29th Jan 2007, 17:32

Really? You seriously think you can put any type of gas into a $100K XLR-V? Good luck with that one.

30th Jan 2007, 17:49

All this talk about "bad gas" is very confusing. What is meant by "bad gas"??? How would you know if you were getting it. In my area ALL gas is brand name. I never heard of "off brand" gas.

30th Jan 2007, 21:38

The reason is that snobbish yuppies want so badly to believe that "their" oil is different somehow from the oil that the unwashed masses are buying at Wal-Mart. Suckers! It's like people that pay triple for kitty litter, when the stuff you sprinkle on the garage floor to soak up oil is the exact same material.

Oil is oil, unless you compare synthetic to non-synthetic. However, gas is not necessarily the same gas everywhere. Different brands use different additives, and some brands, oddly enough, can cause problems in certain cars. For instance, some GM's get clogged fuel injectors from certain blends of ethanol. There are also different blends for different seasons to reduce smog in certain areas. Ever notice how your gas mileage drops in the winter?

31st Jan 2007, 08:10

I find that very hard to believe since I've been all over this country and never seen an area that only had brand name gas.

But I will give you some examples. Around here there is a brand called "Rotten Robbie". There are also places like "Gas and Go" and so on.

These places buy the lowest quality gas and sell it cheap. But it isn't' good for the engine in comparison to something like Chevron which has detergents and additives that clean the engine.

Today's engines are far too sophisticated to take bad gas. They will end up with lower performance, pinging and knocking sounds, and sometimes even shutting themselves down if the VERY sensitive onboard diagnostics think the car is starting to pollute.

If you have an unsophisticated engine like my Chevy Aveo you can use lower quality gas with a reduced risk of damage. But such engines are rare as even newer Hyundais have fuel injection and such. And I wouldn't think of fueling up my BMWs with anything, but the best.

Now, that said, low price does not necessarily mean bad gas. It has to do with the brand. CostCo gas is good, although I would never trust Wal-Mart because they cut too many corners with everything they sell. And location often determines price. I've seen off-brand gas sell at 20 cents more a gallon than Mobil simply because the station was located in a more populated area.

The posters here fail to realize that every single "aspect" of a car is determined by market forces. The leather in a Ford Focus is of much lower quality than that in a Rolls Royce, even though both are called leather. Same thing with paint, plastics, and so on. And the same holds true for gas, oil, additives, etc.

Or, to put it any way using their argument, the FDA says that both a meal at McDonald's and a meal at the Ritz Carlton are legally allowed and regulated, but there is a huge difference in quality.

31st Jan 2007, 08:26

<<Oil is oil, unless you compare synthetic to non-synthetic.>.

Yet again, more disinformation. Oil varies just like gas varies. You don't go out to Wal-Mart to put Sam's Texas Blend into your Ferrari. If Wal-Mart sells a KNOWN name brand that is RECOMMENDED for the car then fine, otherwise you're risking a lot.

And this talk of yuppies is just pointless. If you read the owner's manual of your car and/or talk to a qualified mechanic who KNOWS your car you will be alright. But I guarantee you your mechanic isn't going to tell you to buy unknown gas and get your oil at the dollar store.

31st Jan 2007, 19:47

You can buy Mobil 1 or Castrol Syntech at (HORROR of HORRORS!!) WAL-MART, and you can order any BMW oil filter thru AutoZone.

Why yuppies brag about paying some 20-year-old kid at BMW a small fortune to change their oil just because it's a BMW dealership is a real mind boggler. ANY place can change oil. What's to mess up???? A kid at Jiffy lube will do just as good a job as a kid at BMW, and if he doesn't you can get Jiffy Lube to replace your engine, as they are liable for any improper work and are insured for that.

When I leased a vehicle for my company, I had all the oil changes done at Jiffy Lube and I never had a problem. You can provide your own oil at Jiffy Lube and watch them put it in (as I did).

So would you please explain HOW Jiffy Lube can "ruin" your precious toy by simply changing its oil. I'd LOVE to hear that one.

1st Feb 2007, 08:23

<<You can buy Mobil 1 or Castrol Syntech at (HORROR of HORRORS!!) WAL-MART, and you can order any BMW oil filter thru AutoZone.>.

So what? That's not the argument. The argument these poster put forward is that you can use ANY oil and ANY filter in ANY car.

I never disputed that you can't buy these things at Wal-Mart or AutoZone or Kragen. I DID dispute that you can use unknown brands and generic products in luxury cars. You cannot, for it will kill your car.

1st Feb 2007, 08:27

More disinformation. BMW mechanics have to take training classes and achieve certification. Jiffy Lube mechanics do NOT. They also are accustomed to certain types of vehicles with certain types of filter (mainly the most common - Hondas, etc.). It's simply fast food for cars, with the same results.

And when I first came to California I went to a Jiffy Lube with friends. A few months later I sold my car only to find out the idiot at Jiffy Lube had SUBSTITUTED another oil plug and my car had a slow oil leak the whole time. Luckily that was just with a basic Honda Civic.

2nd Feb 2007, 10:25

I'm waiting breathlessly for an explanation of what sort of "training" is required to place a wrench on an oil plug and turn it. Is that graduate or post-graduate level???

2nd Feb 2007, 13:07

Guess it's just "hype" that Ferrari mechanics charge $150/hour or more and that a BMW averages $70 oil changes since ALL engines, oils, gasolines, and anything else related to cars is all the same anyway.

I guess the best way to buy a car is simply to look a the cost per pound, since all cars are the same with no variations.

Oh, we've also learned that it's much better to buy a car with 100's of drivers vs. a single driver car and that you can 100% trust rental car agencies to provide evidence of their cars' "maintenance". And we've also learned that it's a bad mistake to go to a mechanic that specializes in a car's brand since one (preferably one fresh out of high school with no certification) mechanic fixing endless different brands of cars is better.

Of course, you people still haven't explained why anyone would use synthetic oil since all oil is the same according to you.