Does higher octane gas get better mileage. When it comes...
- Does higher octane gas get better mileage. When it comes to the differences between fuels, it's all about octane ratings. The higher octane of premium gas won’t make your car faster; in fact, the opposite is possible because higher-octane fuel technically has less energy than lower-octane fuel. Unlike regular or mid-grade options, it resists knocking and provides better performance for car engines. He tests if the additive pack of premium fuel companies can, NOT premium grade fuel. An OE turbo set up designed around low octane fuel will, obviously, be fine using low octane fuel. So, while it may be more resistant to knock, it will not make your car go faster or get better gas mileage. This higher octane rating means premium gas can withstand greater compression before detonating. Anything modified to add FI to an engine or increasing the OE levels of boost should always run a higher octane. Feb 13, 2023 · It can offer benefits like higher resistance to engine knock, helping to enable more horsepower, and potentially granting better gas mileage with reduced emissions — depending on the formulation of the premium fuel beyond it’s octane rating. Discover if premium gas is worth the extra cost. One of the most prominent is that a higher octane fuel always get you better gas mileage. What happens when you use 87 octane gas in an engine designed for higher octane gas If the manufacturer of your high compression engine recommends 93 octane and you fill it with 87, you’re going to get lower gas mileage. Aug 4, 2019 · We tested higher octane fuel than manufacturers require on the Honda CR-V, BMW M5, Ford F-150, and Dodge Charger to see if it impacted acceleration or MPG. Regular gas typically has an octane rating of 87, while premium gas has an octane rating of 91 or higher. The debate surrounding higher octane fuel and its impact on performance and fuel efficiency continues to intrigue consumers. Also, as you get higher in mileage the condition of the engine will benefit more by the use of higher-octane fuel because DI engine and the shortcomings not yet solved some regarding the inductive system. Fuel with a higher octane rating can stand up to higher compression before it detonates. Let’s compare 87, 91 (with and without ethanol), and 93 octane for fuel efficiency and horsepower. Essentially, the higher the octane rating, the lower the likelihood that detonation happens at the wrong time. At most retail gasoline stations, three octane grades are offered, 87 (regular), 89 (mid-grade) and 91-93 (premium). The long and short of it is that the RM2 method of octane rating is a rating of resistance to volatility. A higher-octane rating means the fuel is better balanced and stabilized against spontaneous combustion, which can cause knocking and damage to a car engine. Dec 31, 2025 · The question of whether paying more for premium fuel results in better gas mileage is a common dilemma facing consumers at the pump. Premium gives better gas mileage Because premium gas has a higher octane rating than midgrade or regular gas, it produces a little more power when burnt. This price difference makes many drivers wonder if it’s really worth the extra cost. This isn’t necessarily true. Understanding whether your car, minivan, truck, or SUV will truly benefit from premium gas can help save you significant cash throughout the ownership of your vehicle. Higher performance cars will often have higher compression ratios to get more power so in order to not self-destruct you need to use higher octane fuel. Does Gas Brand Matter? When Additives Enter The Story Detergent additives are the main place where brands can differ. Going higher than recommended won't help as your engine is unable to take full advantage of it, as well as the fact that higher octane fuels actually contain slightly less energy (they just offer a more controlled burn that higher With that said, higher octane fuel doesn’t equate to better mpg or performance in cars that don’t need it. Discover if higher octane fuel truly enhances your car's performance. Putting higher octane fuel in a car that doesn't need it is just a waste of money. High octane gas can resist compression better without igniting prematurely. Does higher octane fuel (plus, super, etc. The octane rating of gasoline tells you how much the fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. All road gasoline must contain deposit-control additives, yet the minimum legal dose is a floor. We talked before about whether or not using high-octane premium gas gives you better mileage if your vehicle doesn't specifically call for it (we don't believe that it does). Reply reply Its higher octane rating distinguishes it from regular and mid-grade gasoline. In fact, using higher octane fuel in a vehicle that does not require it can actually reduce performance and fuel economy. It's no secret that gas prices are high right now, but achieving better fuel economy is not a difficult task. Premium gas sounds like it’s something special. High-performance engines take in higher-octane gasoline because they need it to operate at their peak potential. High performance engines use high compression ratios to squeeze more power out of the fuel. If your vehicle requires midgrade or premium fuel, absolutely. Regular gas is rated at 87 octane in most states, while premium is often rated higher at 91 or 93. The higher the octane, the less the fuel wants to burn. The cost increase is typically higher than the fuel savings. Most cars require regular gasoline, and using higher octane means wasting your coins. ) give my car better gas mileage than just the regular octane 87 unleaded fuel at the lowest price at any gas station? Can using a premium octane gas instead of the regular old 87-octane fuel really improve your car's gas mileage and save you money? Does High Octane Gas Improve Gas Mileage? No. For some vehicles, using a higher octane fuel can result in better fuel efficiency. If your car has forced induction or higher compression, chances are it will need a higher octane or it won’t run at its best. First, one must understand why higher octane fuel exists. Increased octane doesn't mean increased power or efficiency. We’ll see if the higher octane fuel delivers better performance and is worth the extra cost. This article breaks down the science behind octane ratings, explores when higher-octane fuel is actually beneficial, and clears up a few common myths along the way. Regular octane fuel typically has a rating of 87, with mid-range fuel rating between 89 – 90, and premium fuels rating at 91 – 94. So, octane does not enhance the explosion in the cylinder like most people think. What does octane do? It just prevents the air-fuel mixture from igniting before the spark plug If your car is designed for regular gas, higher octane won’t improve your fuel economy or performance, it’ll just cost you more at the pump. That's because the rating refers to how much energy it takes to ignite the gas, not directly to how much energy the gas puts out. Learn some practical tips to increase your MPG and the basics on fuel economy tuning with HP Tuners. On modern computer-controlled cars with fuel injection, the computer is constantly monitoring fuel trim and detonation and making appropriate adjustments in the timing and fuel air mixture to compensate for engine knock. Since it’s the premium version of gasoline, it costs more than regular gas. Understanding Octane Ratings Octane ratings measure a fuel’s ability to resist “knocking” or “pinging” – that rattling sound that happens when fuel ignites too early in your engine. This superior knock resistance is the main reason e85 versus gasoline is popular in some performance circles. Most gasoline used in the United States is composed of at least 10 percent ethanol. Simply put, higher octane gas won’t lead to better car performance, more speed, better mileage, or your car running cleaner. Potential for Decreased Fuel Efficiency: In some instances, using a higher octane fuel than recommended can actually lead to a decrease in fuel efficiency, negating the potential benefits. To shed light on this topic, a series of tests were conducted to compare different octane levels. But if your vehicle calls for premium, using it helps keep your engine running smoothly and safely. What is 85 octane, and is it safe to use in my vehicle? So, if you’re using a higher octane fuel, you’re less likely to experience knocking and potentially damaging your engine. The octane rating affected not only the performance of the gasoline, but also its versatility; the higher octane fuel allowed a wider range of lean to rich operating conditions. The reason for this is that higher octane fuel is more expensive and does not contain any additional energy. Use of higher octane fuels enables higher compression ratios, turbocharging, downsizing/downspeeding, all of which enable greater engine efficiencies. Higher octane fuel is more stable under pressure, which matters in certain engine types. Premium gas is more expensive than regular gas, but it may provide additional benefits for high-performance vehicles or under certain driving conditions. Unless your car explicitly needs the high-octane fuel, you may not need to use it. If your manual says higher-octane fuel is required, paying for it isn’t optional. It’s a common misconception that using a higher-octane fuel in your vehicle will give you better gas mileage. Octane is the number you see over the different grades of fuel available at the gas pump. But it translates into paying extra for a higher octane without any performance or fuel-economy benefits for many cars. Now the question is what happens if someone use higher octane fuel in a car? Higher octane fuel will not offer any better fuel mileage, increase engine horsepower, or make the engine start quicker. If your owner's manual says your vehicle doesn't require premium but says that your vehicle will run better on higher octane fuel, it's really up to you. I'll explain octane ratings, engine requirements, and when high-octane fuel might benefit your vehicle. The aim was to determine whether higher octane fuel is worth the additional cost. What is premium gas? Premium gas, often referred to as high-octane fuel, typically has an octane rating of 91 or higher. Feb 24, 2025 · When does premium gas actually matter? See what tests on real cars discovered about MPG versus the cost of high octane fuel. Use the recommended gas for your car. They Does ethanol increase octane rating? Yes, the octane rating of ethanol is much higher than gasoline, so mixing it into fuel increases octane. E85 generally offers a higher effective octane level than regular gasoline, often equaling or surpassing premium fuel depending on the specific blend. Most cars don't need anything more than 87 octane in order to not pre-detonate. High octane fuel is primarily used on high-performance engines such as turbocharged cars because the fuel does not burn prematurely, although many car owners choose high-octane fuel for use in their non-turbo powered vehicles. The car’s manual and gas cap both say to use regular unleaded gasoline. Engines with high compression ratios or turbochargers often need high-octane fuel, which is found in premium gas, to get the best performance and fuel efficiency. . Modern engine control units back off the performance if they detect signs of premature ignition, but older cars could get engine damage from too low octane fuel. Going lower than the recommended may reduce fuel economy as the engine may have to retard timing to avoid detonation. Learn more on octane’s role in fuel on vehicles. Your four-stroke engine generates power by sucking in an air-fuel mixture (piston goes down), compressing it (piston goes up), igniting it, extracting power from the expanding gas (piston goes down), then exhausting the spent air and fuel (piston goes up) (see this image). This is because the engine can operate more efficiently without the risk of knocking, potentially saving money in the long run despite the higher cost per litre. However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically get better performance from using a higher octane fuel. Designed for performance cars with large, powerful engines, premium also helps minimize the risk of preignition inside highly-stressed, hot engine cylinders. Find out here if premium, high-octane gas is worth it for your car. The higher per-gallon prices, octane ratings, and the word "premium" might suggest this gas blend is better, but that's only true under certain circumstances. The higher the octane number, the more resistant the gasoline mixture is to knock. Many drivers choose the higher-octane option, believing the increased cost is justified by improved efficiency or power, often based on anecdotal evidence. But would you get better performance and fuel economy by switching to mid-grade or premium? If your car runs on regular unleaded, the only difference you’ll notice with a higher grade is the higher price at the pump. Most refiners will blend ethanol with gasoline to increase its rating, which accounts for some of the higher prices. Sep 23, 2025 · Is Higher Octane Gas Better for Your Engine? Published by Engineer on 23/09/2025 Fuel Grades and Engine Performance When it comes to fueling your vehicle, the choice between regular and premium gasoline often raises eyebrows and questions. A "high-performance engine" has a higher compression ratio and requires higher-octane fuel to prevent it from prematurely igniting fuel before the spark plug does it. While this may be true if you have an engine that requires a higher octane rating, if your car is meant to run on low-octane fuels, that is what you should use. Premium gas may also contain additional, higher-quality additives compared to regular gas. I'll explain the relationship between octane ratings and engine efficiency, helping you make informed decisions at the pump. Higher octane only increases the likelihood that the combustion will be controlled, and your engine will perform as it was designed. GasBuddy has performed over 900 million searches providing our consumers with the cheapest gas prices near you. At no point in this video does he test if higher OCTANE fuel can reduce engine wear. Do higher-octane fuels deliver better performance and are worth the extra cost? Find out now with the lessons learned from a practical test comparing 87, 91, and 93-octane for fuel efficiency and Higher octane only reduces the likelihood of engine knock or ping. Unless your car is explicitly designed to run on high octane gas 1 (it's rare, read your car's manual), using a high octane gas will NOT give your car better mileage. Other engines can simply get by on 85 or 87 octane. 52x8, 4g2mea, m3glk, bvgtq, cxol6, bxiyhk, k6kds, dkdg, lkzevo, xx5kc,