Premium Fuel in Cars That it is Recommended

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In my area the top tier stations have the 70-80 cent spread. The other no name stations are much closer in price.
 
Originally Posted By: Gebo
With the price differential getting so great between regular unleaded and premium unleaded am I wasting money using premium? I never thought much about it up until it broke the 50 cent/gal differential.
I know I get better mileage and probably more power with the premium but this is more than an oil change expense twice a year. This could be $1000 a year to me.
I wish I KNEW why Toyota RECOMMENDS premium. I guess that is my real question. Why do they recommend it?


If you read the majority of the answers you'll get the reason why manufacturers let you use 87 octane. People read what they want and in the manual it says that you "May" use 87 octane and not to go below that level, yet people read it as you must use 87 and not go above it. This is done so that the north american buyer will buy their cars, we are OBSESSED with cheapness and hardly ever look at value. Of course all car run better with 91 octane and it's not only the MPG which is slightly better, but also the premium doesn't leave as many deposits on piston heads, valve seats. valves and galleries etc, this is especially important with DGI engines. So you pay a little more on fill-ups, but you'll save as the engine will not need remedial service down the line, now if you only keep the car for a few years this is moot.
 
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Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
30 cents a gallon difference? LOL! We are like 20 plus cents a litre difference up here
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No kidding and the gap grows wider!
 
Originally Posted By: Pelican
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
30 cents a gallon difference? LOL! We are like 20 plus cents a litre difference up here
crazy2.gif


No kidding and the gap grows wider!

Yeah. It wasn't that long ago that it was 10 cents. Regular was one price, mid was 5 cents more, premium 5 cents more again. Now it's a 10 cent jump per grade, why??!
 
Top Teir Shell gas that I use in my Mazda 3 is $0.60 per gallon more then regular.

My Mazda originally could use regular 87 but it's now modified and tuned for 93 octane so that's what I use.

She averages 29mpg mixed city driving. The cost of using Premium over regular for me...? $0.03 cents extra per mile. Over the course of say, 12,000 miles per year, I'll pay $360 extra for premium fuel, extra power, enjoyment of my vehicle, etc.

I call it, Smiles Per Gallon. Small price to pay in my opinion. I don't know what the big deal is. It's $0.60 cents! Lol. Chump change.

If you're just putting around town at idle RPM all day, and the engine doesn't require premium, sure, use regular.
 
Originally Posted By: Artem
Top Teir Shell gas that I use in my Mazda 3 is $0.60 per gallon more then regular.

My Mazda originally could use regular 87 but it's now modified and tuned for 93 octane so that's what I use.

She averages 29mpg mixed city driving. The cost of using Premium over regular for me...? $0.03 cents extra per mile. Over the course of say, 12,000 miles per year, I'll pay $360 extra for premium fuel, extra power, enjoyment of my vehicle, etc.

I call it, Smiles Per Gallon. Small price to pay in my opinion. I don't know what the big deal is. It's $0.60 cents! Lol. Chump change.

If you're just putting around town at idle RPM all day, and the engine doesn't require premium, sure, use regular.


My sentiments exactly. Cheaping out on fuel for a turbo motor that makes over 106 bhp/liter is false economy in my opinion. Likewise, the Turner/Conforti chip I installed in my 3er is specifically designed for 91 octane at a minimum. Using Top Tier 93 octane fuel is worth the infinitesimally small price differential...
 
It does depend upon the car and how it really is run and set up to run. I do believe that there are circumstances where 87 is certainly just fine in some vehicles where 91 or above is recommended. I believe that is certainly true.
I also believe there are other circumstances where it really is not the best idea as well. It really is dependent upon a number of different variables.
 
If your car REQUIRES premium,use premium ONLY. I put a few bux worth of regular in my 300ZX one time out of trying to be a miser,and I had such bad pinging I pulled a u-turn and topped the tank with its required premium.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
If your car REQUIRES premium,use premium ONLY. I put a few bux worth of regular in my 300ZX one time out of trying to be a miser,and I had such bad pinging I pulled a u-turn and topped the tank with its required premium.


I have always loved 280 and 300ZX's... It was a sin that you put a few gallons of regular in that wonderful engine. LOL... Never try that again or you have to give me that car for free.
 
Pricing varies widely by me as well. No names up the block are 2.35 2.55 2.75 for cash. The exxon around the corner on the highway is insane, 2.55 3.09, and 3.39 for premium. At 64 cents per gallon saved, I usually fill up at the no names, and throw a treatment of injector cleaner in, and still save 5-6$. In order to get competitvely priced, brand name gas, I need to drive about 12 miles out 46 and find the BP thats 2.40, 2.60 and 2.85 for super.
 
Doesn't surprise me. My Lexus recommends premium but runs great and gives me maximum mpg on 89 octane mid grade, which saves me about $.35 per gallon. The old 2JZ-GE is so smooth and torquey, I can't see a reason to change.
 
My sisters 08 Acura TL 3.2L runs night & day different with 87 octane compared to 91 or 93 octane. Seems lifeless with the 87 octane. I borrowed the car to go to Niagra Falls last summer for a week. She had 87 octane in it & on the way home -- I filled it with 93 octane. The car actually shifted smoother with the 93 octane also through the automatic gears. Im surprised my new Jetta 1.4L Turbo recommends only 87 octane.


Dale
 
Originally Posted By: michaelluscher
Quattro Pete said:
Gebo said:
People question why a 12 year old Camry is getting 93 octane at the Costco

It's cheaper in the long run, and I can drive it the way I want to, without it sounding like a coffee can full of marbles

IIRC, compression is 10.8:1, which is well up there into liking premium


My HR-V has a 10.6:1 compression ratio and the owner's manual states use 87 octane or higher. Doesn't state why you would want to use higher, but that's a fairly high compression ratio so I use 89 octane.
 
I find that premium gives me better fuel mileage every vehicle I put it in. My suv which is a world 4cyl sounds better and gives better mileage as well.
I dont own a vehicle that requires premium. As well I find some fuel brands give much better fuel mileage with their fuels compared to others.
Diesel is so different with mileage for me, I really am surprised it is just so much so, regens and general power as well.
 
A significant feature in the Mazda skyactiv motors is very high compression ratios. My 6 is 13 to 1 and my cx5 is 14 to 1. I'm not aware of any other gasoline fueled engine with this high of a compression ratio. What's amazing is that regular 87 octane fuel is recommended for these motors by Mazda. Here in Colorado the octane ratings are 85 regular, 87 mid-grade, and 91 premium. I use 85 frequently without any loss of fuel mileage or noticeable knock. I've also tried 89 mid grade on trips (in other states) to experiment and had minimal if any increases in fuel mileage. I regularly get 35 to 38 mpg on the interstate and as much as 40 mpg when averaging 60 to 65 mph. Mazda has successfully figured out how to get improved performance (gas mileage and decent acceleration) from lower octane fuels and high compression ratios. Apparently the trick is controlling cylinder head temps to prevent knocking rather than using radical timing adjustments.
 
I too have found that as an owner of an Acura which premium is required, I lose a few horses running 87 and my MPG drops 2-4, no pinging or any issues. So for me it costs the same if not more to run regular. I have been experimenting with 89 and seems to be good results so far, but I am able to fill up with 93 at Costco/sams for the less than or same price as 89 so the results are inconsistent.
 
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