# Are the benefits of high-octane gasoline worth the price? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405 "2004-07-22T20:39:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/21 "2004-07-23T13:42:29Z")
Most newer cars that require premium gas will actually run decently on regular. The engine computer can detect the change in octane level and adjust the timing and ignition settings to compensate. However, since these engines weren’t designed to run regular gas, their efficiency and performance suffers. In most cases, the few bucks that you save by skimping on premium is more than made up for by the fact that your gas mileage drops in half. The feature is there basically for emergency situations: i.e. you’re stuck out in the middle of nowhere, and the only gas station within 100 miles is out of everything but 87. For cars that don’t require premium, it is a complete waste of money. For a while now, Congress has been talking about passing laws that make it illegal for gas companies to market premium gas as somehow “better” than regular. The only reason it is more expensive is that the refining process for premium involves more steps. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/22 "2004-07-23T13:58:57Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I have a Saturn wagon, too (a '97), and I had always been using the mid-grade stuff, 89 octane, because that’s what the owner’s manual says to use. Since gas prices have been skyrocketing last spring, I started been using regular, and it’s been fine. My husband commented that he had no idea I’d been using the mid-grade all these years, and that I should have been using regular. That’s very odd, since I had (just sold) an 97 SW2 and my owners manual said 87 octane. Which engine do you have? I’ve never heard of a Saturn recommending anything but 87 octane. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/23 "2004-07-23T14:39:38Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That’s very odd, since I had (just sold) an 97 SW2 and my owners manual said 87 octane. Which engine do you have? I’ve never heard of a Saturn recommending anything but 87 octane. I’ll have to check - it’s in the car, and I’m going out in a while. I’m pretty sure it said 89. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/24 "2004-07-23T15:56:51Z")
> [@flight](#): > > I have only seen two types of cars that require it: > > 1. High performance luxury cars (my friend’s BMW Z4 fro example) > 2. My Ford Focus SVT. It is a small, relativelt inexpensive car that has a good bit of power for its size and has been heavily modified from the standard Focus for performance. I highly reccomend it for enjoyable driving on a smaller budget (though it has what I consider a less than attractive look). There are many cars that require 91 octane. The SVT is a turbo car and thus has a high compression ratio. My Matrix and the Toyota Celica (XRS/GTS) both also require 91 as they are high compression engines. AFAIK all Turbo cars require premium. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/25 "2004-07-23T16:01:17Z")
> [@flight](#): > > I have only seen two types of cars that require it: > > 1. High performance luxury cars (my friend’s BMW Z4 fro example) > 2. My Ford Focus SVT. Add to that the Volvo V70 wagon, which requires 91 octane and the VW Passat GLX (V6, not even the W8!) Based on our recent car shopping experience. We bought the Passat, so now we have to pay a $0.10 CDN premium _per liter_! :mad: _In case you’re wondering why we bought it despite this, there are a number of reasons, but in short it was the 4 WD Wagon we disliked the least from those we tried…_ ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/26 "2004-07-23T16:11:20Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That’s very odd, since I had (just sold) an 97 SW2 and my owners manual said 87 octane. Which engine do you have? I’ve never heard of a Saturn recommending anything but 87 octane. :smack: Okay, I’m obviously a moron. The owner’s manual **does** say 87 octane. I don’t know why I spent nearly eight years thinking I was supposed to use 89. Feel free to ignore me from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/27 "2004-07-23T16:26:31Z")
> [@trupa](#): > > Based on our recent car shopping experience. We bought the Passat, so now we have to pay a $0.10 CDN premium _per liter_! :mad:\* AFAIK, all Passats require 91. I have the GLS with the 1.8T, and it requires it. Any VW car with the 1.8T engine needs it, and they use that engine in many of their models… ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/28 "2004-07-23T18:44:30Z")
Another former Saturn owner checking in here. Well, actually it was my wife’s car, a 92 Saturn SL2. She noticed in the summer when she had the AC running that the car seemed more sluggish, and swears that putting mid-grade gasoline in the tank made the engine run better when the AC was on. In non-AC-intensive weather she used regular unleaded. Also, round these parts it seems like the mid-grade gasoline is usually the 10% ethanol blend. Seems like I remember hearing somewhere (Car Talk?) that the ethanol has a tendency to dry out rubber parts like hoses and gaskets and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405/29 "2004-07-23T22:38:38Z")
Some have advised listening for pinging (and knocking) as a guide for which octane you need. Hmmm, a little caution here might be a good idea. You might not be able to hear these sounds, especially in a higher end car and especially if your ears are muffled by the desire to save money. 😉 Pinging is Bad For Your Engine, period. Pinging is pre-ignition, which blows holes in pistons if not corrected. The sound is an explosion that occurs on the upstroke of the piston. If your engine pings during normal driving, or _at all_ in most newer cars, and you are using the reccommended octane, there’s something wrong. I doubt that car manufacturers get a kickback from oil companies, so there’s little incentive for them to fool you into using a higher octane than your car needs. Bottom line; know what the cost is _before_ you buy and buy a car you can afford to drive. Yeah, right. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-benefits-of-high-octane-gasoline-worth-the-price/256405.md?page=1)