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Step 6Steps 13 & 14 - Gas to Avoid
Don't use premium gas if you don't need it!
If a car requires premium gas to run, use it. Otherwise, it's a waste of money. Higher grade gas does not perform any better, it's simply made to run in different engines. Buying higher grade gas is not a treat for the car, and it's very costly to do.
Some newer cars, usually performance models, have engines that will adjust themselves to higher grade gasoline. (these will usually say "Use XX Octane Gas for best performance" or the like) They run at an effectively higher compression when using higher grade gas. I do not know first hand, but it seems possible they could run more efficiently using a higher grade gas. Id recommend trying both, and see which option ends up saving you money.
Avoid more than 10% ethanol blend
Or avoid ethanol entirely. Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, and can lower your mileage, without lowering your price. Experts say that 5% to 10% ethanol can help burn the gasoline more effectively and it makes up for the loss in some cars, but any more than that percentage and you'll drop your mileage as much as 10%.
If a car requires premium gas to run, use it. Otherwise, it's a waste of money. Higher grade gas does not perform any better, it's simply made to run in different engines. Buying higher grade gas is not a treat for the car, and it's very costly to do.
Some newer cars, usually performance models, have engines that will adjust themselves to higher grade gasoline. (these will usually say "Use XX Octane Gas for best performance" or the like) They run at an effectively higher compression when using higher grade gas. I do not know first hand, but it seems possible they could run more efficiently using a higher grade gas. Id recommend trying both, and see which option ends up saving you money.
Avoid more than 10% ethanol blend
Or avoid ethanol entirely. Ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, and can lower your mileage, without lowering your price. Experts say that 5% to 10% ethanol can help burn the gasoline more effectively and it makes up for the loss in some cars, but any more than that percentage and you'll drop your mileage as much as 10%.
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A valid check would be a 5 tank average under what is your normal driving conditions. Run 87 for 5 tanks, then run 93 for 5 tanks, and see what the average is. When comparing things like this, keep as much the same as possible.