Is it worth buying premium grade gasoline over regular grade gasoline?
This was on AOL Autos today: Don’t be gulled by slick oil company marketing ploys about the benefits of premium fuel: few new cars really need it and those that don’t won’t run any better from using it. There’s no mystery to it. Just take a look at your owner’s manual; it will tell you the manufacturer’s fuel recommendations. There may also be a sticker on the gas cap or even on the instrument cluster under the gas gauge. Whatever it says, abide by it. You’re only wasting your money by burning premium fuel in a car that doesn’t require it. Higher-octane (91 and up) gas burns more slowly, and will actually give poorer performance when fed to engines that were designed to burn regular 87-octane fuel. But the reverse isn’t always true. What happens, in fact, if you use regular or even mid-grade gas in a car that really does need premium? If the car in question is a late-model one, nothing that will cause any permanent problems. The computer will adjust the ignition timing and other engine
Most times it isn’t. Unless of course your car manufacturer calls for it on your particular make and model. An older car might need higher grade gasoline in order to reduce knocking and pinging in the engine while driving. But generally higher grade gasoline does nothing beneficial. Some might argue that higher grade gasoline makes their car run better but with the newer computer controlled cars, the higher octane only masks more serious problems that really need mechanical repair. Its not uncommon for someone to think that their car was running perfectly fine until they learned that what would have been a $100 repair early on has become a $600 repair.
Most premium grade fuels are becoming a lot better than the older ones. Here in Australia, “High density, High octane” fuels are emerging, with RON as high as 98. They are claimed to have better engine cleaning properties, and they do give a noticeable increase in fuel economy. For example, my last car had a range of 500km (312 miles) on about 40 litres of a 50litre tank of regular unleaded. (I knew the fuel economy of my car and tried to maintain a 10 litre buffer for a number of reasons) I trialled these HDHO fuels, and found that I was getting at least 10% longer range. Filling up the same 40litres netted me over 550km (344miles) I also found that the car ran a little smoother, and the engine oil was cleaner when changed. I can’t vouch for fuels overseas, but my answer is this: If you feel you can justify the added expense, then yes, I believe it is worth getting premium over regular. Otherwise, unless your car specifically requires premium, it is not essential.
