Expensive ‘super fuels’ do not improve a car’s performance and are a ‘waste of money’, according to consumer magazine Which? Car. The publication tested three so-called super fuels (Shell V-Power, Tesco Super Unleaded and BP Ultimate Diesel) against standard fuels and found that there is little benefit for motorists.
The fuels cost more at the pumps and it is claimed they optimise fuel economy and boost a car’s power. Which? Found that Shell V-Power, one of the unleaded super fuels tested, gave a 1.6-litre Ford Focus a marginal power increase. But filling the car on this petrol for 12,000 miles would cost £115 more than using Shell’s standard petrol.
Tesco’s Super Unleaded – another of the super fuels on test – actually decreased the Focus’s power. Which? Car also looked at the impact of super fuels on turbo- and supercharged engines. It found that the VW Golf’s hi-tech 1.4TSI engine responded well to Shell V-Power, but there was little to choose between super fuels and ordinary petrol when it came to economy and emissions. BP Ultimate diesel – the only diesel super fuel on test – actually made the fuel economy and performance of a Renault Mégane 1.5 slightly worse.
Which? Car editor Richard Headland said: 'For many cars it’s a waste of money paying over the odds for so-called "super fuels". The standard fuels we tested were all up to the job, whether from a major fuel brand or a supermarket. There’s no conclusive evidence to show that super fuels are better for your car in the long run - so in a time of high oil prices, why would you choose to pay more?'
Which? Car recommended that motorists would do better to drive less frequently and more economically if they want to protect the environment, as the super fuels tested only had a marginal effect on emissions and pollutants.