Joined
·
8,368 Posts
You might lose out on fuel economy because one would need to press on the gas more due to the reduction of power. Especially when trying to keep your speed constant on inclines.Kris said:I would say engine looses performance slightly. As to the fuel economy - I am not sure.
The recommended fuel is premium unleaded, although regular is acceptable (with a marginal loss in performance).Zooropa said:No dfference at all. I too was suckered into running 91. I finally started to keep track of mileage and performance. Then I started using 87. The mileage is identical and I can't tell any difference in performance. . When I start attemting to qualify for the Daytona 500 I may start using 91 but cummuting to work gets 87 octane only.
Article from the Federal Trade Commission regarding high octane gas
Quote from the FTC:
"the recommended gasoline for most cars is regular octane. In fact, in most cases, using a higher octane gasoline than your owner's manual recommends offers absolutely no benefit. It won't make your car perform better, go faster, get better mileage or run cleaner."
"Octane rating (AKI)" does not equal "octane number."Zooropa said:Actually the recommended octane is 87. The manual suggests that 91 octane is used to increase performance. BUT... 96 octane was used in the research. How is that research on 91 octane?
Article from AAA:
Don’t Fall for the “Octane Myth”
AAA Auto Club South advises motorists to not fall for the “octane myth” and buy premium-grade gasoline unless it’s specified in their vehicle owner’s manual.
Premium gas sales are nearing 20 percent of total gas sold. However, less than 10 percent of cars actually need premium’s higher octane. AAA says that only exotic cars, sport utilities and those with high-performance engines really need premium gas.
Contrary to popular opinion, premium gas does not provide more power or “pep,” doesn’t improve performance, burn more cleanly, reduce engine wear or improve mileage.
Other interesting facts about premium gas include:
Premium gas normally does not contain more or better detergents than regular gas;
According to the Federal Trade Commission, most gasoline advertising is directed at increasing premium sales;
A car’s octane needs often increase with age — but usually only slightly — and this could cause engine knock, but...
Switching gasoline brands may be the easiest thing to do to stop that annoying pinging without paying more at the pump.
Recent AAA Fuel Gauge Reports indicate motorists who buy premium pay about 21 cents more per gallon than for regular grade fuel.
Check your owner’s manual for the recommended octane level. If you don’t need to buy premium gasoline, don’t waste your money.
Yeah my wallet gave in the other day and I bought a tank of regular. I noticed the diminished performance immediately, and regret not paying another $4 for premium. Back to premium next time, even if it hits $3/gallon.zebelkhan said:Each engine is different and just because the majority behave a certain way, it does not mean the MO will behave that way too.
Maybe it won't matter if you are driving on level roads all the time, but if you need that extra pep to do better than average on the inclines or moving in and out of traffic with your MO then you need the premium gas.
On the way to and from work everyday I have to go through an incline that is couple of miles long. I have noticed that the MO has a much easier time climing at higher speeds with 91 Octane than 87. On the level road, performance is about the same until I have to gas it to accelerate. Then the difference again becomes obvious.
With 91, I also get about 1mpg better economy than regular gas. That could be because of the extra hp I am getting so I don't have to push the gas pedal down as much. True, the 91 gas is more expensive but at the end of the day, it cost me almost the same money to travel the same distance.
So I buy premium about 90% of time. The other 10% I buy regular to once more "test" to see if I am wasting my money, but everytime, I go back to 91...![]()
You have a bunch of tested Muranos already right in this thread!samwlee said:I wonder if there was someway to test a bunch of muranos comparing 87 octane vs 91 octane, running 0-60 times, and fuel economy tests.
Still I am not convinced that using 91 octane will make my murano run quicker or get better gas mileage.
If you cannot feel the difference between regular and super, then using regular is the right choice for you.Zooropa said:I'll stick to regular 87 and spend the money I save on a nice Caribbean cruise with my wife. Now that's money well spent!
:1: