Who Buys Premium Petrol?

[FliX]

Every time I have to go get petrol I ask myself who pays an up-charge to get higher octane gas?
It must be enough people to make it worth offering all the infrastructure to make, transport and sell the different grades...?

On a technical level I am aware of the differences, but it still has never seemed necessary to me...?

 

[Foot]

Cedrtain cars require it, like Smart cars. There's no use putting it in one that doesn't.

 

[Griselbrand]

My car requires it.

 

[Lkr]

name a brand of gasoline?
"regular"

 

[scottbeowulf]

There are many cars that require it. Or it'll step down the power if it detects lower octane fuel. My Subaru doesn't need it but we also have a new Mustang and it does.

 

[SteveMeister]

My old GTI required it, but I sold it a few years ago. Now my pickup truck takes regular and my car is electric.

 

[NealMcCauley]

 

[nsilvias]

certain engines need premium op. science and all that. you also cant switch over to a different kind of gas in car otherwise itll cause engine damage long term

 

[ILikeFeet]

people like my dad (cadillac) or my mom (volvo)

 

[GameAddict411]

My car requires premium gas so I don't have a choice.

 

[Ouroboros]

I used to when the car I drove required it. My civic doesn't care if I put in mayonnaise it will still run fine.

 

[Duck Sauce]

My baby doesn't require it but I know she needs it.

 

[Dest]

I do. My car will run on lower grade stuff, but is geared towards higher tier stuff. Car runs far more efficiently on it.

 

[thesoapster]

On a technical level I am aware of the differences, but it still has never seemed necessary to me...?

Click to shrink...

Are you sure that you're aware of the differences? Some engines can't run on lower octane. That said there's no point to using premium for, say, a Corolla. My motorcycle's engine is high compression and requires premium, my car does not.

 

[Crazed]

My fun/weekend car requires it, my daily car doesn't. Helps that my fun car though as a small tank but gets decent gas mileage, so filling up with it every couple weeks in the summer isn't bad on the wallet.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

There are lots of (typically older) vehicles with high compression ratios and (typically newer) vehicles with force induction systems like super chargers or turbo chargers that require higher octane fuel.

My Challenger Hellcat required 91 minimum.

My current Wrangler is fine with "regular" 87 or higher - but lots of cars I'm considering next will need higher octane again.

A lot of motorcycles need higher octane - mine in college did.

***

OP - to be clear, there is NO benefit to using higher octane fuel on any modern car that does not explicitly say it needs it.

 

[RBH]

My car requires it, so that's why I buy it

What a weird thread

 

[EssBeeVee]

my cat requires it so i use it

 

[TheSkullPrince]

Click to shrink...

First thing I thought of lmao

 

[captmcblack]

My dad's cars always required premium gas.

My broke ass only ever personally owned a Hyundai, and I put regular in that shit, lol.

 

[RBH]

my cat requires it so i use it

Click to shrink...

 

[EssBeeVee]

Click to shrink...

why is there even a stock image of this

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Might as well buy a new car at those prices it's cheaper

 

[HotsauceDragon]

Click to shrink...

 

[Nordic4tKnight]

My car requires it so……

 

[kelik]

My car requires the higher octane.

 

[Fatoy]

As a British person, I've always been confused by American petrol grades. What octane constitutes premium vs. regular?

For context, UK pumps sell two grades of petrol: E5 and E10, with the number denoting what percentage of bio-ethanol they contain in their mix. The octane numbers are something like 95 for the E10 petrol, and 98 for the E5, so the E5 is badged and priced as "premium" over here.

My car can take both, so I just put the E10 in because it's cheaper.

 

[Reckheim]

its recommended for my car, I will change to mid-range after like 120k

 

[echoshifting]

You should only ever get gas that matches your car's octane rating

 

[Beast780]

I use it for my zero turn mower and my RTV.

 

[AlphaCookie]

Here's a fun one, my 06' Jetta with the basic ass 5 cylinder is designed for 87 and will kick on a check engine light if I run anything but 91. The quirks of an aging motor.

 

[thewienke]

My Golf R requires premium

 

[Allietraa]

ill blow up my engine before I have to pay for premium

 

[Vic_Viper]

My car also requires it. Paid $4 a gallon last time I was at the pump lol.

 

[tapedeck]

Many cars require premium fuel, but you can get away with lower octane cause the cars computer compensates for 'bad gas' etc to prevent malfunctions. That said I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Goddo Hando]

my father-in-law with his BMW does, and he corners me every holiday dinner to explain octane to me

 

[Ant78]

When I had my WRX's and G35 Coupe they all required premium. You'll find most performance oriented cars will require premium fuel where most normal cars are designed to run on regular.

 

[turbobrick]

Yes my cars require it. I don't want to ruin my engine

 

[BasilZero]

87/regular as always

 

[Walter White Walker]

My car uses regular so that.

 

[secretanchitman]

Always filled premium since my last car (335i) and current car (M4).

 

[The Bookerman]

I'm on regular for now, but if I switch cars as planned... might have to go for premium.

 

[ThreePi]

If your engine wants higher octane but you use lower octane it can damage your engine. Engines have to work o a specific cycle, fuel/air is injected to the cylinder, cylinder compresses, spark plug ignites it. If the octane is too low for the engine, the fuel can be ignited by just the heat generated from compressing the fuel instead of getting ignited by the spark plug.

Engine knocking - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Gunny T Highway]

You only use premium if your engine asks for it. There is enough detergents in modern day Regular that most vehicles are fine using that.

 

[PennyStonks]

I was told to get a full tank of premium 2x a year for additives but that sounded like BS to me

 

[Faceless_Caesar]

My Mini's manual says to go for higher octane (91) gas so that's what I put in it.

 

[Gwarm]

Anyone with a BMW, Audi, etc. My wife drives a Mini Cooper and it requires it.

 

[Darth Karja]

I had an Acura that required it. I started out buying regular and adding a bottle of octane booster from the dollar store. Worked great. I eventually stopped doing that and just putting in regular gas. Never had a problem.

 

[Superpupperbabysassy]

I used to use regular in my Toyota. Now good ole fashioned electricity. 8 dollar fill ups.

 

[mrmoose]

Maybe this is a US only thing but who buys the middle tier gas?