What fuel grade are you using in your RX350?
12-20-19, 01:42 PM
#166
Bought a 2010 ES350 brand new back in the fall of 2009. Owners manual said premium recommended. Over the next 8 years I never put higher than 87 OCT in it and it never went into the shop for anything other than an air bag recall. Never heard a ping. Never had any problems whatsoever. These threads seem to be very popular this time of the year when a lot of first time higher end buyers indulge in their first semi luxury vehicle. I guess it runs against the grain for people that pay this price level on a vehicle when they are told all they need to put in it is Regular gas! Put whatever you are comfortable putting in it. The vehicle doesn’t care!
12-20-19, 01:53 PM
#167
Bought a 2010 ES350 brand new back in the fall of 2009. Owners manual said premium recommended. Over the next 8 years I never put higher than 87 OCT in it and it never went into the shop for anything other than an air bag recall. Never heard a ping. Never had any problems whatsoever. These threads seem to be very popular this time of the year when a lot of first time higher end buyers indulge in their first semi luxury vehicle. I guess it runs against the grain for people that pay this price level on a vehicle when they are told all they need to put in it is Regular gas! Put whatever you are comfortable putting in it. The vehicle doesn’t care!
12-20-19, 02:07 PM
#168
Good point. The Lexus is a tangible benefit. Premium vs. regular - most here don't even notice any difference.
12-20-19, 02:20 PM
#169
Driver School Candidate
I use 87 octane.
I bought the Lexus RX 350 just because it didn't require the higher. Then again it is 1.15L in winter and upwards of 1.30L for the 87 come summer, where the 93 Octane in my area from winter to summer is around 1.25 per Liter to 1.50 per L. So almost 3.8 L per gallon the premium stuff can get pretty pricey come summer per tank.
I bought the Lexus RX 350 just because it didn't require the higher. Then again it is 1.15L in winter and upwards of 1.30L for the 87 come summer, where the 93 Octane in my area from winter to summer is around 1.25 per Liter to 1.50 per L. So almost 3.8 L per gallon the premium stuff can get pretty pricey come summer per tank.
12-20-19, 03:53 PM
#171
Lexus Champion
I am in Calgary AB. All cars in my family run on Shell premium all the time. If one notices no difference between two grade of fuel, so be it.
In my case I notice the difference even between different brands. Going to the Rockies with fully loaded vehicle, punching the gas pedal to
avoid a dangerous situation I never hear knocking. Someone who does not feel the different, then it is good for him or her. I expect max performance
from the car I drive at all times which needs good fuel. I drove company cars for over 40 years. When I retired I tried all the cars I wanted, Lexus and
mostly German brand. After all, I settled down on Mercedes AMG, BMW M series. Lexus makes good cars reliable and luxurious but it lacks fun factor.
At the age of 80 I and son have fun on the track from now and then he driving BMW M series with manual shift, I driving Mercedes AMG with automatic shift.
Our 0 to 60 is always little over 3 sec. All our cars are stock without any mod. We know we can squeeze out at least 100 horses more with remapped chip.
It's your car you ought to do whatever you want including filling her up. This debate on what fuel to fill on my car, your car is perpetually going on. If I go to BMW,
Porsche or Mercedes forum I don't see anything about discussing fuel requirement for their cars.
In my case I notice the difference even between different brands. Going to the Rockies with fully loaded vehicle, punching the gas pedal to
avoid a dangerous situation I never hear knocking. Someone who does not feel the different, then it is good for him or her. I expect max performance
from the car I drive at all times which needs good fuel. I drove company cars for over 40 years. When I retired I tried all the cars I wanted, Lexus and
mostly German brand. After all, I settled down on Mercedes AMG, BMW M series. Lexus makes good cars reliable and luxurious but it lacks fun factor.
At the age of 80 I and son have fun on the track from now and then he driving BMW M series with manual shift, I driving Mercedes AMG with automatic shift.
Our 0 to 60 is always little over 3 sec. All our cars are stock without any mod. We know we can squeeze out at least 100 horses more with remapped chip.
It's your car you ought to do whatever you want including filling her up. This debate on what fuel to fill on my car, your car is perpetually going on. If I go to BMW,
Porsche or Mercedes forum I don't see anything about discussing fuel requirement for their cars.
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Cocal (12-21-19)
12-21-19, 03:07 AM
#172
I am in Calgary AB. All cars in my family run on Shell premium all the time. If one notices no difference between two grade of fuel, so be it.
In my case I notice the difference even between different brands. Going to the Rockies with fully loaded vehicle, punching the gas pedal to
avoid a dangerous situation I never hear knocking. Someone who does not feel the different, then it is good for him or her. I expect max performance
from the car I drive at all times which needs good fuel. I drove company cars for over 40 years. When I retired I tried all the cars I wanted, Lexus and
mostly German brand. After all, I settled down on Mercedes AMG, BMW M series. Lexus makes good cars reliable and luxurious but it lacks fun factor.
At the age of 80 I and son have fun on the track from now and then he driving BMW M series with manual shift, I driving Mercedes AMG with automatic shift.
Our 0 to 60 is always little over 3 sec. All our cars are stock without any mod. We know we can squeeze out at least 100 horses more with remapped chip.
It's your car you ought to do whatever you want including filling her up. This debate on what fuel to fill on my car, your car is perpetually going on. If I go to BMW,
Porsche or Mercedes forum I don't see anything about discussing fuel requirement for their cars.
In my case I notice the difference even between different brands. Going to the Rockies with fully loaded vehicle, punching the gas pedal to
avoid a dangerous situation I never hear knocking. Someone who does not feel the different, then it is good for him or her. I expect max performance
from the car I drive at all times which needs good fuel. I drove company cars for over 40 years. When I retired I tried all the cars I wanted, Lexus and
mostly German brand. After all, I settled down on Mercedes AMG, BMW M series. Lexus makes good cars reliable and luxurious but it lacks fun factor.
At the age of 80 I and son have fun on the track from now and then he driving BMW M series with manual shift, I driving Mercedes AMG with automatic shift.
Our 0 to 60 is always little over 3 sec. All our cars are stock without any mod. We know we can squeeze out at least 100 horses more with remapped chip.
It's your car you ought to do whatever you want including filling her up. This debate on what fuel to fill on my car, your car is perpetually going on. If I go to BMW,
Porsche or Mercedes forum I don't see anything about discussing fuel requirement for their cars.
12-21-19, 07:13 AM
#173
Lexus Champion
If I remember correctly Lexus manual recommend premium fuel. I Mercedes manual it specifies minimum fuel Octane 91 with
a warning, engine problem with use of less fuel is not covered with warranty. I believe ECM remembers what grade fuel is used.
It has a scratch pad storing engine running parameters meaning you can't argue with stored information. Octane requirement also
depends on the terrain the car is mostly drive. Our altitude is ~3,300 feet. If we drive to Rockies it becomes almost doulble that.
For those who lives near sea level can get by with 87 Octane. Premium fuel has more cleaning agents to help keep engine clean.
a warning, engine problem with use of less fuel is not covered with warranty. I believe ECM remembers what grade fuel is used.
It has a scratch pad storing engine running parameters meaning you can't argue with stored information. Octane requirement also
depends on the terrain the car is mostly drive. Our altitude is ~3,300 feet. If we drive to Rockies it becomes almost doulble that.
For those who lives near sea level can get by with 87 Octane. Premium fuel has more cleaning agents to help keep engine clean.
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Cocal (12-21-19)
12-21-19, 07:39 AM
#174
Intermediate
If I remember correctly Lexus manual recommend premium fuel. I Mercedes manual it specifies minimum fuel Octane 91 with
a warning, engine problem with use of less fuel is not covered with warranty. I believe ECM remembers what grade fuel is used.
It has a scratch pad storing engine running parameters meaning you can't argue with stored information. Octane requirement also
depends on the terrain the car is mostly drive. Our altitude is ~3,300 feet. If we drive to Rockies it becomes almost doulble that.
For those who lives near sea level can get by with 87 Octane. Premium fuel has more cleaning agents to help keep engine clean.
a warning, engine problem with use of less fuel is not covered with warranty. I believe ECM remembers what grade fuel is used.
It has a scratch pad storing engine running parameters meaning you can't argue with stored information. Octane requirement also
depends on the terrain the car is mostly drive. Our altitude is ~3,300 feet. If we drive to Rockies it becomes almost doulble that.
For those who lives near sea level can get by with 87 Octane. Premium fuel has more cleaning agents to help keep engine clean.
12-21-19, 10:00 AM
#175
Racer
If I remember correctly Lexus manual recommend premium fuel. I Mercedes manual it specifies minimum fuel Octane 91 with
a warning, engine problem with use of less fuel is not covered with warranty. I believe ECM remembers what grade fuel is used.
It has a scratch pad storing engine running parameters meaning you can't argue with stored information. Octane requirement also
depends on the terrain the car is mostly drive. Our altitude is ~3,300 feet. If we drive to Rockies it becomes almost doulble that.
For those who lives near sea level can get by with 87 Octane. Premium fuel has more cleaning agents to help keep engine clean.
a warning, engine problem with use of less fuel is not covered with warranty. I believe ECM remembers what grade fuel is used.
It has a scratch pad storing engine running parameters meaning you can't argue with stored information. Octane requirement also
depends on the terrain the car is mostly drive. Our altitude is ~3,300 feet. If we drive to Rockies it becomes almost doulble that.
For those who lives near sea level can get by with 87 Octane. Premium fuel has more cleaning agents to help keep engine clean.
I use 93 octane in mine because I put very few miles on it and, well, just because!
12-21-19, 11:58 AM
#176
2016 450h owners manual:
That seems to describe what a lot of folks are doing - go with 87 and just make sure you aren't "persistently knocking". Which seems like an odd disclaimer because the engine shouldn't even allow knocking.
I just go with 91. I don't put enough miles on the car to make the savings more than $7-8/month.
Select premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 (Research Octane Number 96) or higher required for optimum engine performance. If 91 octane cannot be obtained, you may use unleaded gasoline with an octane rating as low as 87 (Research Octane Number 91). Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane rating lower than 91 may result in engine knocking and significantly reduced performance. Persistent knocking can lead to engine damage and should be corrected by refueling with higher octane unleaded gasoline.
I just go with 91. I don't put enough miles on the car to make the savings more than $7-8/month.
12-21-19, 12:27 PM
#177
So does my 2018. As a person who was already driving when leaded gas was phased out, and remembers well the phenomenon called "spark knock", I interpret this phrase in the manual as follows:
"The computer is able to retard the ignition timing far enough that even 87 octane gas (mostly) won't knock."
"The computer is able to retard the ignition timing far enough that even 87 octane gas (mostly) won't knock."
Last edited by dibl; 12-21-19 at 01:39 PM.
12-21-19, 01:47 PM
#178
Racer
So does my 2018. As a person who was already driving when leaded gas was phased out, and remembers well the phenomenon called "spark knock", I interpret this phrase in the manual as follows:
"The computer is able to retard the ignition timing far enough that even 87 octane gas (mostly) won't knock."
"The computer is able to retard the ignition timing far enough that even 87 octane gas (mostly) won't knock."
12-21-19, 02:06 PM
#179
12-21-19, 03:19 PM
#180
I'm going to guess they don't say "recommend" because their published hp and mpg values are based on optimal engine operation, which would require 91. The language in my manual basically says as much - "if you want optimal performance, use this gas". They probably can't recommend a gas that can't achieve their published performance statistics.
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dibl (12-21-19)