What grade of gasoline do you use?

[zedbyers]

Ok folks!

I am curious what grades of gas are people putting in their car?

I run the cheap stuff in the genny....save my money for the Z

 

[larrycohen28]

I'm using premium. I'd like to try regular at some point to see if there's a noticeable difference, but putting 93 in the tank seems to be an addiction of mine. I'll take the plunge one of these days.

 

[Pwrplay]

I usually use regular old 87. But this last fill I used 94 from Sunoco and I honestly don't notice any significant difference in performance. Maybe once I go back to 87 on the next tank I'll notice a difference.

Besides, one of the reasons I bought the Genny instead of a BMW or Audi is because it runs on regular instead of premium and looks way better.

 

[TJPark01]

I'm using premium. I'd like to try regular at some point to see if there's a noticeable difference, but putting 93 in the tank seems to be an addiction of mine. I'll take the plunge one of these days.

Im running 87. Since there has been scientific data that points to more power for the V8, i'm gonna try it out to see if I can tell the difference.

 

[QCTLG]

I've been running 87 since day one...I have approx 14,000KM. No issues whatsoever on my 4.6.
I've been running on my Azera for over 3 years on 87...no problems whatsoever either.

I have a friend who's a service manager for BMW and says there's nothing wrong with running on 87.
BTW when I brought my car into the BMW dealer (He wanted to look at it) he asked his mechanic to take a good look at the car inside out. Put it on the lift and all...all he said was unf......real.

My buddy then said to me in private...he said "buddy you have a great car".

Back on topic...there's no way someone can tell the difference between 87 and 93 in a blind test...no way! that's less then 2% boost...c'mon.

Regards,

 

[TJPark01]

I've been running 87 since day one...I have approx 14,000KM. No issues whatsoever on my 4.6.
I've been running on my Azera for over 3 years on 87...no problems whatsoever either.

I agree, it's pretty much a waste unless you're on a race track.

 

[crupp]

I have to respectfully disagree. Burning the higher Octane fuel I have noticed a difference in my mileage and in my wifes car if we use 87 for an extended time there is knocking in the engine that is not present when burning higher octane fuel.

I could be wrong but those are my observations. THough I did see a show that clearly showed a truck loaded with one type of fuel going to all the gas brands and filling up there tanks.

 

[TJPark01]

I have to respectfully disagree. Burning the higher Octane fuel I have noticed a difference in my mileage and in my wifes car if we use 87 for an extended time there is knocking in the engine that is not present when burning higher octane fuel.

I could be wrong but those are my observations. THough I did see a show that clearly showed a truck loaded with one type of fuel going to all the gas brands and filling up there tanks.

I'm gonna give it the Pepsi challenge to see if I can tell a difference. I think purely from a monetary point of view if you are paying a 8-10% premium for gas and you see an 8-10% increase in your mileage then it's a wash.

 

[QCTLG]

Here's an interesting read...:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501595_2.html

Enjoy...

 

[Mark_888]

I have to respectfully disagree. Burning the higher Octane fuel I have noticed a difference in my mileage and in my wifes car if we use 87 for an extended time there is knocking in the engine that is not present when burning higher octane fuel.

I could be wrong but those are my observations. THough I did see a show that clearly showed a truck loaded with one type of fuel going to all the gas brands and filling up there tanks.

Some engines, like the Genesis V8, are designed with variable timing to run on regular fuel, but can produce more horsepower and more MPG with higher octane fuel. Some engines are not designed to use premium fuel and some are designed to use only premium. Check the owners manual of your vehicle.

A car that may be have been designed for regular octane (usually 87 at or near sea level), may have problems that cause pre-detonation (pinging) inside the engine, which can sometimes be reduced or eliminated with higher octane fuel. This does not mean that higher octane fuel is necessarily better for all engines just because it helps an engine with a pinging problem.

So the whole premise of the above poll is wrong. Premium fuel is not the "good stuff", and regular is not the "cheap stuff". Premium is higher octane than regular, which may be beneficial in some engines, and less than optimal in others.

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[TJPark01]

Here's an interesting read...:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/05/AR2005080501595_2.html

Enjoy...

I don't doubt any of that story, the whole Premium fuel seems like a scam. But if I can dip my toe into the pool for 4 bucks, I figure I'd give it a whirl. I'm more curious to see if I get better gas milelage, which of course will probably be offset by me driving like a jackass. Check that more of a jackass.

 

[TJPark01]

Some engines, like the Genesis V8, are designed with variable timing to run on regular fuel, but can produce more horsepower and more MPG with higher octane fuel. Some engines are not designed to use premium fuel and some are designed to use only premium. Check the owners manual of your vehicle.

A car that may be have been designed for regular octane (usually 87 at or near sea level), may have problems that cause pre-detonation (pinging) inside the engine, which can sometimes be reduced or eliminated with higher octane fuel. This does not mean that higher octane fuel is necessarily better for all engines just because it helps an engine with a pinging problem.

So the whole premise of the above poll is wrong. Premium fuel is not the "good stuff", and regular is not the "cheap stuff". Premium is higher octane than regular, which may be beneficial in some engines, and less than optimal in others.

Your assessment of the false premise is correct, the poll is empirically flawed. However, people's value systems and judgments will dictate their behavior. Consumerism is categorized at price points to make it easier to make decisions. Cheap=Bad, Expensive=Good. Although a lot of this thinking is just plain wrong, people have neither the time nor inclination to breakdown every purchase they make in life so they go with price as a measure of quality. I hear what you're saying, and you're right, but most people on this site, probably know the difference.

 

[larrycohen28]

Your assessment of the false premise is correct, the poll is empirically flawed. However, people's value systems and judgments will dictate their behavior. Consumerism is categorized at price points to make it easier to make decisions. Cheap=Bad, Expensive=Good. Although a lot of this thinking is just plain wrong, people have neither the time nor inclination to breakdown every purchase they make in life so they go with price as a measure of quality. I hear what you're saying, and you're right, but most people on this site, probably know the difference.

This may be what you were referring to, but anyone buying a Hyundai Genesis instead of a BMW, Mercedes or Lexus should know that higher price doesn't necessarily mean higher quality. If I've just been redundant I apologize. However, with the Genesis in mind, the manufacturer clearly states that the car has more horsepower and torque with the higher octane fuel. I'm sure any octane level between 87 and 94 will not be harmful to the engine, so the only question for me is, will I notice the small difference in horsepower and torque. The only way to truly tell if there is a difference would be to get two equally skilled drivers into two identical cars and have a series of drag races. Since that probably won't happen, I'll go with the subjective seat of my pants test and I'll report back with my findings.

 

[LasVegasGenesis]

I consistently use 91 octane. The few dollars saved with 87 isn't going to make a difference and I'd rather have the full 375 hp

 

[moose66]

My buddy then said to me in private...he said "buddy you have a great car".

Was told the same thing by my cousin who has been a Service Manager for Mercedes Benz for over 20 years. His dealership also sells Hyundai's. They've looked the car over inside and out and keep scratching their heads at how much the car goes for against what we actually get. They think the car is incredible. Benz guys! Nice hun?

 

[zedbyers]

So the whole premise of the above poll is wrong. Premium fuel is not the "good stuff", and regular is not the "cheap stuff". Premium is higher octane than regular, which may be beneficial in some engines, and less than optimal in others.

i am sorry Mark in the use of my language. You are ever diligent in pointing this sort of thing out to us.

i guess i should be very precise and not as casual in all my posting on forums. i was simply curious as to what grade of fuel people put in their cars. the use of the word 'cheap' is in that is the price relative to other fuel choices. i never used the word 'good' and didn't see anyone else that did either.

IMHO, it is all snake oil unless you run a high compression engine that is unable to compensate for lower octance.

 

[studyaid]

I've used Premium for my first two tanks, but will probably switch to mid or reg for the next tank. Coming from an SUV, it's just nice to pay under $50/tank.

 

[wincrasher]

I get a laugh when guys who sell $60k to $100k cars exclaim what a value the Hyundai is. Is it really? or is the BMW/Mercedes/Lexus grossly overpriced for what they are?

What kind of stuff in particular is blowing them away? Are they talking drivetrain or the quality of the engine components or suspension?

I see a great overall package, but lacking some features you can find on much cheaper cars - to me this isn't cheapness, but quirks of the Hyundai brand.

My Honda Minivan has some features you can't get in a Hyundai unless you get the Equus - namely auto-close trunk/tailgate, rear seat side sunscreens, touchscreen NAV, phone (iphone) directory import, rear seat DVD. My old '05 Ford Expedition had dual air conditioned front seats, which was awesome thing at the time.

 

[crupp]

I get a laugh when guys who sell $60k to $100k cars exclaim what a value the Hyundai is. Is it really? or is the BMW/Mercedes/Lexus grossly overpriced for what they are?

What kind of stuff in particular is blowing them away? Are they talking drivetrain or the quality of the engine components or suspension?

I see a great overall package, but lacking some features you can find on much cheaper cars - to me this isn't cheapness, but quirks of the Hyundai brand.

My Honda Minivan has some features you can't get in a Hyundai unless you get the Equus - namely auto-close trunk/tailgate, rear seat side sunscreens, touchscreen NAV, phone (iphone) directory import, rear seat DVD. My old '05 Ford Expedition had dual air conditioned front seats, which was awesome thing at the time.

Great thoughts Wincracer thank you for sharing. However, this topic is about type of gas useage so if we could stay on topic. Thanks.

 

[wincrasher]

Sorry, had a gas comment, but had deleted it editing my digression.

Don't think that MPG would go up with higher octane. No technical reason why it should. I'd think it would go down actually, if you are putting out more HP.