I picked up my FL2 on Thursday.

I've not yet had to fill it up. I wondered if anyone has done any comparison on the MPG/performance between standard diesel and the likes of V-Power or BP Ultimate?

I know it's a contentious subject as to some it's just snake oil, but I know in my previous car, a Boxster, the car did feel different between using V-Power and standard unleaded - though being a petrol car I don't know how much of this was down to the difference in RON vs. any cleaning additives.

Thanks all.

Always BP Ultimate. I have found it gives me a couple of mpg extra compared with standard diesel. Enough to justify the additional cost anyway. And the man thinks it is good too http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/best-fuels/

I never never fill up with supermarket diesel. Why? I don't know other than it just doesn't seem the right thing to do. Buy a vehicle costing this much and you will want to look after her. Give her the best. It's not as if you cannot afford it or you would not have bought a Freelander.

I have always got better mpg with BP Ultimate, although this was more noticeable on the Disco 2. I haven't noticed any effect from the Shell though, oddly. I do put a dose of 2-stroke in the tank (see very long ongoing "sticky" thread) and I think it improves performance, but that may be psychological. I used to get better mpg from recycled biodiesel (and it's much, much cheaper!), but again that was in the Disco and I haven't used it in the Freely. I seem to get better mpg on the continent, but I think their car diesel (which costs more than truck diesel) is slightly better quality. Basically it's down to the cetane rating - the higher it goes the better the performance.

Generally speaking though I use Sainsbury's because it's convenient, it's cheap and I get Reward points. I also save a bit by using a cashback credit card. With the added 2-stroke oil I don't think the difference is huge.

Every so often I will put some V-Power diesel in because the cleaning additives help clean all the crap out apparently.

It is not necessary to pay the stupid prices for the super fuels though. We are not driving Lamborghini's here. The new Shell Fuel Save diesel which came out last year is fine. Nice improvement over supermarket fuels but still of good quality for our cars.

I would not waste my money on unnecessary super fuels for minor gains in fuel consumption. Shell fuel save or rivals equivalents are best. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

There are many types of fuel additives on the market, Why pay more when you dont need too. A little hom work by yourself will reap the rewards

Your right foot also has a lot to do with it

Using fuel additives "may" affect your warranty.

superspark wrote:

There are many types of fuel additives on the market, Why pay more when you dont need too. A little hom work by yourself will reap the rewards

Past master wrote:

Using fuel additives "may" affect your warranty.

Firstly they would have to prove you used additives in the first place, then if that were proven you could always chase the makers of any additive you might of added.
Different fuel companies use different blends of additives so depending on where you fill up depends on what you get in the first place Dont you think that any registered brand would of done plenty of tests on their product first? Or they just might be in for several thousand law suits. makes you wonder dont you think. prime example : slick 50, well theres a whole new ball game.

Let's say hypothetically that you put an additive in your fuel that 'increases performance'

But the week before your warranty has run out you find you need new piston rings because something somewhere has been corrosive towards them. If you've said on here that you add said additive, and the dealer that you're dealing with, or LR warranty's dept see's it, they'll blame the additive.

So you go after the additive producer. They turn round and say 'we've never heard of this happening...so it's definitely not our product'. What do you do now? If you try sueing LR they just need to say 'he told us he uses additives with his fuel so that must be to blame...it doesn't happen to others run on standard diesel'. If you try sueing the additive maker...'we've never seen it, there's no evidence to suggest we're liable' and the result is that you have to pay for repairs because you didn't keep your gob shut in a certain situation.

Different blends in fuel at the pump are irrelevant. Manufacturers make the car to run specifically on what is sold at the pump, not to start adding 2 stroke oil, performance enhancers, whatever else. These may be beneficial, but when something goes wrong, you can't exactly expect the company not to try and get out of giving you a new engine can you? Mine: 2012 Golf GTI Edition 35
Family's: 2009 Freelander 2 HSE TD4 Auto, Stornoway

Yorkshire - God's County

Back to the original question, I did 2500 miles on normal shell (Before fuel save) and then 2500 miles on V-Power, and over the test I found that the V-Power gave better overall mpg.

Over the first 2500 miles, I zero'd the trip the car averaged 31.3mpg, and then I reset it again and over the next 2500 miles on the V-Power the car averaged 33.9mpg.

So although it costs more to buy in the first place, the extra mpg covers the cost. But, V-Power Diesel is refined from Liquid Gas where normal diesel is refinded from crude. This is alot better for the engine as fuel refined from liquid gas has less crap in it so the dirt build up is less. You will always get more crap build up in crude refined diesel.

This does have a better long term effect on your engine, and the TD4 engine is alot quieter on V-Power than on regular diesel.

Apart from this test I did two years ago, it has always ran on V-Power and will continue to do so. Freelander 2 HSE Lux 2013MY - Barolo Black with Ivory Leather. Alpine DVD - Privacy -Evoque 20" Dynamic Wheels and more to come.........

V-Power is a waste of money now fuel save is available as per my post above. I agree it is better quality but the gains in mpg(if any) over the new fuel save do not justify the costs. Fuel save is a big improvement as I saw an extra 25 miles from a full tank over supermarket diesel. Filling up with V-Power once every so often is best. LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Big dave, you are correct up to a point. Yes dont let it be known to any one, that would be dumb.
Now we have to look at what exactly is being added. Yes you could go for proformance inhancing additives or you might just be interested in engine cleaning and smother running with better mpg. As i have stated earlier that slick 50 is proven to grately improved mpg and reduce engine wear over the life of the engine. This i have tested in years gone by and found to be true.
If your looking for large power boosts then as with nitrus oxide for example, will give an engine a much higher bhp due to the faster/hotter burn that would damage the engine.
What you do and how far you go is up to the individual.

I filled my car up with fuel save the other day and today I opted for
£92 of VPower I should do similar type trips so it will be interesting to find if my mpg gets better

Avg 22.92mpg and on the fuel save got 23.56mpg Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis