I feel your pain Alpy. Here in Canada 87 is $1.07/liter today and premium (which is 91, we dont really have 93 or higher) is $1.19/liter which works out to .45cents per US gallon more for premium.

 

Yes, I think he meant the other way, cheaper to burn hightest in the long run. But until he corrects it we won't know for sure.

 

Yeppers!

 

As suggested by the moderator I sent an email to Lexus NA on which fuel to use and this is their official answer:


Response (Arthur Rodriguez) 02/22/2012 01:01 PM
Dear (name deleted)

Thank you for contacting Lexus Customer Satisfaction. We are dedicated to providing superior service. In circumstances that require our attention, we will assist in the resolution process.

The 2011 RX is recommended to use premium fuel for performance and fuel mileage. You can use 87 octane in the 2011 RX but you may hear pinging and possibly get less MPG. Using 87 octane in the 2011 will not damage the engine unless a bad batch of gas is used and causes damage.

The engine is the same for the 2011 and 2012 RX just some modifications made that cannot be done that cannot be done after the vehicle is built. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If you require further assistance, please respond to this e-mail, or contact Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987, Monday through Friday, 5:00 am to 6:00 pm, or Saturday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Pacific Time.

Sincerely,

Art Rodriguez

Lexus Customer Satisfaction

 

Good to know and confirms what some have been saying

 

"Using 87 octane in the 2011 will not damage the engine unless a bad batch of gas is used and causes damage."

Given the above, does anyone think the following statement is true?

The probability of engine damage using 87 octane gas in 2011/2010 model is still higher than the probability of engine damage using 87 octane gas in 2012 model.

 

A bad batch of ANY fuel can ruin an engine in a 10, 11, or 12. Even after the above response some will stick to the premium for security but the response echoes what folks on here have said and the owners manual mentions

 

Bad gas is bad gas. Doesnt matter what the octane is. If it has water in it then you will have issues. In fact the odds of having bad gas is lesser with lower octane gas as it normally has ethanol in it which will help bond with the water and burn it through. Iso propyl alcohol is sold here all winter as a gas line antifreeze. It has sort of become unnecsesary with the use of Ethonal blends however.

I agree with MX5NES350 that this just further validates what people in the real world have been saying. People will continue to use what they wish but to do so under the threat that doing otherwise will cause them harm in the future has now been put to bed.

 

Just bought a 2011 RX350 last night for the wife. Love it. Traded in our 2000 RX300 for it.

Anyways... the dealer said 87 is fine for it and wont hurt it!

 

We've had our 2011 RX350 since 10/10/2010. It has 19,000 miles on it and we have only used 87 octane since new. (per the dealer) I have not heard any pinging and the mileage is approximately 20 mpg around town. ( a few freeway miles) and 24 to 25 on the highway. We took it on a 5,000 mile trip to Canada and averaged 24.4 for the 5,000 miles. I see no benefit in using anything other than 87.

 

Just to make it official, can you scan the reply and post it? That is totally different than what many of us have been told in the past. Seeing it on Lexus letterhead is a lot more official.
Thanks

 

to Cruiter
The posting is an exact copy of the email I got in response to my email question. I didn't get a letter but will copy the entire thread of my correspondence with Lexus below, taking out my name and email address:

Recently you submitted a question to the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

Subject
Premium vs Regular fuel use

Discussion Thread
Response (Arthur Rodriguez) 02/22/2012 01:01 PM
Dear Mr. (my name):

Thank you for contacting Lexus Customer Satisfaction. We are dedicated to providing superior service. In circumstances that require our attention, we will assist in the resolution process.

The 2011 RX is recommended to use premium fuel for performance and fuel mileage. You can use 87 octane in the 2011 RX but you may hear pinging and possibly get less MPG. Using 87 octane in the 2011 will not damage the engine unless a bad batch of gas is used and causes damage.

The engine is the same for the 2011 and 2012 RX just some modifications made that cannot be done that cannot be done after the vehicle is built. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If you require further assistance, please respond to this e-mail, or contact Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987, Monday through Friday, 5:00 am to 6:00 pm, or Saturday, 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Pacific Time.

Sincerely,

Art Rodriguez

Lexus Customer Satisfaction
Auto-Response 02/19/2012 06:35 PM
Thank you for contacting Lexus. On Monday, February 20th, 2012, our office will be closed in observance of Presidents’ Day. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012. Upon our return, you should expect a response to your inquiry within 24 hours. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The reference number for your question is: #120219-000181

If you have additional information you'd like to add to this request before you hear back from us, you may reply directly to this email.

Lexus Customer Satisfaction
Customer By Web Form (my name) 02/19/2012 06:35 PM
I own a 2011 RX350 and understand that 2012 RX350s can use regular (87 octane). Would Lexus North America please issue a bulletin clarifying whether 2010/2011 RX 350s can use 87 octane fuel without damaging the engine? Will warranty coverage be denied if 87 octane fuel is used?
This is a hot topic on all Lexus RX blogs and it is Lexus NOT the dealerships who should be making a policy statement on the matter!

[---001:001870:55158---]

 

the arguement that your car engine might "ping" if you is a 87 is a scare tactic. ive never heard a Lexus engine ping before. dont believe the hype, 87 is fine, especially if you only keep a car for less than 10 years

 

There are so many threads that have been opened on this subject, it's beyond making sense. Each thread someone makes a claim, we refer to the manual and it goes on. Then days or weeks later another thread starts rather than post in an original one.

I can understand quoting what a dealer told someone, or posting the content of an email (IMO this is the best yet) but conjecture that this is a scare tactic has no basis. If we keep this thread open, lets at least be reasonable. Engineers designed the engine to specific specs and operating requirements. Lexus has no reason whatsoever to care if you choose to disagree with them. That's your right whether you're correct or not. They will not offer scare tactics.

 

I noticed today that there was only $ .10 difference between regular and premium at my two local Shell stations ($4.09 regular, $4.19 premium) . So with a 2% improvement in mileage you would be breaking even ... at least today (typically, it can be up to a $ .20 difference). I really think that people have different incentives around the regular vs premium issue. As a 450h owner that is getting over 30 MPG, I don't see a big incentive to give up premium and will continue to use it. I want to give the car as much help as is possible. The engine is starting and stopping frequently. I want maximum performance available when the engine switches from battery to battery/engine. That is because with the 450h, you might be switching from battery to battery/engine while sitting in the middle of the road with on coming traffic. I guess that makes me someone that is looking for mileage and performance. I may keep the car for a while because I hope to match it up with a GS or hopefully whatever car emerges from the new LF-LC concept.