Does Using A Higher Octane Gas Improve Fuel Economy?

Does Using A Higher Octane Gas Improve Fuel Economy?

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Is higher octane gas worth the $208.00 increase in gas costs per year? Does the higher octane premium gas result in better mileage? Is better fuel economy attained by using premium gas? Does higher octane gas enable your car run better?

If you fill your car on the average of once per week buying premium gas instead of regular, it will cost you $208.00 more per year. Generally the price difference between regular gasoline and premium gasoline is about twenty cents per gallon. That means it will cost $4.00 more per fill up if you use premium gas instead of regular gas. This assumes you have a 20 gallon tank.

Let's look at the increase in fuel economy question first. The plain and simple answer is absolutely not, higher octane gas does not effect fuel economy at all. The octane number is a rating that has nothing to do with how efficient it is in moving your car.

The octane rating is a measurement of the proportion of isooctane to heptane in fuel. In non technical terms it is a rating that grades how much energy it takes to ignite that fuel. The rating has nothing to do with how much energy the gas puts out.It has absolutely nothing to do with fuel economy.

The second question concerning premium gas making your car run better. Does it? The plain and simple answer once again is no, there is absolutely no significant difference in the performance of your car if you use premium gas.

I must add this one caveat, having said there is no performance gain, it is possible your car could show an increase of a little more horsepower with premium than with regular gas but it would be very hard for you to notice the difference. This slight possibility only allows car makers a little extra marketing advantage by using this claim on higher horsepower as part of their advertising.

Car manufacturers utilize this slight horsepower gain to market their cars claiming more horsepower by optimizing and designing their cars to take advantage of higher octane premium gasoline's anti-knock properties. Engineers and car experts agree that if you opt to use regular gasoline in your car designed for premium gasoline, the loss of horsepower is so small, you will not be able to detect any difference.

Will you harm your car or void your warranty if your car manufacturer recommends that you use high octane gas? Most automakers say using regular gas even when your owner's guide says to use premium gas won't void the warranty. Most automakers also say that using regular will not damage the engine.

When you next stop at the gas station, try regular gasoline instead of premium. Your immediate benefit will be saving $4.00 right away on that tank of gas. Pay attention to how your car runs with regular octane gasoline. If it seems to run fine, if you cannot feel any difference and if you do not hear your engine knocking, then continue to purchase lower octane regular gas. You will see a savings of over $200.00 per year!

About the Author:
Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider secrets on saving gas and dollars at the pump. Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage.
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