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Hi everyone, I've been shopping for a GS for about a month now and I have experienced something interesting. Multiple Lexus sales people have said these words to me: "We used to tell everyone they must use premium but those guidelines have recently changed for this car. 87 Octane is just as good for this car as 91. But you may want to use 91 in order to get the best MPG."
Now, I've read plenty of threads on here about the fuel. To be clear: I am not advocating for using a lower octane.
My intent is to discuss why I would have heard this from different sources. I mean, the compression ratio hasn't changed and they didn't re-print the manual. So, why would the sales guys be saying this? I wonder if something has changed with the way the sales people are being trained. All three times I've heard this (the first two times was totally unprompted), it was with complete confidence. Even the third time when I asked the saleswoman, she answered fast and with a lot of confidence.
Again, my intent is not to ask the forum what fuel I should use.
My intent is to discuss if you think something has changed in the literature and training provided to the sales people.
EDIT: To be clear - I am NOT asking the forum if it's okay to use 87.
TL;DR a sales person told me it was okay and I thought that was odd after I heard it from two more sales people (without me asking them the question). I wanted to know if anyone else thought there was a reason for the change in dialog since historically it's been a hard line about what the vehicles require. I've read the manual. I intend to use the correct fuel.
Sales people always try to tell you what you want to hear, while not getting themselves in trouble. If you ask them whether it is OK to use regular, they assume you are a cheapskate wanting to use regular and they aren't going to tell you premium is required with the risk that it deters you from purchasing the GS. So the most logical answer will be "87 will be fine"(which is what the manual says FOR TEMPORARY USE), neglecting to state the fact that it would very likely result in reduced performance and gas mileage.
Moral of the story: Don't believe a thing sales people tell you.
There is a small decrease in MPG for 87 octane. Last year I made a round trip from Texas to Vegas. I used 91 going and 87 coming back. 91 gave .25 better gas mileage. So roughly the difference of 27.6 and 27.85. At the worst, I broke even for the increased cost of 91. I would stay clear of non top tier gas brands for long term use. Almost all the national name brands are top tier.
Can the engine management work with ****ty gas? Sure. Will you get the best performance? No. When they put a sticker that says 91 inside the gas cap, I follow it, and not blindly. I know the ins and outs of controlling detonation, fuel air mixtures, etc.
Honestly, you could run anything modern on 87 for a decade and it would be ok, but you'd never get 100% performance from it.
If you ask them whether it is OK to use regular, they assume you are a cheapskate wanting to use regular and they aren't going to tell you premium is required with the risk that it deters you from purchasing the GS.
Except two sales people provided this information to me without prompt. I gave no indication at that point in the conversation that I needed to be sold to as a cheapskate. I am also self aware enough to know I didn't come off as a cheapskate either. That being said, I do know the sales people will say anything. My question was: What are your thoughts on WHY this particular detail has changed. I've heard other sales people in the past insist 91 must be used.
My question was: What are your thoughts on WHY this particular detail has changed. I've heard other sales people in the past insist 91 must be used.
I don't think anything has changed. I think you just found two people who routinely sell it as 87 being the recommended fuel, which it isn't. I'm guessing that's part of their normal sales pitch, not a reflection of whether they saw you as being cheap or not.
I always go with what's written in my owners manual and gas door, not what someone at the dealership tells me.
Apologies. But, did you read the part where I specifically said: I am NOT advocating for using a lower octane.
I am not asking if it's okay. That's not my point.
But, if you were just trying to be helpful, then I guess... Thanks?
Watch "Breaking Away" where Paul Dooley is explaining to a kid who bought a car from him that "it died because you put premium gas in it". 40 years ago, and the quality of salesmen is as bad as it ever was.
This was my thoughts also. I just didn't want to start off negative with stating how poor I thought the sales people have been (that I've visited).
My guess is the salesperson may have confused the GS with the ES / RX only needing 87 now.
The ES uses the 2GR-FE engine and only requires 87 unleaded.
The GS uses the 2GR-FSE engine and requires at least 91 (AND above E85).
Both engines displace 3.5L but the GS engine has Toyota's D-4S direct injection. The Lexus ES and RX lines do not 'require' premium fuel anymore and is only recommended to attain the HP rating. In no way will this harm the ES / RX engine by using regular, The camry is only 4-5 hp less than the ES and uses the same engine but only runs on 87. On the GS however that is not the case. I think they mixed those 2 ideas together and gave you false information. When the engines are the same displacement and both say Lexus on the car, that may make some uneducated salespeople believe they are all the same.
2. Bad salespeople love to hear themselves talk, whether they actually have any idea what they're saying or not. Its pretty funny to watch them actually talk their way out of a sale just because they can't stop talking.
We bought my wife a 2016 GX 460 earlier this year. This same topic came up on that forum. Premium is definitely "required" by Lexus. Some guy on the forum pointed out that the same engine in a Toyota Tundra recommends regular. Being the fact checker and skeptic I am, I looked it up on the Toyota site expecting it to have less hp. Much to my surprise, the engine has basically the same torque and MORE hp and does show regular as the recommended fuel.
Since then I've run several ranks of regular in a row, then back to premium, then back to regular. I feel zero difference in performance or mileage. Based upon that, I'm inclined to believe that Lexus is playing mind games telling us we need premium.
10-25-16, 10:06 AM
Multiple dealerships told me 87 Octane
