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Premium gas?

114K views 64 replies 36 participants last post by  12MDXAdvance 
#1 ·
Is it a must to use the premium gas or can we get away with the plus??
What are your thoughts????
 
#2 ·
With newer cars that can almost immediately retard timing in case of detonation premium is not as much of an issue as it has been in the past. However, you will lose performance when it retards the timing. Also, you will likely see a change in your gas mileage which may or may not negate going from premium to mid-grade.
 
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#8 ·
Exactly what Ari said!!!
I've tries plus, crappy mileage, I do better on premium
 
#4 ·
Anywhere from $4 to $7 per tank depending on the location of the country :D
 
#5 ·
Ths topic has been debated to death.

I have 2002 with 163K. I have run 89 and 93. From my experience I get more miles per gallon from the 93. So while it costs more per gallon you get some of it back in MPG. Since I have already conceeded the fact I have an SUV that gets SUV mileage and not a Civic or Prius the savings of running 89 (if any) is pocket change relative to the cost of a $40,000+ vehicle.
 
#9 ·
Jmho...

Around town, driving my 2003 Touring, I alternate every-other tank between 89 and 91 Oct. Don't notice any difference in either mileage or performance. If I know we're going on a road trip I keep 91 oct in it just because I usually drive around 70 mph and I feel that the extra octane might help, but I have no proof that it does. I use Shell on the highway because it's the only gas credit card I have, but they seem to take everything. I also run a bottle of Techron once in a while for peace of mind, but I don't know if that works either. I never let it go less than 1/2 a tank because, being in the San Francisco bay area earthquakes are always a potential and want the car to be available. It's also not good to get too close to empty because the fuel pump is cooled by gas and I don't want that problem. Haven't had any fuel related problems. Mileage is satisfactory. Vehicle is in good shape. Fuel to hit $5/gal this summer (thanx, Obama, but that's another story), they say. Also, I use Costco gas frequently. Some talk has been made about this gas. I have NEVER had a problem with it. Now that I've said all of this am I tempting fate? I'll let you know but my fingers are crossed!
 
#10 ·
I've always given the X premium as it just kills the mileage. However, not all premium gas will be the same. Costco gas is cheaper, but it will provide worse mileage. The amount of money I overpay putting in Sunoco 93 I make up and some more in MPGs
 
#11 ·
if you run a search on the topic...someone actually did the regular vs premium experiment. run regular your gas mileage may suffer, and you frequent the gas station more frequently. run premium pay a little more, optimized gas mileage, the owner's manual says its required, our engines are high compression engines and theylike higher octane fuels...long terms effects of running regular...possibly damaging your engine.

bottomline your wallet will actually suffer more by using a cheaper lower grade gas than premium, b/c you are visiting the gas station more frequently on lower grade gas.

BUT it's your car, put whatever you want in it. i just don't wanna be the next owner of your car. just sayin'.
 
#12 ·
I tried running mid grade in it for a while when prices shot up, I noticed it started running like ****. Thought it might been ****ty gas so i filled it up a second time with mid-grade. Then 1 day I was sitting in a drive through and heard it randomly knocking... never again. premium only 4 me.

say what you want. but try it and see for yourself. MY "X" doesnt like anything less than premium.
 
#13 ·
As much as I want to use bobo brand gas, whenever I put Shell Premium in, my car feels silkier...

I figure if its 20 cents/gallon difference, $4 bux per fillup or week. That is about the price of the bottle of techron or lucas additive I'd feel compelled to buy if I ran the lower quality gas.
 
#14 ·
Bobo....haha, haven't heard that word in awhile. I feel the same way about Sunoco 94 oct. I touch the pedal and she's ready to jump! And I need a tune up! Can't wait to do my tune up.
 
#15 ·
As always, JMHO....

TrimDX said, "..possibly damaging your engine." There's absolutely no proof of this. Timing is computer controlled to minimize knock. The difference between 89 and 91 oct is minimal and easily handled by the electronics. I can't get 93 in Calif. 91 is tops. Use what you want and whatever works for you. I've seen folks who maximize their mpg by draining the tank to near "E" prior to re-fill. At that time they are sucking residue in the bottom of the tank into the pump. The pump is also "cooled" by the remaining fuel. Who's right? I don't know. I know what works for me. If what you do works for you, GREAT. That's just what makes the world go around. My personal experience shows me that the greatest hazard to my engine is DEALER MAINTENANCE!! I have so much proof of that it's nauseating. Once the warranty ran out I ran from the dealer. Just the way it is.
 
#16 ·
You can get away with regular fuel with the following caveats:

1) Expensive engine damage can occur however it may never crop up in your ownership if ever. Big unknown.

2) Your fuel MPG may suffer. In my area its about 6% more for premium. This differential shrinks as the price of fuel rises btw. The spread from regular to premium is $0.20 in my area and has been even when fuel was $1.60/gallon.
 
#17 ·
Thanks guys for all your inputs and yes after doing the math of just 0.20/gallon difference we have decided to always go with the premium, yes when we talk about 50K+ Vehicle how does 4 or 5 dollars (per fill up) difference make sense....Feel like smacking myself for even having this thought...
 
#18 ·
I've always used premium with all the cars that I've owned which indicate to use premium fuel in the owner's manual. I've conducted a few trials runs a while ago driving with regular octane then with the recommended premium octane and I also concur with others that there is no significant impact on the engine however the performance does suffer somewhat. The decreased fuel consumption would be offset by the cost savings.
 
#19 ·
While not accounting for differences in the first and second generation MDX, I used regular in both my 01 and 05, but use premium in my 11. I average 2-4 mpg worse mileage in my 11 than the two older vehicles.
 
#20 ·
Read you Manual

I agree with Ari - running lower octane than what your engine was designed to run on, your performance will suffer. As noted in the Owner's Manual, you can run a lower octane (89) if 91 or higher is not available, but it is not recommended as a permanent alternate. Damage is a debatable topic, so if you are concerned, do the research.

At $4 or so a tank, it seems to make sense to get the recommended blend and drive. MDXs aren't fuel savvy vehicles, but when driven lightly, you can squeeze out a few MPGs. Driving behavior has more to do with your fuel economy than anything else. Consider an Ultragauge/Scangauge to help you learn more about driving your rig if you are so inclined.

Otherwise, you might want to drive the Civic during the week and the MDX evenings, weekends, and trips.
 
#21 ·
Using premium coupled to intelligent driving (coasting to red lights so not to stop and mostly easy acceleration) I have managed 19MPG average over 8000 miles (60city/40highway).

It amazes me because my previous 04 Subaru WRX wagon with a puny 2.0L high sprung turbo got 21MPG/premium in similar driving conditions.
 
#22 ·
I don't know over there but here in Puerto Rico 93 octane gas was discontinued this month...don't really know wy but I know I have been gettin a few less mpg...anything to do in my situation?? regular is definitely not an option I did once and tank din't lasted 200 miles
 
#25 ·
I would suggest always using premium. In my state you have 87, 89 and usually 92 or 93 as options. I think 91 is the minimum for Acuras.

My previous car was an Acura RSX-S, drove it for 10 years and 150,000 miles.. Still ran great (despite some aggressive driving especially in the early years, including a couple trips to the race track). I won't even consider putting anything but premium in this car despite giving up 10+ mpg from my previous ride.

The difference per gallon for premium from plus (89) is something like $.20-.25 .. if you're filling up the MDX you're talking like $3-4 per 300 miles say, and if you drive ~12,000 miles per year you're looking at a total difference of say $160 per year (give or take). It's not worth risking it.
 
#28 ·
Not worth it IMHO



Rick,

Not worth it. You'll get better MPGs with the correct octane. Running the lower octane for half of a tank might have saved you $3. However, the loss of 20-25% in FE probably means you burned around 2 more gallons of fuel. At current rates, you saved $3 by spending $8.

Get the highest octane on the next fill up. You might get the octane ratio back up where it needs to be.

Good luck!

Kevin
 
#27 ·
Ok we still have 91 octane over here in PR...I just filled my tank with Shell Premium these morning and an STP Octane Booster...she ran like a baby I went from east coast to west coast over here (300 miles approximately) and she did 24MPG!!!
 
#29 ·
I filled up with 93 octane 11.55 gals, the computer showed an immediate MPG rise.
I will clean the EGR Tomorrow or Sunday and hopefully maintain around 20-21 MPG
but just averaging around 19 is a major difference
 
#30 ·
As an "Acura Professional" I can say the 2010+ models are VERY sensitive to octance. I got one in that had 87 in it, before I realized what was going on I thought the engine was coming apart. They will compensate as you drive to keep from grenading the engine but in the mean time it allows a good amount of ping. It starts over littlerally every time you start the car so....if you want your car to get horrible mileage, have no acceleration, and progressively destroy the engine yes low end gas is ok. The ends don't justify the means.

You bought a very nice 40-50k Suv use good gas, and maintain it properly. If you can't afford to put the right gas in it and proper maintence it would be better to buy a cheaper model and take proper care of that. Pilot/highlander etc. will run fine on 87. Maintence cost is similar.

But yeah, the 10+ models are very sensitive to octane, not that it's ok to use regular in any other years. That model just does really horrible with it.
 
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