I have always wondered what the difference was. As gas prices went up, the % difference became less. I had thought, well if you get better gas mileage at higher gas prices it makes sense to go with Premium. But wait, I have always been told it does not affect your gas mileage. So why would I?
Of course some cars require Premium, as my BMW does. I believe it is a compression issue and affects the horse power. But my other vehicles don’t require it, and now I know I will not be putting Premium in them.
I just read the article below on AOL, yes I am still using it. I plan on dumping it soon. But the article was great insight about the Premium Vs. Regular gas. Check it out below:
Throwing Money Away?
You might have been led to believe at some point that your vehicle will do better with premium, but with most newer vehicles, that’s simply not true. Provided yours just calls for 87-octane, chances are you won’t notice the difference, according to a number of experts, and you’re essentially throwing the money away.
The best way to tell, advises John Nielsen, director of AAA’s Auto Repair and Buying Network, is to simply look at the inside of the fuel door; if it says, “use premium fuel only,” and specifies a higher octane number (regular is typically 87, premium is 91 or higher), then the expensive stuff is actually required for the vehicle. But for people with vehicles only requiring 87-octane, Nielsen advises, “Don’t do it; it’s a waste of money.”
Don’t let the filthy images get to you either. If you’ve seen commercials for gasoline, you’ve likely heard that premium-grade will keep maintain your vehicle’s full power and smoothness, and otherwise your valves and injectors will become clogged with ‘gunk,’ and you’ll have to shoulder premature repairs.
Typically, within the same brand of gasoline, between regular and premium, “the difference is really just octane,” confirms Prentiss Searles, Marketing Issues Manager at the American Petroleum Institute. To call a fuel regular, midgrade, or premium, Searles explains, only relates to octane; there’s no other requirement that assures greater purity, more detergents, or better additives.
Nielsen says that the emphasis on detergents and additives for premium fuels is also misleading because in most fuels you have plenty of detergents to keep modern computer-controlled engines clean. “Unleaded is just fine,” he insists.
Read the rest of the story: http://autos.aol.com/article/87-octane-gas
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