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Do you put Regular Gas or Premium Gas ?

45K views 24 replies 23 participants last post by  helpas 
#1 ·
Hi,

MDX can take Regular Gas (87) and can take Premium Gas (91) too.

Which one do you use?

Acura said we can put Regular Gas but if you want better performance you should put Premium Gas.

One is better for the engine? Can you really see the difference for the performance too ?

Thank you,
 
#2 ·
This topic has been on forum MANY MANY times~~

As always, I used RECOMMENDED (Premium) gas whenever possible. I only filled 87 once (7 gallons) to reach my final destination at late night, then filled up the entire tank (15 Gallons) with 93 next morning.
 
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#3 ·
I have always used PREMIUM as recommended. Less than 91 only if premium is not available when traveling but minimize the content. Premium always


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#4 ·
I've been running 87 for a year now, only 91 before that. In my area the price gap is between 70-90 cents more per gallon for premium and I cannot justify that cost since I observe no additional gain in fuel economy. My drive is 95% highway and I rarely drive the car hard.
Regarding performance: we are talking about a peak output of 290 HP on premium vs 280 HP on regular. I cannot feel the difference of 10 HP in a 2 ton SUV so why would I waste my money on it. If you are a driver that spends a lot of time with the engine at redline you may notice a difference, but again... 10 HP is not a lot in a car this heavy.
If you are an average, non-aggressive driver like me, one is not better than the other either as they both have the same detergents assuming you are using Top Tier gasoline (which DOES extend engine life and is why it is endorsed by Acura, Audi, BMW, FCA, Ford, GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Navistar, Toyota, and VW).
If you are an aggressive driver and work the engine hard, use the expensive stuff to get the most out of it.
 
#5 ·
I always put 87 unless I feel like to spoil my MDX with 93. But its your money and your MDX at the end, however, some of us suggests you use 87 to save on money. Just keep in mind, if you tend to fill up with that needle near E, go for 93, since 87 would most likely cost more than $50 depending on your area and what the rates are per gallon. Again, this is your choice at the end of the day.
 
#9 ·
Alright, thank you all :) At the end for fulling it, it's a difference of $7 to $8.... will continue to put Premium. I just wanted to know if any different for the performance and if you can run more km (or miles) with Premium vs Regular :p
 
#10 ·
Hi,

MDX can take Regular Gas (87) and can take Premium Gas (91) too.

Which one do you use?

Acura said we can put Regular Gas but if you want better performance you should put Premium Gas.

One is better for the engine? Can you really see the difference for the performance too ?

Thank you,
Premium. Regular drops 10hp which will have a very real but perhaps difficult-to-detect decrease in fuel economy. Give an athlete high quality, grass-fed organic meats and organic veggies and they’ll perform better than if they eat at Popeye’s, despite how good that evil chicken crack sandwich tastes.
 
#12 ·
If your username is an indication that you own a 2012 MDX, then your engine is NOT designed to run on 87.
2007-2013 MDX with the 3.7L V6 requires premium fuel (91 minimum per the manual)
The 2014+ MDX with the 3.5L V6 requires regular fuel (87 minimum per the manual)
 
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#14 ·
Hi,

MDX can take Regular Gas (87) and can take Premium Gas (91) too.

Which one do you use?

Acura said we can put Regular Gas but if you want better performance you should put Premium Gas.

One is better for the engine? Can you really see the difference for the performance too ?

Thank you,
I’ve been told that My Cat Converter would have lasted longer had I always used premium. I’ve seen it mentioned a few places. I have 2004 With 137,000 original miles. To date belt tensioner pulley, a starter and recently the Catalytic Converter are the only non. Maint. Items replaced.
The Cat surprised me.
 
#21 ·
My choices are top tier or non-top tier gas in 87-91 octane. I switch between Costco or Sams in 91 octane depending on which lines are shorter (they are usually across the street from each other in NM).
 
#22 ·
Coming from a family that owned 12+ gas stations, I can tell you that octane makes a difference. I wouldn't recommend anything below 89oct. We've had our tanks tested before, and we realized that 91 isn't actually 91, its more 89.5-90octane. 89 is really 87-88 and 87 octane is basically trash gas sometimes below 86 octane. This was a 76 gas station located in Socal.

Basically, don't be cheap.
 
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