Fuel type?
Pole Position
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,314
Likes: 542
From: Florida
I have used regular and can not tell a difference in power or mileage. I started with premium and went to mid grade and when I saw no difference, I tried just plain regular and it works perfectly.
There is likely a small difference in power and mileage but for the extra cost, I doubt it is worth it.
There is likely a small difference in power and mileage but for the extra cost, I doubt it is worth it.
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If the vehicle calls for it, you should use it, IMO... If it doesn't, then don't... Even if you don't notice it, you are getting reduced performance from the motor if you are running regular in a vehicle that calls for premium... It may not be readily noticeable in MPG, but many have shown decreases in fuel mileage when testing this with lower octane fuels. Also, again, it may not be noticeable, but when running lower octanes, the computer pulls timing, which reduces engine power as well...
Some quick math for those being cheap out there... At an average gas price of $3.20 per gallon, and 20 mpg, driving 12k miles a year, you spend $1920 on fuel. If you observed zero benefit in MPG by going to premium, you would spend $2040, a mere $120 more per year on fuel - its not as much as you really think it is... Now, here's the kicker - say you got a 1 MPG increase in fuel mileage, which you might not even notice, but, lets say you did - you would now spend $1942 in fuel. So, is it worth it to use premium, definitely, if your car calls for it...
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Driver
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: IN
I have not tried anything but Premium in our 570 - but have tried it in our ES and in our LS. They cars definetly run on mid-grade (89). I believe the engine adjusts to using it - but there is a notable difference (to me) in the performance of the vehicle.
Lead Lap
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 580
Likes: 3
From: manitoba
Here in Canada regular is $1.04 liter and premium is $1.25/ liter. That works out to be about $.72/ US gallon. I bought 5000 liters last year so that would work out to an extra grand a year in my case. When I am in the Excited States I do use the premium as it is only a bit more.
Pole Position
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
From: Little Saigon, SoCaLi
BMW doesn't like 87 Octane.
My brother have a 325i series. When he first got the car, he filled her up with the 87 Octane. Two full tank later the check engine light came on. Took the car to a mechanic, plug in the test unit or computer. He told my brother to put in 91 or higher octane. He then lend me his 325 for about a month. I fill her up with half of 89 and 91, and no problem no hesitation at all for like 5 weeks. No check engine light either. It been tough on everybody for the last couple of years, If yall know what I mean .
Lead Lap
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 4,611
Likes: 372
From: In your head
I say do what you feel like doing. Its your truck, its a toyota, so no Fs given. Having said that, I`d rather trust the what the guy or gal who wrote the book on a particular vehicle tells me to do rather then just some observations.
Pole Position
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2,634
Likes: 256
From: CA
I agree with you totally.
Back some years ago when we bought our then brand new 2000 LX470, we were on the cheap and always filled up with the cheapest 87 OCT gas anywhere and usually not at your "top tier" gas stations.
Well, we continued with this practice from day one brand new all the way until 2013 when we traded the LX470 for another brand new LX570. The LX470 had some 280K miles at the time of trade in. Never had any issues with the LX470.
Fast forward to the new LX570, I guess as I got older, I decided to do some calculations like the one shown below. Only to realize I'm not really saving much , if any at all. So I just use premium gas on the LX570 and ever since also on our other cars.
Funny thing though. ......... . . . . I used premium gas on our CT200H only to find out the CT200H calls for regular gas. By using premium gas, the MPG is actually a little bit lower versus regular gas with the ct200h.
Back some years ago when we bought our then brand new 2000 LX470, we were on the cheap and always filled up with the cheapest 87 OCT gas anywhere and usually not at your "top tier" gas stations.
Well, we continued with this practice from day one brand new all the way until 2013 when we traded the LX470 for another brand new LX570. The LX470 had some 280K miles at the time of trade in. Never had any issues with the LX470.
Fast forward to the new LX570, I guess as I got older, I decided to do some calculations like the one shown below. Only to realize I'm not really saving much , if any at all. So I just use premium gas on the LX570 and ever since also on our other cars.
Funny thing though. ......... . . . . I used premium gas on our CT200H only to find out the CT200H calls for regular gas. By using premium gas, the MPG is actually a little bit lower versus regular gas with the ct200h.
How much more expensive is premium over regular there? Here it is never more than 20 cents difference... even a 20 gallon fill up is only $4... On a $60 fill up, we're only talking $4 more...
If the vehicle calls for it, you should use it, IMO... If it doesn't, then don't... Even if you don't notice it, you are getting reduced performance from the motor if you are running regular in a vehicle that calls for premium... It may not be readily noticeable in MPG, but many have shown decreases in fuel mileage when testing this with lower octane fuels. Also, again, it may not be noticeable, but when running lower octanes, the computer pulls timing, which reduces engine power as well...
Some quick math for those being cheap out there... At an average gas price of $3.20 per gallon, and 20 mpg, driving 12k miles a year, you spend $1920 on fuel. If you observed zero benefit in MPG by going to premium, you would spend $2040, a mere $120 more per year on fuel - its not as much as you really think it is... Now, here's the kicker - say you got a 1 MPG increase in fuel mileage, which you might not even notice, but, lets say you did - you would now spend $1942 in fuel. So, is it worth it to use premium, definitely, if your car calls for it...
If the vehicle calls for it, you should use it, IMO... If it doesn't, then don't... Even if you don't notice it, you are getting reduced performance from the motor if you are running regular in a vehicle that calls for premium... It may not be readily noticeable in MPG, but many have shown decreases in fuel mileage when testing this with lower octane fuels. Also, again, it may not be noticeable, but when running lower octanes, the computer pulls timing, which reduces engine power as well...
Some quick math for those being cheap out there... At an average gas price of $3.20 per gallon, and 20 mpg, driving 12k miles a year, you spend $1920 on fuel. If you observed zero benefit in MPG by going to premium, you would spend $2040, a mere $120 more per year on fuel - its not as much as you really think it is... Now, here's the kicker - say you got a 1 MPG increase in fuel mileage, which you might not even notice, but, lets say you did - you would now spend $1942 in fuel. So, is it worth it to use premium, definitely, if your car calls for it...