Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
The fuel filter is an important element of the fuel system that protects the injectors (in the case of injection gasoline and diesel engines) from clogging and the engine as a whole from sudden failure.
The actual question in the choice of fuel filters is the following: the products of which companies meet the highest quality requirements, and how many manufacturers should be trusted at all. Well: based on consumer feedback and expert opinion, we have compiled a rating of the 11 best fuel filter manufacturers that maintain the quality brand of their goods at a consistently high level for a long time.
How to choose a fuel filter
Choosing a fuel filter for a car is not a big problem, especially for experienced car owners. In order not to run into a low-quality or unsuitable product, it is enough to pay attention to the following characteristics:
Filtration level. There are fuel filters of 3 filtration levels:
- medium – capable of retaining 50% of the total number of particles of a certain size. It makes sense to install only if the car is filled with high-octane fuel (95 and higher).
- nominal – the level of filtering out particles in such filters is close to the maximum. They retain up to 95% of inclusions from the total mass, therefore they are versatile and can be installed on cars of various ages.
- absolute – the 'cleanest' filters, the service life of which is highly dependent on the quality of the fuel. They catch 99.97% of impurity particles, keep the fuel system in perfect order, and, in general, are made more efficiently than the previous versions.
Filter paper quality. Yes, it is quite difficult to evaluate this criterion in practice, since it is difficult to make a conclusion about the quality without special knowledge or the possibility of direct comparison. However, it can be very important to assess the quality of the tracing paper by touch: the soft structure and the presence of flaking are sure signs of a fake or low-quality product. Needless to say, the ingress of villi into engines is fraught with serious consequences. They will not appear immediately, since clogging of the system is a long process. But when buying a low-quality product, be prepared for the failure of the unit at the most crucial moment.
Winding density. A very important parameter that shows how well the filter will cope with the stated performance functions. The density of the paper can be assessed by touch or visually: the filter layer should be sufficiently dense (not translucent), without any breaks or discontinuities over the entire area. If the consumable contains any defects, there can be no talk of any satisfactory filtering quality.
Dimensions. Perhaps the determining factor in the operation of the fuel filter is the adjustment of the dimensions of the cartridges to the seat in the glass. Even a millimeter deviation from the correct position in the long run can cause major engine problems.
11 best fuel filter manufacturers
| Nomination | a place | manufacturer | rating |
| 11 best fuel filter manufacturers | 1 | MANN-Filter | 5.0 |
| 2 | Bosch | 4.9 | |
| 3 | Purflux | 4.8 | |
| 4 | Knecht | 4.7 | |
| 5 | Fleetguard | 4.6 | |
| 6 | Filtron | 4.5 | |
| 7 | Hengst | 4.4 | |
| 8 | Champion | 4.3 | |
| 9 | Sakura | 4.2 | |
| 10 | UFI | 4.1 | |
| 11 | SCT-Germany | 4.0 |
MANN-Filter
Rating: 5.0
The unconditional first place goes to MANN-Filter – the most popular manufacturer of filter elements for cars, SUVs and trucks. More than 40% of MANN fuel filters are shipped to the conveyors of German car manufacturers. Another 20% goes to enterprises in Japan and the USA. The remaining 40% is a product for the aftermarket, the variety of which simply surpasses all imaginable limits.
Except for a certain percentage of fakes, without which, alas, the domestic market does not exist, then the quality of fuel filters from MANN can be called excellent. The screening characteristics of small particles are in accordance with the indications on the packaging: from 75 to 99.98% of the total amount of impurities in gasoline and diesel. Even the mediocre quality of domestic fuel does not affect the filter performance in the long term. The level of cost is also slightly above average, but in terms of durability of operation, the purchase will turn out to be very profitable. If you focus on budget options for the assortment, then the minimum price tag for a filter for a VAZ will be from 280 to 320 rubles. Not bad, huh?
Bosch
Rating: 4.9
The German corporation Bosch is a major player in the auto parts market, so the news about the release of fuel filters by it should not be perceived as something specific. On the contrary, the Germans manage to keep quality at a consistently high level, while remaining in the rank of producers in the middle price segment. However, recently there has been an increase in the number of MANN filters in 'Bosch' boxes, which may indirectly mean the retraining of the brand into another packer.
In the range of Bosch fuel filters, you can find consumables for cars of any brand, including the Russian VAZ and Japanese Honda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Lexus. True, there is one nuance here: always look carefully at the country of origin, since the branches and enterprises of the corporation are located all over the world. The preferred choice will be those filters that are produced in Europe – they have more requirements, and the quality control at the output is much stricter. Try to bypass consumables made in China and other countries outside the European circle, because their quality is consistently low.
Purflux
Rating: 4.8
The third line of the rating, with a wide margin from competitors, goes to Pruflux, which creates fairly cheap filters with a high nominal filtration quality and a large operating resource. As practice shows, one fuel filter from this company is enough for more than 25 thousand kilometers – a very good result in comparison with competitors.
The design principles behind Pruflux fuel filters are also noteworthy. The filter cartridge in them always occupies the entire space of the metal cylinder with valves, and therefore has a large effective filtration area. The paper used in the manufacture also has a high density and filters out about 90-95% of inclusions. According to official statistics, the average price level for the assortment is 260-290 rubles, and by this indicator, Pruflux is practically comparable to Bosch. Unfortunately, the Russian market has recently experienced a shortage of fuel filters from this manufacturer, so we cannot assign it a higher place.
Knecht
Rating: 4.7
One step away from the leading three, the company Knecht stopped – an expensive packer working in tandem with the German manufacturer Mahle. The average price tag for fuel filters of this brand is 500 rubles, which is significantly higher than the average check for the range of higher competitors: Pruflux, Bosch, and even MANN.
Despite the high cost, the quality indicators of the Knecht / Mahle filters are very high. The quality of filtration allows replacement every 20-25 thousand kilometers, and the reliable operation of the valves and the high density of the paper do not provoke a load on the system. The bulk of the assortment is designed for Japanese and German cars: mainly for brands such as Mazda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Toyota. There are frequent cases of appearance on sale of filters for KIA and Hyundai, as well as for VAZ, and even for old models. According to the results of the reviews, there is one drawback: very high prices, which scare off most of the domestic buyers.
Fleetguard
Rating: 4.6
A Cummins Filtration brand of filter elements for passenger cars, SUVs and heavy duty commercial vehicles. The main method of the manufacturer's work is to refine the existing solutions, as well as integrate them with their own developments. Best known in the Fleetguard segment is StrataPore, a synthetic multi-layer filter that provides multi-stage fuel cleaning and high absorption capacity.
Fleetguard's primary focus is on diesel fuel filters, which are being developed in parallel at Cummins Inc. headquarters. Thus, the entire production hall is the brand's testing ground. Thanks to this successful collaboration, none of the named competitors can match Fleetguard in terms of performance. However, within the framework of our rating, the brand can only count on the 5th place, and the reason for this is simple: while there are more than 5,000 items of diesel fuel filters, there are no gasoline filters in the range at all.
Filtron
Rating: 4.5
One of the most numerous representatives on the territory of Russia, which can only compete with the big “two” of our rating: the companies Bosch and MANN-Filter. The main office of the company is located in Poland, which is the main reason for the brand's popularity both in Europe and in the post-Soviet space. Approximately 35% of the total amount of manufactured products goes to the conveyors of American (General Motors, Ford), German (Volkswagen) and British (Land Rover) automakers.
It is worth noting that Filtron until recently enjoyed the privilege of one of the most stringent filter manufacturers, as the level of quality control at the output led to a decrease in scrap to a record 2.3%. The additional costs of ensuring control have paid off with interest and resulted in a slight increase in the cost of the product. As a result, the average price tag for Filtron fuel filters is 300 rubles. The only problem: a large flow of counterfeits due to the popularity of the company, the cost of which is sometimes 50% less than the original. Since the domestic consumer is accustomed to buying goods “cheaper”, the level of resentment has increased significantly in recent years.
Hengst
Rating: 4.4
The seventh place of Hengst is due to the lower popularity of products in Russia, although in quality it is in no way inferior to filters from Knecht or conventional MANN. They work well with domestic fuel and provide reliable protection of the fuel system for long periods of time. According to independent research, some representatives of the advanced series of filters can withstand up to 60 thousand kilometers between replacements. The average indicator ranges from 28 to 30 thousand kilometers.
To give the cartridge additional rigidity and fixation in the housing, Hengst practices the manufacture of external plastic cylinders. They do not interfere with the passage of fuel through the filter paper, but allow you to avoid backlash and distortion of the cartridge during operation. The average purchase price for a gasoline filter is 380 rubles, and this is about a quarter higher than the average market price.
Champion
Rating: 4.3
Behind the design simplicity of Champion filters lies a sophisticated manufacturing process that ensures excellent cartridge performance over the long term. They are among the cheapest, but at the same time, as shown by reviews and independent checks, one of the highest quality on the domestic market. The filter paper is thick, without any excess paraffin and fluff contaminating the fuel system. The throughput varies widely up to screening out particles of 5 microns, however, such tolerances are often not enough to ensure the required purity of gasoline for internal combustion engines (especially in Russia).
According to users, the average mileage of Champion fuel filters is 30 thousand kilometers. At the same time, premium models can remain operational for 60 thousand kilometers, while still maintaining a minimum stock of a working resource. The main problem of assortment in Russia is associated with a large percentage of fakes of a French product, but the paradox is that they sometimes work at an acceptable competitive level.
Sakura
Rating: 4.2
The Japanese brand Sakura is the official trademark of the ADR Group, an Indonesian corporation for the production of inexpensive auto parts. The annual production volume here is over 100 million filters, including cartridges for fuel filtration (about 30%).
Among the advantages of Sakura consumables, users point out a low price and good filtration performance. The quality, of course, is lower than European competitors, but it is in line with the expectations from budget filters. But among the shortcomings, many note a high level of falsification (according to various sources, from 28 to 44% of products on the Russian markets are fake). To avoid a low-grade purchase, always pay attention to the packing box. Original filters have a barcode with a proprietary prefix on the box, as well as two-color high-definition printing (if there is none, or it is faded and faded – you better refuse to purchase). Another important difference is that the thank you phrase (quoted in Japanese) is not translated into other languages in the original.
UFI
Rating: 4.1
The rating of the best is continued by the Italian company UFI, whose branches are concentrated in Europe and a number of American states. Among her merits, the cooperation with Ferrari stands out in a special way, and fuel filters are supplied not only for the assembly of production cars, but also for the cars of the elite Formula 1 racing series. Naturally, the quality of these consumables is beyond doubt: multilevel control over production operations and the use of proven materials allow to increase the durability of the original elements of the filter cartridge.
As for the export consignments of fuel filters, here UFI can make a couple of weighty claims. First, the pricing policy. Almost the entire assortment of goods has a price 1.3-1.5 times higher than the market average. Secondly, the quality indicators of export filters, albeit slightly, are still inferior to those of products for the domestic market. Certain problems with counterfeits can also be mentioned, but this issue is resolved by the company promptly, by introducing new protection measures and identification of originals. In general, the description of the manufacturer is quite pleasant, but the combination of negative factors does not allow us to put it higher in the overall rating.
SCT-Germany
Rating: 4.0
The former greatness of SCT, headquartered in Germany, has rapidly declined since the transfer of most of its manufacturing facilities to China. An initial plan to ensure tight quality control on Chinese soil fell through, and what is now known as SCT-Germany fuel filters flooded the market. Of the entire mass of products, only 40% has the declared characteristics, while the remaining 60% are suitable only as a temporary consumable. Soft body metal, thinning of the filter paper (or even breaks), distortions of the main structural elements are the main disadvantages of Chinese-made SCT products.
But with the few European filters, everything is much better. The scrap rate is at the level of 1.5-2%, the fit of the elements is perfect, and the paper itself has a solid section, without refinements and rough scrap. So, if you decide to purchase a fuel filter from SCT, be sure to check the country of its manufacture.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
