came home via the A720 City Bypass, M8, M9, M90, Cueensferry Crossing, A92 then back through Auchtertool. According to the ScanGauge I covered 73.7 miles in 2 hours 20 minutes driving, max speed 63 mph, average speed 32 mph, and average of 64.6 mpg. I intentionally drive for fuel economy so I am disappointed when the big numbers don't materialise!

[Jocko]

First top up after changing to 97 octane. 61.3 mpg, calculated. No better than 95 octane so far but we will see how it goes. 97 octane up to £1.327/litre hereabouts.

[peteo48]

I put some Irish petrol in again last week (Apple Green) and decided to use their 97 Octane. It is 9 pence per litre dearer than the 95 RON so a similar price differential to the big brands. Supermarkets only charge 5 pence per litre extra.

I think I'm getting the placebo effect. The car seems to have slightly more pep!

[Jocko]

I think I'm getting the placebo effect. The car seems to have slightly more pep!

I am going to run a few tankfuls of 97 before changing back to 95. See if I feel the opposite effect. I felt it had more pep too, but now it just feels ordinary.

[peteo48]

Yes - think I'll do the same. My small mileage means that, cost wise, it's an affordable experiment. As you suggest the real test will be if you feel a pronounced dip after going back on 95.

What might work would be a blind "tasting" where you didn't know what was in your tank and had to identify the cooking petrol from the posh stuff.

[Jocko]

I am still running 97 octane fuel. It is just from my local supermarket so no super additives.
That is seven tankfuls now (my mother-in-law is buying the petrol since we are visiting most days - 80 plus miles round trip), and I am getting great mpg. Mind you, the weather and traffic patterns are helping.
Today's top up took my Fuelly average, for the last 10 tankfuls, to over 60 mpg. I'll run for 10 tanks of 97 octane, and see what my 10 top up average works out at, before returning to 95 octane.

[VicW]

How much extra are you paying for your 97 fuel, is it cost effective?

Vic.

[Jocko]

is it cost effective?

Unfortunately not. I have to average about 64 mpg to break even.

[peteo48]

Think Jocko is using Morrisons 97. I've been using Sainsburys 97 and the price premium is 5 pence per litre. On the additives thing, only Tesco claim that their 99 Momentum has additional additives.

My experiment stymied last week. Had a 10 pence per litre discount at Sainsburys but pulled up at wrong pump and the petrol station was busy so put 95 in.

[Jocko]

Morrisons 97 Octane is currently £1.337, here in Kirkcaldy. I think 95 octane is £1.267 or £1.277, but I cannot be sure. I'll check tomorrow.

[Jocko]

Petrol is £1.337/litre for 97 octane and £1.277/litre for 95 octane, at my local Morrisons.
If I take my average over the 6 tankfuls of 97 octane (61.9 mpg) and compare it to the 6 tankfuls of 95 octane immediately prior to the change (57.5 mpg) then it does make 97 octane economically viable. However, I am not sufficiently convinced that the slight advantage is not just down to type of miles/length of journeys/weather.

[123Drive!]

As mentioned before, I use Shell V-Power and always finds it more powerful on my 09 i-shift. Due to geographic reasons, I haven't been using V-POWER on my manual Seat Ibiza but last week filled up £60, yes I know-expensive, to the top. Wow! The car suddenly changed and was alot faster. As driving school cars, it's hard to see if I get the extra mpg but on the Ibiza, you could feel the pupils going a lot faster when using V-POWER. The only problem now is that the new Shell points card is not as competitive as it was so I wouldn't go out of my way to fill V-POWER.

[sparky Paul]

As driving school cars, it's hard to see if I get the extra mpg but on the Ibiza, you could feel the pupils going a lot faster when using V-POWER.

Is that a good thing? 

[123Drive!]

As driving school cars, it's hard to see if I get the extra mpg but on the Ibiza, you could feel the pupils going a lot faster when using V-POWER.

Is that a good thing? 

Lol! At least the petrol is being tested by a 3rd party, so not bias!

Not a good thing when the car seems to go faster but at least it shows V-POWER does work.

[madasafish]

I keep exact records (Fuelly) and over a decade plus, seen no change in mpg using 97 or 95 Octance od VPower.

I read tales of improvement and look for teh consumption numbers. If none are quoted, then my opinion is no facts =bull excrement..

My long trem Mark 3 averages 43mpg over a year (or slightly less)..and has fone for s8x years.. whatever petrol I use..The journeys are the same, teh driver is teh same and teh results are the same.