47% of New Vehicles Require Premium Gas?

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...For model year 2017, manufacturers recommended premium gasoline for 47.4% of new vehicle model configurations, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE). In model year 1985, premium fuel was recommended for only 6.5% of new vehicle model configurations.

The increased use of turbocharging and higher compression engines that require higher levels of octane contribute to this trend....


http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/05/20180501-premium.html
 
I would never buy a car again that takes premium unless it was a HP second car.
Last one I had was in 1991 ( Acura Legend)
 
New and upcoming engine designs is why GM and other makers wanna do away with 87 octane all together. It's time we progress.
 
Isn't that a woot when I worked for a pipeline in the seventies this was the story.

Premium gas was 95 octane or higher
Regular gas was 93 to 94 octane
Sub regular (cut rate stations like Time) 92 octane

The gas and todays pricing is a total rip.
 
^^^^^^^^

Exactly right skyactiv.

Higher compression motors above 10.4 :1 and well above that in more and more motors make it necessary to run higher octane gasoline.
 
According to the manual my recently purchased 2004 Highlander takes 91 and my 2017 Ram 1500 takes 89. That is the recommended grades. The Honda is the only one that recommends 87.
 
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
In addition to high compression , if it has a turbo , that makes a difference , also .

Exactly!

Everything that has a turbo (most new gasoline engines being sold today) should have premium.
 
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Isn't that a woot when I worked for a pipeline in the seventies this was the story.

Premium gas was 95 octane or higher
Regular gas was 93 to 94 octane
Sub regular (cut rate stations like Time) 92 octane

The gas and todays pricing is a total rip.


Was that research octane, motor octane or the M+R/2 that's displayed on pumps since at least the late 1980s?

And, by CPI inflation... $1.00 in 1980 had the buying power of $3.21 today.
 
My low compression Nissan 2.5 wont run right on straight 87 - it wants at least one-third 93 OCT SUNOCO in there on top of the EXCELLENT detergent EXxon 87.
 
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Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
All my cars require premium. Gotta pay to play.

With my old 530i, I feel like there isn't much play, but I still gotta pay.
smile.gif
Need to change that with my next car.
 
here's my idea: Cars & trucks that require premium would have 2 gas tanks, 1 for regular, 1 for premium. The average driver doesn't need to have premium 100% of the time, lets assume 30% as a safe number? If you are currently towing, both tanks could be filled with premium.
Same for track day, or that day you really want to lose your license?

So the total fuel capacity is split with 30% premium and balance is regular. You'd need separate plumbing for the instantaneous use of premium as needed, but that's so easy right :eek:)
 
Not all Turbocharged vehicles require premium. The Ecoboosts in the F150 are one example - they are rated on 87 octane, and recommend premium for heavy towing or advanced performance.
 
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Isn't that a woot when I worked for a pipeline in the seventies this was the story.

Premium gas was 95 octane or higher
Regular gas was 93 to 94 octane
Sub regular (cut rate stations like Time) 92 octane

The gas and todays pricing is a total rip.


Was that research octane, motor octane or the M+R/2 that's displayed on pumps since at least the late 1980s?

And, by CPI inflation... $1.00 in 1980 had the buying power of $3.21 today.


The average price of a gallon of gasoline in May 1973 was 38.5 cents a gallon ($1.96 in 2012 dollars).
motor octane or the M+R/2 your splitting hairs here because?
 
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In a lot of vehicles Premium fuel is recommended but it is Not necessary. I have never used Premium in any vehicle and all ran just fine for way over 200K miles on 87. All were V8 luxury vehicles. My buddy uses 87 in his 6.2 Yukon and Escalade and another friend uses 87 in his Turbo Charged Expedition. All run perfectly.

For some people I think Premium is a Placebo effect as they think Premium has some kind of magic power.

All that just IMHO. To each their own.
 
I personally would not mind having ONLY premium 93 available, since that is the only fuel that will EVER touch the direct injectors (or future added 4 port injectors) of my 10:1 CR, up to 24 lbs. of boost, 1.6 EcoBoost anyway.
wink.gif


I am sick and tired of all of the stations around here NEVER posting their prices for the PREMIUM on their large signs, and ONLY posting the prices for you tightwads and your regular grade fuel.
lol.gif

(My eyes are not good enough to read the TINY top of pump price signs while driving by anymore {IF they even have those!}, and the Gas Buddy site is mostly inaccurate for use around here.)
 
Originally Posted By: FORD4LIFE
In a lot of vehicles Premium fuel is recommended but it is Not necessary.


Thanks to computer controls and in particular, knock sensors.

Originally Posted By: FORD4LIFE
I have never used Premium in any vehicle and all ran just fine for way over 200K miles on 87. All were V8 luxury vehicles. My buddy uses 87 in his 6.2 Yukon and Escalade and another friend uses 87 in his Turbo Charged Expedition. All run perfectly.

So you've never extracted the maximum level of power out of them, because they were likely all experiencing some degree of knock-retard. If that was insignificant to you, that's fine. The Expedition with the Ecoboost should spec regular IIRC.

FORD4LIFE said:
For some people I think Premium is a Placebo effect as they think Premium has some kind of magic power.

All that just IMHO. To each their own.


For people running it in an engine that was designed to run on Regular 87, sure. For people running it in an engine that was developed and tested with 91+ in mind, there would be no placebo, the engine is operating as designed, which requires the higher octane level to allow for proper ignition timing and subsequently maximum power.

For quite a while, and not sure if they still do, Ford published two sets of power numbers for their engines that were designed to work on E85. Not surprisingly, the E85 numbers were higher. Though not as dramatic with the narrower range between 87 and 91, the same logic still applies when running 87 in an engine that specs 91+. On 91, with more headroom before knock takes place, the ECM can be more generous with its timing maps and will make more power.
 
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