MPLex

I just bought a 2001 GS 300 and was surprised to learn Lexus recommends 91 Octane gas. Can you use regular gas without doing damage to the engine? How about midgrade?

RealMarty

You can. The knock sensors will turn down the timing to prevent pinging so you won't cause any damage, but you'll loose power and performance.

Why buy a car with this kind of performance and use lower octane gas to save a few pennies?

1niceride

I second the question by realmarty.

Why buy a car with this kind of performance and use lower octane gas to save a few pennies?

Stick with the premium . If you can afford a Lexus you can afford to buy premium gas for it.

Kaban

Yup Yup. 91 oct all the way for me as well.


Peter

chowder

these days 91 is more midgrade, with 85/87 as regular. i consider 93,94,95 as high-octane. whether you consider it a conspiracy or a use of better fuels, engines these days are built around higher octane. if you deviate, you are just running in a non-optimal out-of-spec situation. i can't speak to the "damage" aspect, but i personally think engines are tough -- especially japanese ones. karma might make you pay later if you don't pay now though (that is if you believe in that sort of thing).

nikogs400

I exclusively use Sunoco Ultra 94.. IMO the best premium fuel on the market

mooretorque

Drive 12k/yr, assume 16 mpg (my 430 in mostly intown/suburban driving), $1.80 for 91 octane, $1.60 for 85, works out to $1350/yr for premium, $1200/yr for 85. Don't mean to sound arrogant, but if $150 means that much to you, you don't need a Lexus to begin with, no matter what kind of deal you got.

RealMarty correct, no damage will be done, but the performance won't be there when you put your foot down (and you may, of course, REALLY need it then). Actually, your mileage will likely be slightly lower with the lower octane. Which means the actual cost difference will be even less.

I think I'll go burn some gas AND rubber!!!!! Right now!!!!! What a spendthrift I am!!!!

RacingAristo

I suppose if you REALLY REALLY want to save some bucks, you could go with 85/87. As the gas price goes skyhigh, I could understand your concerns. But I'm all about performance so at least 91 for me.

GlobeCLK

iTrader: (5)

yeah. Around where I live, 92 is the premium and that's all i get. Would like to try something like 95 though....

Kaban

hey...with all this gas talk, I was wondering why Orange county/LA only gets 92 oct gas and some other state gets 98 oct? I mean if gas stations here offer higher octane gas they would make even higher profits right.


Peter

mooretorque

Service stations make only a couple of pennies per gal no matter what octance they sell. Price competition is very stiff and the price to the station is set by the distributor. It is true that lots of money made at the corporate level but that's long way uphill from the pump.

As far as octane is concerned, numbers aren't necessarily comparable since there are different methods of defining octane, eg Octane Rating 91 = Research Octane Number 96. Those are the most common octane classification methods but there are others so pay attention to the fine print!!!!