petek22

Regular or premium gas....anyone have any feedback on whether it's ok to use regular gas in the 4gs. So far I have been using premium and with gas prices so high it would be nice to use regular

mehran888

My two cents - if you can't afford the gas, you shouldn't have bought the car. I don't know if there's any long term damage, but you're losing out on some performance, HP, and so forth. So I'm not sure there's a point in doing so just to save 20% on your gas bill (or whatever the premium is).

You're also going to get some folks here very mad. That is kind of priceless though.

petek22

The only reason I ask is that my previous Lexus an 2011 es350 was switched to regular gas from the previous year and as far a s I know Lexus didn't do anything to the engine, maybe just some programming. I see your point about "if you can afford the car, you can afford the gas...." I was just throwing it out there for discussion

GX4704ME

I usually pump whatever is recommended but then again I am nit picky like that. From what I've heard and read, pumping a lower octane gas than what's recommended will do nothing more than result in slightly degraded performance and overall gas mileage.

Lexicated

The 2011 ES was setup to run on regular, your ES probably had a hp number of 3-5 less than the 2010. They retard the timing to lower the compression ratio to make it run regular. The GS is setup to squeeze the extra hp, regular is not recommended for extended use (could cause engine knock since it is not calibrated for lower octane).

mehran888

Absolutely understand - and sorry if I came off as seeming to discourage you for posting. Discussions are what the internet and these forums are about!

A posted above talks about the ES a bit. I agree with him, the GS and ES engines are different beasts so what worked for your ES may not work as well for the GS.

As a note of reference, I had an '89 Jetta that asks for premium on the gas cap. I inherited it from my sister and cheaped out on gas. By the second tank the car was shuddering and knocking (granted it was about 8 years old by then). We used to put 89 in our '00 LX470 without any issues - but again that's a different engine.

My feeling for a car like the GS is to put in the premium so you can enjoy the car to its fullest. Maybe after a few years, or even a few months after break-in period is over, try two tanks on a lower octane and see if you notice a difference in performance and gas mileage.

faifai83

Modern vehicles have anti-pinging sensors and can retard engine timing to prevent damage on the engine. The only drawback is reduced performance.

...it's like running a marathon with flip flops or sneakers...both are acceptable...running with flip flops will just have reduced performance!

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

Premium FTW! Use what the manufacturer recommends, the car was engineered to run its best on it

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

All i can say use what is recommended, there is no long term reliability uses if you are to use cheaper gas/ lower octane. i had an acura tsx that required premium, I thought eh what difference would it actually make i used regular. The car drove more DUMMER (the car felt like it lost 20 hps) and it was sipping gas like crazy. So from then on i never tried it again. To put it in the most simple way, if you have a easy, relaxed foot and didn't by the car for performance you willl not notice a single difference. But for a personal that loves to use all the little ponies the GS is equipped with will defiantly feel a difference.

caddyowner

I run a Top Tier brand of gas (usually Shell) at the recommended octane for the car. As gas prices rise, the 20-cent difference between regular and premium becomes a smaller percentage difference.

GoHuskers

It will not be a problem with the engine BUT car will feel less powerful and get lower MPG. I have tested this out extensively with my RX'es. I may save $.20 (or $.40 here in NE since 89 is the cheapest) a gallon at the pump but in the end I get less MPG and lower performance. Cruising on hiway might not feel the different but you can feel the different in stop n go traffic.

Go for Premium and enjoy.

ingoodtime

my GS300 does not run well on lower octane. In combined hwy/city driving, I usually average about 25 mpg. I live in south Florida, a heavily populated and congested area. On the open road, the GS gets better mileage but again, she likes drinking highest. Lower octane makes her shake and ping.

jj14

Do note that some gas stations sell gas with octane 87, 89 and 93. (93 is premium - about 30 cents higher than regular).
Technically, 91 or above is what the GS needs. So, if you find a gas station that offers 91, that may be cheaper, but will still be ok with the GS.

(I haven't seen any 91 octane near my location, and I'm not driving out of the way to find one). At a 30 cent premium, I pay about $4 or so extra at the pump everytime I fill up (every other week). IMO, that's not that big a deal. Plus, a lower octane fuel will likely give you lower mpg, lower performance and may also cause pinging.

mehran888

This is probably all in my head - actually I know it is. But the Sonoco's here in Canada have 94 octane. And I felt that my IS300 gained some HP on 94 compared to 91. I got giddy whenever I drove by a Sonoco and my tank was below a quarter.

I'm only saying this here, because some of you may understand. My wife would probably leave me if she read this.

chrislee

I run premium but it's nice that it can run fine on regular for the rare day that the SO fills up the tank