After more than one and a half years of measurements, I report my latest results here.

Do petrol brands matter? Would filling up our cars’ petrol tank with a particular petrol brand, for example, make any difference to our cars’ fuel consumption (FC)? It pays to ask this question especially when fuel prices are on a persistent and upward trend.

I checked some local car forums on the net to determine what the Malaysian car enthusiasts are saying on this issue. It appears everyone there has an opinion or stance on the “best” petrol brand. Some say Shell – but an equal number of people would instead swear on Esso, others on BHP, and yet others on Petronas. In other words, take your pick.

Judging from the typical long queue of cars at Shell and Petronas fuel pumps, it appears that Shell and Petronas are the two most popular petrol brands in Malaysia. In sharp contrast, Esso and BHP petrol stations often have lesser cars. So could it be that Malaysians have somehow worked out that Petronas and Shell are the two best (i.e., most fuel efficient) petrol brands? Is this an example collective or crowd wisdom in action?