♪ [theme]
>> Tom Harrington:
 This week on marketplace...
[gas pump bell]
 getting hosed at the pumps.
>> Who do we trust?
>> Tom: Are we being misled
 into spending millions
 we don't have to?
>> Which gas is better
for my car?
>> Supreme.
>> Tom: Wasting money on gas
 most of our cars don't need.
Oil companies
are misleading drivers?
>> Absolutely!
>> Tom: We put Premium gas
 to the test, and you won't
 believe what we find.
>> It's actually hurting
the environment!
>> Why are they selling people
a kind of gas that
they don't need?
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
>> Tom: We're cruising
 along the back roads
 of Southwestern Ontario.
 It's the marketplace
 gas challenge.
 Premium versus Regular.
 Which one will come out on top?
 Stay tuned for the lowdown
 on high octane.
♪ ♪
 No matter what you
 put in your tank,
 the price across the country
 is high, too.
 And for Premium, well,
 you pay a premium.
 As much as 15 cents more
 per litre than Regular.
 We're at a gas station
 in Toronto's East End.
How are you doing? Can I ask
you a couple of questions?
 Gauging your gas-buying habits.
What do you know
about Premium gas?
>> I think it's better
for your motor?
>> It's supposed to make it
run better, right?
>> It burns cleaner.
>> It's supposed to be better
for your car in terms of,
I don't know, some additives or
something that they put into it.
[♪]
>> Tom: Ads like this seem
 to drive that home.
[♪]
>> Announcer: Shell V-Power.
 Our most advanced fuel ever.
>> Tom: Making the pitch that
 Premium's better for your car.
>> Announcer: Nitrogen-enriched
 for optimum performance,
 maximum protection.
>> Tom: Now, it's true that
 some car-makers recommend
 putting Premium fuel
 in their high-end models,
 but what about most of us
 who drive regular cars?
Do you ever buy Premium gas?
>> Sometimes.
>> In my other car, I did.
>> Once in a while, I do like
to because they say it's
better for the car. You know?
>> Tom: Who says?
>> Uh, I don't know!
I guess just other people
that have worked at the gas
stations and stuff have told
me over the years.
>> It's better quality, I think.
This is what they say.
>> Tom: Did it require Premium?
>> No, but I mean, it's supposed
to be better for the car, right?
>> It's a treat.
If I've got extra money,
I think, okay, I'll put
the Premium in today.
[chanting]
>> Tom: Treating body and mind
 with care is at the centre
 of Karuna Brandy's life.
>> Sending the breath
into the joints.
>> Tom: She teaches yoga out of
 her home in East-End Toronto.
>> So, we're actually increasing
the lubrication here.
>> Tom: A believer in the
 holistic approach, even when
 it comes to buying gas.
>> I'm so not the right
person to ask.
>> Tom: As we learn when we
 first meet her at the pumps,
 putting higher octane
 gas into her Honda Civic.
So, why?
>> Because I get better gas
mileage with my car.
>> Tom: On the higher--?
>> On the higher octane.
>> Tom: Well, what have you
heard about Premium gas?
>> I'm a yogi eco-person.
So, in my mind-- I don't
know if it's true or not,
but in my mind, I believe
it's true that if I buy
the higher-grade gas,
it burns cleaner.
[♪]
>> Tom: Is she right?
 We want to find out if
 Premium gas really does all
 those wonderful things.
 So, we're doing three tests
 with a regular car.
 Does it run better, go farther,
 burn cleaner with Premium?
 The choice for our first
 experiment is Shell's
 Premium V-Power.
 We're using this 2013
 Chevrolet Cruze,
 one of the best-selling
 passenger cars in Canada.
 And our lab, if you like,
 is the Canadian Automotive
 and Trucking Institute
 in Cambridge, Ontario.
 Marty Stanfel is running
 our test.
 He's been an instructor here
 for more than 20 years.
How'd I do?
>> That's great.
>> Tom: Okay, thanks.
Hey, Marty, Tom Harrington.
>> Hi, Tom, how are you?
>> Tom: Thanks for helping
us out today.
>> You're more than welcome.
>> Tom: Okay.
Let's see, we're testing
Premium versus Regular gas?
>> That's right.
>> What will this machine do?
>> What this machine is
going to do, is we're going
to measure the performance
of the car by measuring
the horsepower and the torque
and see if there's any
difference between Regular
fuel and Premium fuel.
>> Tom: So, what
do you need me to do?
>> I'm going to strap down
the car and then I need you
to do 50 kilometres an hour.
>> Tom: Okay.
>> And put on the cruise
control, and we'll get
some numbers here.
>> Tom: Great. Let's do that.
[♪]
 >> Tom: Our first test
 is looking at performance.
 Does the engine run better
 on Premium?
 We start by running the
 Chevy Cruze on Regular gas.
What is this telling us
about how the engine's
performing on Regular gas?
>> What it's telling us
right now is that this
is taking this amount
of horsepower to make these
wheels turn, and using up
that much fuel.
>> Tom: We have our reading
 with the Regular.
 Time to switch over now
 to the Premium fuel.
Okay, I was going to say
fill 'er up, but I think
you have to empty it.
>> Good point.
>> Tom: I've never
done that before.
 So, we drain the Regular gas.
 And put in the
 Shell V-Power Premium.
We have Premium gas in the car
now, so do you expect any
of those numbers to change?
>> I'm thinking this number
here is going to drop.
I'm not too sure about this
number, but I'm thinking this
number here is going to come
in at a lower number.
>> Tom: And if it's a lower
number, that means what?
>> That means that the
engine is running more
proficiently and doesn't
need as much power to make
it run the same speed.
>> Tom: Okay.
>> Because of the high
test fuel.
[car accelerating]
>> Tom: So, what are we seeing?
>> We're seeing the same
numbers as before.
That's very interesting.
>> Tom: What do you make of it?
Shouldn't the Premium
be lower number?
>> You would think.
>> Tom: What does that tell you?
>> I think what's happening
here with the Premium fuel
running through here,
the computer of the car
is compensating for that.
And it's going to give you
the same numbers because
that's what that engine
was designed to do.
So, proficiency and efficiency
of the car, by putting
in Premium or its desired
Regular octane, it's negligible,
you won't see a difference.
>> Tom: That's right.
 Our test shows our regular car
 does not run better on Premium.
[♪]
 Car talk has been
 Mark Whinton's second
 language since he was a boy.
 Today, he's an automotive
 teacher and writes a blog
 on the car industry.
 Mark's also an expert
 witness on car cases in
 Ontario Superior Court.
What's your recommendation to
people about what gas to use?
>> Regular.
Always.
>> Tom: One of the things about
Premium is that it makes
your engine perform better.
True or false?
>> No.
That's false.
>> Tom: How many would even
notice the difference
between the two?
>> Nobody.
I mean, you could blindfold me,
I couldn't tell the difference.
[laughs]
>> Tom: We ask Mark to put
 his mileage where his mouth is.
 He gets the keys to the Chevy
 Cruze for our second test.
 We want to see if our car gets
 better mileage on Premium.
 This time, we're using
 Esso Supreme.
>> Set trip to zero.
Resetting gas... and off we go.
I expect the result to be
very, very close; within a
half a litre per 100 kilometres.
And stop.
Five litres. Full stop.
4.8 litres.
>> Tell me about the results,
based on what you're seeing?
>> I don't see any
difference at all.
Any variance you would get
would be due to just
the testing variance,
just between the equipment
itself, its tolerances,
the car itself, its tolerances.
That's it.
You're not seeing any
real-world difference.
>> Tom: Is there any benefit
at all to putting Premium
in a regular car?
>> No, none whatsoever.
I don't know how to put it
any plainer than that.
[laughs]
>> Tom: And Mark doesn't
 just talk the talk.
 He drives the drive.
 Remember that muscle car
 he likes to take for a spin
 on a nice day?
 Well, GM may recommend
 Premium, but Mark puts
 Regular in the tank.
>> If I was going to go to,
say, a racetrack or something,
definitely I would put
Premium in the car.
But just driving around
to and fro?
Don't need it, not required.
>> Tom: They talk about the idea
the engine knocks if
you're not putting in
the right kind of gas.
Have you ever noticed anything
like that with your 'vette?
>> No.
Modern cars have a lot of engine
management technology that tunes
the car while you drive.
So, if you put in a Regular
grade fuel and the engine
does knock, before you hear it,
the engine will change
the timing and get rid
of the knock.
>> Tom: How much money have
you saved, do you think?
>> Oh, about 10 bucks a fill-up.
>> Tom: Mark isn't
 a lone wolf on this.
 None other than the U.S.
 government agrees with him.
 The Federal Trade Commission,
 the FTC, says using a higher
 octane gas than your owner's
 manual recommends, "won't make
 your car perform better,
 go faster, get better mileage,
 or run cleaner."
 And, "Unless your engine
 is knocking...
 is a waste of money."
 Back at the gas station,
 how will car owners react?
>> Oh, really?
I'd be surprised, but not.
>> So it shouldn't be 15 cents
more a litre, right?
>> It's a scam. [laughs]
That they're getting us with the
thinking that it's better for
our cars and really it's not.
>> Tom: Do you think gas
stations, oil companies,
are misleading drivers
about Premium gas?
>> I think so.
Oh, yeah, absolutely!
>> Tom: In the U.S., the FTC
 says the same thing.
 It's gone after some companies
 for misleading advertising.
 Esso's parent company, Exxon,
 agreed to run new commercials
 after giving drivers
 in the U.S. the wrong
 impression about Premium.
 So, what's the sales
 pitch here?
 We're taking our hidden cameras
 to gas stations across Canada,
 and find out there's
 a premium on accuracy.
>> This one is
87 per cent clean.
This is 89 per cent clean.
This is 91 per cent clean.
[♪]
♪ [theme]
>> Tom: We're pulling up to the
 pumps and putting claims about
 Premium gas to the test.
 The American government
 and many experts are warning
 drivers not to waste
 their money on Premium.
 So, we take our hidden cameras
 to gas stations in Halifax,
 Toronto, and Vancouver.
 Will they make the pitch
 for Premium in a regular car?
>> What would you recommend?
Should I get the Premium
or the Regular?
>> Tom: Some seem to give
 the correct advice.
>> I think so, Regular.
>> In this?
>> Yeah?
>> You don't need it.
>> Tom: But others say
 Premium is king.
>> Should I get Regular
or Premium?
>> Premium, sir.
>> Premium's better?
>> This car need a Premium,
yeah.
>> Which gas is better
for my car?
>> That is the...
Supreme.
>> Tom: And one of the reasons
 they're telling us to go
 with Premium over Regular?
>> You're going to notice
more gas mileage.
>> You will know the
difference by your mileage.
>> You can get more mileage
out of this gas.
>> Tom: Better mileage,
 in a car that doesn't need it,
 and a claim experts say
 is simply not true.
 The oil companies
 pump up another claim
 about Premium gas.
>> It keeps the engine clean
so you don't have to buy all
those cleaners.
>> If you want to be a little
on the safer side, take 89.
>> What will that do, though?
>> It's a little more cleaner.
This one is 87 per cent clean.
 This is 89 per cent clean.
This is 91 per cent clean.
>> Tom: Clean can mean
 all kinds of things.
>> Announcer: Esso
 scientists have engineered
 gasoline on the molecular level
 to help clean up intake valves
 and help deliver
 better fuel economy.
>> Tom: But to the oil
 companies, clean is all
 about the detergents
 they put in their gas.
>> With 20 per cent more
cleaning agents than before...
>> Tom: And they sell it
 like other people sell
 laundry soap.
>> [whispers] No other gasoline
protects your engine better.
>> Tom: Petro Canada goes
 so far as to call
 its gas "RegularClean"
 and "SuperClean".
 Our expert, Mark Whinton,
 says, time to come clean
 on this one.
>> I've noticed that they're
making everybody think their
engines are dirty and they
need to be cleaned, and that
if you clean them, you'll get
better performance and things.
You know, engine's today
stay pretty clean.
I mean, it's a bit of a fallacy
to think, oh, we have, you know,
hundreds of thousands
of engines running around,
they're all gunked up
that need cleaning!
It's simply not the case.
And all the other gases,
their regular gases,
have detergents as well,
as mandated by law.
>> Tom: The FTC agrees
 on that one, too,
 "high octane gasoline
 does not outperform Regular
 octane in preventing engine
 deposits from forming,
 in removing them, or in
 cleaning your car's engine.
 In fact, the U.S.
 Environmental Protection
 Agency requires that all
 octane grades of all brands
 of gasoline contain engine
 cleaning detergent additives."
 We have the same rules
 for Canadian gas.
 There's another Premium promise
 that you hear
 from the oil companies;
 that Premium gas is kinder and
 gentler for the environment.
>> This is the heal-all,
so it heals on all levels.
Hi, baby.
>> Tom: Remember our yoga
 instructor?
 Karuna Brandy
 elieves in tending to
 and protecting the Earth.
 So, even though Honda
 recommends Regular, Karuna
 puts in Premium gas because
 she believes it causes
 less pollution.
 Time to clear the air.
♪ ♪
 Our third and final test
 is on emissions.
 We're back at the Canadian
 Automotive and Trucking
 Institute, where Marty Stanfel
 gets a reading
 with Regular gas.
>> You'll notice here
we're only having six parts
per million of hydrocarbons,
that's a very clean car.
>> The overall tells us what?
>> This tells us that this
is a very clean-running gas,
with a clean-running car.
 >> Tom: Now, out with
 the Regular and in
 with Shell V-Power Premium.
 Any difference to be expected?
>> Again, I'm hoping to see
lower numbers here now
because the Premium fuel
is supposed to be
a cleaner-burning fuel.
>> Tom: I step on the gas.
 And what do the readings
 say this time?
>> The hydrocarbons are up
a little, which means
there's unburned fuel coming
out of the tailpipe because
we're compensating, and the
Premium fuel's not getting
used up like it should
in a Premium-fuelled car.
So, therefore, it's actually
hurting the environment.
Whether or not you're
cleaning your valves
and cleaning the inside
of the engine, I couldn't
say that's true.
But I think you are hurting
more of the environment
now by running the Premium
fuel in a Regular-fuelled car.
>> Tom: We show the test
 results to Karuna.
So, what do you think of that?
>> I'm speechless.
Why I think I'm doing this
is because of the opposite
of that, thinking that I'm
being cleaner as a driver.
And then I have a question,
because why are the oil
companies making these
different grades of gas,
and is it an education for us,
as consumers?
And who do we trust?
>> Tom: Time to find out.
♪ ♪
 We're taking our test car
 to each of the big three
 gas stations.
 Will they tell us
 to put in Premium?
>> What would you
recommend we put in?
>> Tom: And we ask
 the companies, why so much
 fiction at the pump?
>> Companies are not putting
these millions of dollars
into research just
for the fun of it.
It is actually--
>> Tom: Well, they're
trying to make money.
♪ ♪
♪ [theme]
>> Tom: Our marketplace gas
 challenge shows when we put
 Premium gas into our
 Chevy Cruze, it does not
 perform better, does not get
 better mileage, and does not
 reduce emissions.
 In fact, it creates more.
 So, we decide to take our test
 car to each of the three
 big gas station chains
 to see if they'll recommend
 Premium or Regular.
 First up, Shell...
>> Hi, how are you?
>> Hi, there.
What would you recommend
we put in?
>> Regular.
>> Regular?
>> Yeah!
>> This attendant gives
 us the correct advice...
 And when we ask about
 the Premium V-Power?
>> No, no.
This car don't need V-Power.
>> Oh, okay.
>> This is GM car.
It's Regular.
>> Tom: Up next, 
 it's Esso's turn...
>> Which would you recommend,
Premium or Regular?
>> For this car?
You can put the Medium.
>> So, it's worth it,
the extra money?
>> For me, I recommend
you put Supreme.
>> What would it do?
>> That's, like, you can drive
like more mileage on there.
It's going to clean all
the injections and everything.
Supreme is good.
>> Tom: So, in goes the more
 expensive Supreme, into a car
 that doesn't need it.
 Finally, we take our
 test car to Petro Canada...
>> What would you
recommend we put in?
What kind of gas?
>> Ultra 94.
>> But it costs so much more.
How come?
>> Yeah, I know,
because it's the best.
>> Tom: We ask Petro Canada,
 Esso, and Shell
 for on-camera interviews.
 They decline our offer.
 We bring our test
 car to Montreal
 to meet the man who represents
 the oil companies.
Mr. Montreuil?
>> Yes.
>> Tom Harrington
from marketplace.
>> Very pleased to meet you.
>> Tom: Carol Montreuil
 is Vice-President of The
 Canadian Fuels Association.
Want to start with
a simple question.
>> Yes?
>> Should people put
Premium gas in a Regular car?
>> Well, it's a very
good question.
One has to look at
the driver's manual.
It's very clearly spelled
out if you need or not,
a Premium, a Premium fuel.
>> Do the companies
that you represent,
like Shell, Petro Canada, Esso,
Husky, do they tell people
to put Premium in their cars?
>> Absolutely not.
Absolutely not!
>> Tom: We took this
Chevy Cruze to three
different gas station chains.
And we basically asked
that question.
 I show him video of our test.
>> But it costs so much more.
 How come?
>> Yeah, I know,
 because it's the best.
>> Tom: What did you make of it?
>> Well, I mean, it stresses
the importance as a driver
to make your homework and
understand what your car needs.
The first attendant
offered Regular.
>> But why are they selling
people a kind of gas
that they don't need?
>> Well, again, I mean, when
you say it doesn't need it,
the basic requirement
for the car is indeed
to put Regular gasoline.
Companies spend millions
of dollars in research to find
the best additive, what we call
detergents, we put in gasoline,
to keep cars running cleaner.
If you do try these higher
Premium gasolines and you
feel that your car
is performing better, you might
choose to stay with
that Premium gasoline.
>> Tom: In a regular car
that doesn't--
>> Even in a regular car.
Absolutely.
>> We took this car for a test.
It did not perform any better.
It did not burn cleaner.
It did not get better mileage,
putting Premium gas in that car.
So, how do you explain that?
>> Well, it's a matter
of time, as well.
In terms of an engine
becoming dirty with deposits
in cylinders or in valve,
it will not be a matter
of days or weeks.
This would be over a long
period of many months
or many years that you will,
as a user, decide if this new
Premium gasoline you're
putting in your car
is indeed giving you
a better performance.
>> Tom: But I'm surprised
to hear you suggest that
running Premium gas in
a regular car that doesn't
need it will enhance its
performance because there
are experts around the world,
there's tons of research out
there that says the opposite.
>> Well, the problem is that,
again, you cannot look
at it only from an octane
point of view, but more with
respect to the additive,
which are detergents. Now--
>> Tom: But every gasoline
has detergents in it.
Putting more in only means
there's more detergent.
>> Yeah, but then, then
it's up to you as a user.
You know, like companies
are not putting these millions
of dollars into research
to find this best new additive
to put in the Premium
formula of gasoline just to...
for the fun of it.
It is actually--
>> Tom: Well, they're
trying to make money.
>> Yeah, I mean it is because,
obviously it's not
the same formula.
What this research on our
side is telling us, is that
it will keep your engine
cleaner with these
higher formulation
of high-value additives.
>> Tom: Seems much of that
 research is hard to find.
 We do come across a couple
 of Petro-Canada studies,
 claiming its Premium gas
 cleans your engine better
 than Regular.
 But neither study measures
 "SuperClean" against
 Petro-Canada's own Regular gas,
 which already
 has extra detergents.
 In fact, one study compares
 "SuperClean" to a gas with
 no detergents at all.
 No wonder their "SuperClean"
 comes out on top.
♪ ♪
How can we make a decision
when the information
is ostensibly skewed because
it fits their agenda?
>> Yeah, like, I'm not privy
to this research, I haven't
looked at the research,
I haven't looked at the details
of the numbers that have
come out of the research.
But I think, at the end
of the day, it's not the
research that should decide,
its the consumer with the
performance they're getting
with their car.
Again, no one is forcing anyone
to buy this Premium gasoline.
>> Tom: But if they're being
misled into thinking it's
doing things it can't do,
then, yeah, they are!
>> Yeah, well, then
you have to try it.
>> Tom: Been there, done that,
 says Karuna Brandy.
>> Now, I'm driving my car
knowing it has Premium gas
in it, wondering if my emissions
are higher than
if I was driving my car
with Regular gas.
>> Tom: After our test results,
 she's seen the light.
>> Could you fill it
with Regular please?
>> Sure.
>> Tom: One driver making
 peace with the world.
>> So, now I have this, like,
awakened consciousness about
what kind of gas to buy.
Thank you, Tino!
>> No problem.
>> Tom: So, the next time you
 visit the Premium pump,
 you might ask yourself,
 are you doing your car
 a favour, or the oil companies?
♪ ♪
