Whats the best octane gas to use for the ES 350 2013 to get the best performance out of the car. i know that a few years back these ran on premium fuel only. I'm just wondering if anyone noticed a difference between lets say 87 octane and 90+ . I did notice a difference in the brand of gas used in some of my other cars say for instance a cheap brand vs mobil or BP gas, but i dare not put cheap or low octane gas in the ES to find out . What about anyone else?

 

87 octane gives you the best performance. Anything higher will just reduce your available cash.

 

Your vehicle calls for 87 octane or regular gas. You can put 91 or 93 octane gas in your car and you would be wasting your money. As long as you use a tier one fuel the car runs perfectly on 87. Stick with the name brand oil company stations that pump a lot of fuel and you'll have no issues. This would include Costco which is also a tier one fuel. There are some people that swear that higher octane fuel makes their car "run better" which is nonsense. Pump regular into your car and save money - Toyota engineers designed it this way.

 

I agree with bc6152 100% regarding octane.

 

I used to swear by Costco gas, particularly due to the lower prices. However, I was told that they use enough of a percentage of ethanol in the mix that it actually reduces your gas mileage (sticker on each pump notes the %, but I can't recall it exactly). I haven't conducted a scientific study, but my wife says that she gets worse mileage using Costco than other brands. It apparently offsets any lower per-gallon price savings.

Has anyone else noted this?

 

Unfortunately for those of us in the north and cold states, we are forced to use fuel mixed with Ethanol. In the east it amounts to approximately 10%. In the Midwest, i.e. Michigan, it can be 15%. In the east it is called E10 and in the Midwest E15. You are correct in that mileage can be reduced by about 3% by adding Ethanol. I don't know what amount Costco uses in Michigan, but in Pennsylvania it is 10%. Thus, E10. Here is a link to the U.S. Energy Administration web site that explains it better than I can. http://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=27&t=10

 

I personally like to use Texaco ( or Chevron )... both have techron - I started using texaco years ago when I had an older model Ford Thunderbird with a V-8 that developed a serious case of spark knock... tried everything to cure it, retarded the timing, switched brands of gas... better, but still there.. then one day I saw a commercial by texaco saying if your car was knocking on acceleration, to try texaco for 3 tanks and see the difference... I did, spark knock was completely gone long before I used three tanks... been using them ever since... on my es my mileage on the highway without a/c has gotten as high as 30 to 31 mpg @ 75 mph... with ac on I;ve been getting around 28 mpg @ 75 mph. 25 mpg mixed city / highway.

Poppa

 

What exactly is "Techron"?

 

http://www.techron.com/

 

Techron is also available as a concentrate additive. I add at every 2-3k to clean out the fuel system, injectors and valves. It's also on sale at Costco right now.

 

I had an Audi that I couldn't get a smooth idle on. It had about 80K miles on the odo. Chevron fuel plus a can of techron about every third tank helped a immensely. Of course, that car is also the reason I would never own another Audi or Ouwie as my wife took to calling it. Repairs were frequent and expensive. And the fuel choice, pump and fuel pressure accumulator tanks were only part of the problem. That car would also vapor-lock terribly with ethonol fuels. Sure glad it's gone now because you can't hardly find ethonol-free fuels around here any more.

 

Back in the day I owned an Ouwie too! I was a fine damn car when it was new but like you, it became expensive and problematic after the warranty period. I think that's the same for other German vehicles and why I'd think twice before buying another one.

 

We currently have an Audi and after 2 1/2 years no issues at all - Just a couple of oil/filter changes and that's been it.

Even with the good record so far, I won't keep it much beyond the factory warranty period. I usually don't with any car though.

 

So Lexbob, I see that you have all German cars. So are you planning to come back to the new and improved Lexus?

 

After very good experience with back to back Lexi, I'd certainly consider getting back into another one.