'Recommended' Premium Fuel May Not Be Worth The Money

EmersonHart13

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Jul 18, 2007
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1st Gear: New AAA Research Shows That Premium Fuel Is Probably Not Worth Your Money

If you’ve got a car whose owner’s manual recommends premium fuel but does not require it, you’re going to want to read the American Automobile Association’s recent study on how premium fuel affects the fuel economy and torque produced by various automobiles.

Those automobiles tested at the Automotive Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center in LA were the: Ford Mustang GT, Jeep Renegade, Mazda Miata, Cadillac Escalade ESV, Audi A3 and Ford F150 XLT EcoBoost.

The study sought to answer three questions: does premium fuel yield improved fuel economy, does premium fuel yield more horsepower and how much more expensive is premium fuel on average?

To come up with answers, scientists strapped those six cars to chassis dynamometers, and ran various drive cycles that simulated ever-steeper grades (zero, two, 4 percent at 65 mph and 6 percent at 55 mph) in order to see if the benefits of premium fuel shined through during high-load driving conditions. The team then measured static (at 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm) and dynamic horsepower (the engine revs to redline like a normal dyno test) to see how premium fuel affects engine output.

Ultimately, the results show that the Escalade with cylinder deactivation functioning and the EcoBoost F-150 (two heavy vehicles powered by small engines) saw the biggest fuel economy benefit when ascending the grades, and the Audi A3 actually started knocking. And as for horsepower readings, increases are mostly moderate, though the EcoBoost F-150 gained 11 horsepower.

AAA, who says premium fuel tends to cost about 20 to 25 percent higher than regular, summarizes its findings, saying:

There is not a clear case where premium gasoline is beneficial from a cost perspective. In most cases, the extra cost of premium over regular does not result in a positive return on investment (lower cost to drive a given distance). However, there are instances – and they vary widely by vehicle type and model – where the use of premium gasoline can be marginally beneficial.

If you hear knocking, definitely use premium. If you tow a lot, or do a lot of “spirited driving,” then maybe you should consider premium; AAA recommends that you experiment to find out.

Source Article: https://jalopnik.com/recommended-premium-fuel-may-not-be-worth-the-money-1821315198

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Source Data: http://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Premium-Fuel-Phase-II-Research-Report-FINAL-2.pdf
 

Bob Kazamakis

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I had a friend with a zx10r he modded the shit out of. He made more hp on the dyno using mid grade than on premium. His tuner suggested it because it’s generally lacking the fuel additives and marketing crap.



I use the shit out of the 85 octane swill here.
 

EmersonHart13

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A Jeep Renegade, really?

4.2 Test Vehicles
AAA Researchers initially identified vehicles labeled by the manufacturer as premium
recommended.3 These vehicles were then grouped by fuel injection system and induction type.
Researchers selected vehicles to represent a wide variety of vehicle types, fuel-delivery
systems, and naturally aspirated/turbocharged engines.

:jg:
 

EmersonHart13

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Model Year Make Model Drive Axle Transmission Engine Layout Engine Displacement Air Induction (Aspiration) Fuel Delivery System
2017 Ford F150 XLT RWD 10-speed auto V 6 3.5L Turbo GDI+PFI
2016 Cadillac Escalade ESV RWD 8-speed auto V 8 6.2L N A GDI
2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata RWD 5-speed manual I4 2.0L N A PFI
2016 Audi A 3 FWD 6-speed dual clutch I4 1.8L Turbo GDI
2017 Ford Mustang GT RWD 6-speed auto V 8 5.0L N A PFI
2016 Jeep Renegade FWD 6-speed manual I4 1.4L Turbo PFI
 

CMNTMXR57

GM, Holden & Chrysler Mini-Van nut swinger
Sep 12, 2008
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On the glass half full side, at least the tanks on the Caddy and the GTO which I put premium into are much smaller than the bottomless pit of the Suburban, which I can pour water from the hose on the side of the house, into. :D

This morning, I filled that up from just under half tank, and it was something like $60... When it was $4/gal, I had to do it at half tank because pumps shut off at $100 and I was to friggen lazy to do two transactions. :D
 

cap42

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Mar 22, 2005
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I still am baffled by how many people don't understand octane ratings in their fuel.

People should always run the lowest octane fuel that their car can effectively utilize. Most people that understanding tuning will add more and more timing to a vehicle until it starts to knock on the fuel they want to run and then back it off from there.

The misconceptions I see the most.

93 is better quality than 89,87 etc. - WRONG!
My car runs better on higher octane's, they drive a minivan...
higher octane means better emissions (usually stated it's better for the enviroment) - WRONG!
My engine has lasted 150k+ miles because I use the higher octane fuel - WRONG
 

daturbosix

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ive noticed most small engines run the best on the highest octane fuel you can get. which i dont really understand due to most having super low compression ratio

fact: my dad runs aviation fuel strictly in most of his garden tractors and rarely has to clean a carburetor.
[MENTION=1983]Outlaw[/MENTION] likes this
 
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