[taos413]

Preface:

My Taos has been amazing. I love it so much.

Being that this is a car I really enjoy and like, I have made it a point to fill it up with gasoline from mobile.

(I owned a 2008 Prius before and didn't really worry about gas range and or types of gas.)

Welp yesterday, after an event, I noticed I had 25 miles left and when I went to my nearest mobile gas station... it was closed...
I had only 10 miles left and quickly scrambled to see where the nearest one was ... 3 miles away.

I was brave and ventured out with only 5 miles remaining when I arrived at the next station... closed. Luckily there was a Sunoco? and filled it up there.
---
Questions:
1. How bad is it for the car that I did this?
2. I fill up my Taos with 87 from Mobil. Always. I ended up filling it with 93 from Sunoco. Is that bad for the car?
3. Which brand has the best gas? lol
4. UGhhhhh ... Why does the Chinese market have an all-electric version of Taos and we don't? FYI starting price is 29k! I get that the market over there is bigger but my goodness, I sometimes feel left out and left with the feeling that Americans are left out... could be my perception... but like

 

[karen.forgash]

Sunoco is a Top Tier Gasoline like Mobile so you’ll be fine. But try not to let your tank get that low before filling up. I always fill up before it gets to 1/4 tank low. Usually I fill up when it’s at at 1/2 a tank but that’s just me.

 

[blnewto]

I'm not sure what the reserve is but I assume there's at least a 1/2 gallon in there when it reads empty. I've been down to 10 miles before (I thought the tank was a 17 gallon lol). I've always heard it's not good to run all the way down since most fuel pumps are in the tank but not sure how true that is.

 

[OR-Taos]

I almost always run the tank down to the low fuel light coming on then I start to think about filling up. Been doing that for 30 years and a dozen vehicles without ever having an issue. I've used Chevron, Shell, Texaco, Arco and Fred Meyer/Costco (Ken Advantage I think it's called) and odds/ends of whatever is less expensive over the years.

 

[Fernanernie]

First, do NOT make it a habit of running your tank low. Fuel pumps are cooled by being submersed in the tank. In the long term, you're shortening the life of it by running your tank low all the time. Also, considering the "current situation", if you ever have to wait in line for fuel....

Now, to ruffle feathers.... Regionally, top tier gas is top tier gas...https://toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/. If you go to any one of these branded stations, the only real difference between stations is additive packages. (besides the difference in Oxygenated/ethanol vs. Non-Oxy/ethanol). The gas all comes from the same dead dinosaurs (Thanks T-Rex), goes through the same distribution networks, ends up at the same refineries, and blended in the same equipment. The majority of the packages are the same bulk ingredients, with slight tweaks to anti-knock, deposit control, and emissions scrubbing chemicals. Think of it this way, mustard is mustard... Plochmans vs French's vs Heinz; and in the grand scheme of a hamburger, there really isn't much of a difference.

Don't fall for the marketing as a gas labelled "Supreme" being better than you Plain Jane sounding "regular". Higher Octane does NOT mean better quality gas or better gas mileage. The US version, stock Taos runs perfectly fine on 87 Octane, no matter what your twice removed cousin has for an anecdotal story.* (not factoring in altitude changes).

All other things being equal, two main things that affect gasoline quality. With oxygenated, age/exposure; and WHERE you get fuel. The Shell station that has been in town for 50 years, with storage tanks from the 80's and the pump filters changed 2 years ago is going to have crappy fuel quality compared to Billy's Snax 'N Gas just off the interstate, with new tanks and runs through deliveries 3x/week.

Also, there is no Mid-Grade gasoline

 

[CorradoG60]

First, do NOT make it a habit of running your tank low. Fuel pumps are cooled by being submersed in the tank. In the long term, you're shortening the life of it by running your tank low all the time. Also, considering the "current situation", if you ever have to wait in line for fuel....

Now, to ruffle feathers.... Regionally, top tier gas is top tier gas...https://toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/. If you go to any one of these branded stations, the only real difference between stations is additive packages. (besides the difference in Oxygenated/ethanol vs. Non-Oxy/ethanol). The gas all comes from the same dead dinosaurs (Thanks T-Rex), goes through the same distribution networks, ends up at the same refineries, and blended in the same equipment. The majority of the packages are the same bulk ingredients, with slight tweaks to anti-knock, deposit control, and emissions scrubbing chemicals. Think of it this way, mustard is mustard... Plochmans vs French's vs Heinz; and in the grand scheme of a hamburger, there really isn't much of a difference.

Don't fall for the marketing as a gas labelled "Supreme" being better than you Plain Jane sounding "regular". Higher Octane does NOT mean better quality gas or better gas mileage. The US version, stock Taos runs perfectly fine on 87 Octane, no matter what your twice removed cousin has for an anecdotal story.* (not factoring in altitude changes).

All other things being equal, two main things that affect gasoline quality. With oxygenated, age/exposure; and WHERE you get fuel. The Shell station that has been in town for 50 years, with storage tanks from the 80's and the pump filters changed 2 years ago is going to have crappy fuel quality compared to Billy's Snax 'N Gas just off the interstate, with new tanks and runs through deliveries 3x/week.

Also, there is no Mid-Grade gasoline

Higher octane can provide better performance if your ECM has adaptive measures to take advantage. Some VW brochures even state this, where certain quoted figures are only experienced with “premium fuel.”

At minimum, higher octane also means the engine is less likely to retard performance to prevent knocking.

Also, gasoline (oil) is not made from dead dinosaurs. It is theorized and widely accepted that it is mostly decayed plant matter, though others question this theory considering the depths below the surface at which the material is often found.

 

[blnewto]

Anyone know how much reserve is in the tank?

 

[CRVW]

Anyone know how much reserve is in the tank?

No, but I know a way you could find out.

 

[blnewto]

No, but I know a way you could find out.

I was pretty close to finding out, glad I didn't