5 ms·
He filled up with 93, that's where the gains are from. Try it sometime, you'll be surprised!
by t-3 4y ago
He filled up with 93, that's where the gains are from. Try it sometime, you'll be surprised!
- elil17 4y agoThat's not true. Gasoline has approximately the same energy content per gallon regardless of octane rating. In Car and Driver's tests, high octane fuel made a difference of less than 1 mpg. Some high performance engines are designed to use high octane fuel, but there is no reason to use it on normal engines in normal conditions. https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-v...
- aaaaaaaaata 4y ago> Some high performance engines Which are...almost every lease I see running around, now. Lots of cars adjust based on what's flowing in, too.
- elil17 4y agoEven those don't see an MPG benefit from high octane - just a torque benefit.
- taylodl 4y agoSeriously? Honest question - how does that work? I've always heard that paying for a higher octane fuel than required by your engine is just "throwing your money away." But if you're saying, at least on the highway, if I can get a 28% gain in fuel efficiency while only paying 20% more for the fuel then I'm interested!
- chucksta 4y agoNo, thats not what that number is for at all. You heard right, octane is a rating for its stability to premature detonation https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/octane-in-depth.php#:~:text=Octane%20ratings%20are%20measures%20of,ignite)%20in%20a%20testing%20engine https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/octane-in-depth....
- yodon 4y agoEvery car I've owned, I've done a compare and contrast on 91 or 93 vs 87 octane gas. Each time I do the comparison I find that the cost per mile (not cost per gallon) is lower with the higher octane gas. The only time I buy 87 is if I need to fill up a rental car just before returning it.
- Zak 4y agoHave all of your cars been performance-oriented with either high compression ratios or turbocharged engines? If so, it makes sense. For quite some time, such cars have used a knock sensor to detect preignition and adjust ignition timing to prevent it. The adjustment has costs in both power and efficiency. This would be a surprising result otherwise.
- yodon 4y agoI've replicated this test over the years on inefficient gas guzzling American sedans, fuel efficient econobox hatchbacks, and sporty performance SKUs of mainstream product lines. These are hardly Shelby Cobra and Bugatti vehicles.
- Zak 4y agoThat's interesting. It doesn't agree with the results most published tests I've read found, for example https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-vs-bmw-m5-ford-f-150-dodge-charger/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a28565486/honda-cr-v-v...
- Kon-Peki 4y agoIf your car calls for regular gas and you give it premium, you're probably throwing money away. If your car calls for premium and you give it regular, your diminished performance & fuel economy is also most likely wasting money. Penny-wise/Pound-foolish and all. I've got a Germanic turbomotor, it's going to break if I look at it wrong. It calls for a minimum of 91 octane, but Costco in Illinois only has 87 and 93. So 93 it is.
- mmastrac 4y agoI did the unscientific math on my Volvo (recommends premium but takes anything) and while the efficiency on premium is better, it's not worth the large price increase over regular.
- mikestew 4y agoHigher octane fuel has less energy by volume. That's one of the reasons it doesn't pre-detonate as easily. Try it sometime, indeed, and prepare to be disappointed.