What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when someone uses the adjective “premium”? Most probably, you’d instantly think that something’s superb or, at least, high-quality. That being said, one might wonder: is premium gasoline the best? Should everyone use it then?
If you’re in need of an answer to the two questions above, then… Yup, you’re, without any doubt, at the right address! In the article that you’re about to read, we’ll show you the benefits of premium gasoline. You won’t have to wonder ever again about what’s the deal with premium gasoline. Also, we’ll expand a bit and discuss other interesting info, too. All in all: stay tuned!
If your vehicle demands it, use premium gasoline and avoid sipping regular gasoline. The latter will only cause damage to your engine in the long run. Premium gasoline will boost the lifespan of your engine. Also, it will make your vehicle reach its full potential in terms of power and efficiency. Regular cars might benefit from it, too.
As always, previews don’t really do this topic a big favor. That’s why you should carefully read the whole text. Here at GasAnswer, we like to do things in a thorough (1500 words and more) manner!
Table of Contents
First things first, let’s give a standard definition of today’s main subject. What is premium gasoline? We might want to do this by comparing premium with regular gasoline. The difference between them lies in the so-called octane rating. While regular gasoline has an octane rating of 87, premium gasoline has an octane rating of 91-93. Sometimes, premium gas with a 93 octane rating is called ultra or super-premium.
There’s another type of gasoline we’ve forgotten to mention: mid-grade gasoline. You’ll also find it at gas stations around the world. Needless to say, its octane rating is somewhere in between (89). However, only about seven percent of vehicles require you to use it.
For more info about the different grades of gasoline, follow this link.
Wait, what is an octane rating?
Yup, it’s a term many folks use without knowing what it actually means. Okay, so it’s basically a number that’s showing the anti-knock properties of the fuel. Also, octane rating is based on the comparison with a mix of two things: isooctane and heptane. Yup, we know. You could’ve easily lived without knowing this info. Still, you’re the one who asked, so…
What happens if you put 93 instead of 87?
The end result will depend on the type of gasoline your vehicle requires you to use. Let’s say you’re sporing a premium vehicle. Sipping gasoline with an octane rating of 93 is absolutely recommended. In other words: nothing bad will happen.
What about the scenario in which you’re driving a regular car. Sipping premium gasoline (octane rating: 93) won’t make your car run any faster. Also, you’ll pay more cash for it since premium gas is more expensive than its regular sibling. However, there’s a little something not many folks know:
- premium fuel contains certain additives that help clean your vehicle’s fuel injectors. Additionally, they also remove the carbon deposits that might’ve built up over time.
That’s why you’ll see folks with regular vehicles sipping premium gas every once in a while. As it’s implied above, it won’t have a negative effect on your car’s performance. In other words: there’s no reason not to do it.
What happens if you put 87 instead of 93?
Needless to say, sipping gasoline with an octane rating of 87 inside a regular car won’t do anything. It’s the way it’s supposed to be. However, one might wonder what happened if you put regular gas inside a premium vehicle? Here’s the simplest answer: nothing good will come out of it; avoid it at all costs.
Okay, so what’s up with that warning? Is sipping regular fuel inside a premium car so bad? Well, first of all, it won’t somehow make your car run smoother or better or whatever. The only “good” thing is that you’ll pay less for regular gas. Still, it might do some damage to your premium vehicle’s engine (pistons). Also, such an action will most probably compromise your vehicle’s warranty.
Of course, if there’s no other option at the nearest pump, and you’re out of gas… Yeah, it’s no biggie if you sip regular gas in such a situation. Sip the amount that’s enough to help you reach the next station that sells premium gas.
If you’re thinking of mixing premium and regular gasoline, click here for some info.
Finding out if your car requires you to use regular, mid-grade, or premium gasoline is simple. Even too simple, if you ask us. You’ll just have to take a look at your vehicle’s owner’s manual. In it, you’ll find all the much-needed info that will prevent you from sipping the wrong kind of gasoline.
As one can probably guess, using premium gas with your regular vehicle won’t do much. Except for the cleaning part, that is. You’ll want to sip the fuel your car requires and that’s it. So, no premium gas won’t make a difference in the way your regular car runs.
Okay, so that should cover some basic info concerning the topic of premium gasoline. Let’s check out the answer we’re all here for. The answer to the question: what are the benefits of premium gasoline?
Did you know that only about 10% of vehicles use premium gasoline? Also, the cars that use it are, of course, by default – newer models. Why do car manufacturers produce such vehicles? There must be some benefits to using premium gasoline, right? Right. Here we’ll show you most of them.
Premium gasoline improves the health of your engine
As we’ve already mentioned upstairs, over time – carbon deposits build up inside the engine. More precisely: they build up your cylinders. This will eventually lead to your car having a higher combustion ratio. That will raise your car’s octane rating (it’s most “blatantly” noticeable in old cars). Once this occurs, it’s highly recommended to switch to premium gas. That kind of action will make enhance the lifespan of your trusty vehicle.
Premium gasoline greatly reduces the so-called knock
This we’ve also mentioned earlier. By using premium gasoline, vehicle owners do a great thing to prevent engine knock. Okay, what exactly is an engine knock? Here’s the thing:
- once your piston drops into the cylinder it will, as you might know, compress air and gasoline. When that happens, gasoline is ignited with the help of the spark plug. So, a knock happens once the fuel’s ignited without the spark plug. This detonation will result in causing good damage to your car.
And that, folks, is the reason why using premium fuel with a premium vehicle. In other words: why should everyone avoid sipping regular fuel into a premium car.
Premium gasoline will boost your vehicle’s fuel economy
Does your vehicle have a higher compression ratio? If so, this type of gasoline will enable it to reach its full potential. In gas mileage, that is. Using regular gas here won’t do you any good. As we’ve already said, if your vehicle demands you use premium – go for premium. Even though it’s a bit costlier. Not only will you avoid damaging your engine, but you’ll also enjoy better fuel efficiency.
Oh, and we’ve said that premium gasoline’s expensive. Here’s an interesting fact (and here’s another one). Say you’re using regular gasoline with your premium vehicle. This will end up costing you more. Because? Because your premium engine will burn more fuel. More than it would if you’d sipped premium gasoline, that is.
Premium gasoline will optimize your vehicle’s power
Here’s the reason why there’s a promise in the title of this paragraph:
- Fuel with a higher octane enables you to each your vehicle’s desired horsepower. If you suddenly choose to switch to regular with your premium vehicle, then… Yeah, you’ll see an obvious decrease in performance. In other words: your car will run but perform poorly.
That’s about it on the subject of premium gasoline benefits. Let’s do a quick recap. So, here’s why you should use premium if your vehicle requires it:
- It will prolong the lifespan of your engine. As carbon deposits build up inside your engine, you’ll need fuel with a higher octane rating. Using premium fuel becomes a necessity if you want your engine to “live” longer.
- It will greatly decrease the risk of engine knock. Knocks will only harm your vehicle’s engine. Premium gasoline’s made with an intention to prevent engine knock.
- It will boost your vehicle’s fuel economy. Although premium gasoline is expensive, you’ll burn less fuel with it. You won’t save a lot by using regular gas since you’ll burn more fuel. In other words: you’d have to visit the petrol station more frequently.
- It will optimize your vehicle’s power. If your vehicle demands premium gas, you’re better off using it. Using regular fuel, on the other hand, will make your vehicle run poorly.
The bottom line
Alright, so that’s that. These were the benefits of using premium gasoline with your premium car. Hopefully, you’ll never get the idea of sipping regular gas inside it after reading this text. Unless, of course, it’s absolutely unavoidable. For instance, if there isn’t a station nearby that sells premium and you’re totally out of gas.
Anyway, for more interesting tips on a broad number of gas-related topics, click here.
