The debate over which fuel is best to use continues. It can be confusing -should you get regular or premium at the pump? Many will argue that higher octane means your vehicle performs better. However, plenty of consumers will tell you they don’t notice any difference with their vehicle when it comes to which fuel they put into it. Therefore, they go with regular because it saves them money.
The vehicle you have in mind determines which is best for it. Premium isn’t going to be better across the board for all types of vehicles. What the higher octane number means is there are higher compression levels before the fuel is combustible. Since premium fuel has a higher octane level, it is less likely to cause any type of damage to your vehicle.
In reality, premium is best used for high-performance vehicles. It isn’t going to deliver much value to your typical family sedan or SUV. Your vehicle isn’t going to perform differently with regular or premium fuel in it. This is because there isn’t a significant difference under the hood of these categories of vehicles. That changes though when you talk about turbo-charged vehicles and other forms of high-performance vehicles out there. This includes certain BMW and Subaru models. If you own such vehicles, you should always put premium fuel in the tank. This will help you get the best performance from those additional features.
Evaluate your Vehicle Needs
If you aren’t sure, you can experiment with regular or premium fuel in your vehicle. If you don’t notice a difference with performance, it doesn’t make sense to pay the extra per gallon. There is a huge difference in the price per gallon between regular and premium fuel. If your vehicle does just fine with regular fuel, save money at the pump and fuel up with that!
If your vehicle calls for regular fuel, you can choose to upgrade to premium if you desire. It isn’t going to hurt your vehicle. If you find it performs better that is a nice perk. If not, you can go back to regular if you desire. However, if your vehicle specifies you should use premium fuel in it, don’t cut corners. Don’t go with regular because you can cause damages to your engine that are expensive to repair. It is better to pay the increased price of the premium fuel if you need it.
If your vehicle says premium is recommended, that means you can use either regular or premium. The experts strongly suggest you only use premium in such vehicles as it can influence performance. If you want to save money on fuel, make sure you verify your vehicle can do well with regular fuel before you buy it!