 |
|
No more premium gas cars for me
10-13-2015, 02:56 PM
|
#1
|
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 40,708
|
No more premium gas cars for me
Our car was purchased new in '06. Back then the difference between regular and premium gasoline was $.20 per gallon. I did the numbers, expected the additional fuel cost would be around $75 per year, so we went for it - a car that requires premium fuel.
The additional cost for premium gas then rose to $.25. 2 years ago it rose to $.50. late spring this year is went to $0.60, and yesterday at Costco it was at $0.70. We put 15k miles per year, get around 23mpg, so the additional cost is now over $400. It won't break the bank, but over 5 or 6 years it is a sizable amount of money.
Premium gasoline - first and last time for us.
|
|
|
 |
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:01 PM
|
#2
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sarasota, FL & Vermont
Posts: 36,363
|
My Subaru takes premium and I have experienced the same thing you have... though the other day I got premium for only 20 cents more than regular... so low that when I entered the price in Gas Buddy it said that it was low and asked me if I was sure.
The car we just ordered last week takes regular.
__________________
If something cannot endure laughter.... it cannot endure.
Patience is the art of concealing your impatience.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Retired Jan 2012 at age 56
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:09 PM
|
#3
|
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 2,179
|
 Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB
The additional cost for premium gas then rose to $.25. 2 years ago it rose to $.50. late spring this year is went to $0.60, and yesterday at Costco it was at $0.70. We put 15k miles per year, get around 23mpg, so the additional cost is now over $400. It won't break the bank, but over 5 or 6 years it is a sizable amount of money.
Premium gasoline - first and last time for us.
|
I know the differential for premium can very widely by country. And lately (in St. Louis), I noticed it now has a $.40 premium over regular unleaded, compared to the $.30 premium it had been at for several years (before that, it had a standard $.20 premium).
But don't forget that in some places, the top premium can be 91 octane, other places it's 93 octane. Don't forget to look at that when comparing prices, as that might also be a factor.
__________________
Dryer sheets Schmyer sheets
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:14 PM
|
#4
|
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,288
|
I have a Maxima and an Audi A5. They both call for premium gas. Ive never used it and they dont need it.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:35 PM
|
#5
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,350
|
My turbo Subaru also requires premium. I just filled up at a $.57/gal premium over regular gas. I figure that premium fuel has cost me over $2500 over the last 11.5 years compared to if I had used regular. I could almost pay for a new engine with that. I'll keep this car until it dies but after that I will never use premium fuel again.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:39 PM
|
#6
|
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: San Diego
Posts: 712
|
I have a 2001 BMW. It gets regular gas only. Few cars actually "need" premium.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:41 PM
|
#7
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
|
I have a Subaru turbo that runs on E85, so I actually pay a bit less than regular.
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:42 PM
|
#8
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by AllDone
I have a 2001 BMW. It gets regular gas only. Few cars actually "need" premium.
|
cars that run decently high boost do - get on it too hard and you can blow the engine, unless the ecu automatically detunes it for you, which makes it drive like a dog
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:43 PM
|
#9
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
|
high test shouldn't be much over 25 cents a gallon from regular - i'll look next time I fill up my wife's turbo subaru
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:44 PM
|
#10
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,349
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by utrecht
I have a Maxima and an Audi A5. They both call for premium gas. Ive never used it and they dont need it.
|
I have never owned a car that called for premium, but I've always heard that the car's computer can generally compensate, so you should only buy premium if you start experiencing an engine knock.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:44 PM
|
#11
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Huntsville, AL/Helen, GA
Posts: 6,002
|
My Lexus has 12.5:1 compression ratio--and it gets 89 octane. Our Civic SI gets 91 octane. Thankfully the Explorer gets 87 octane and the diesel p/u gets diesel.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 03:48 PM
|
#12
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,350
|
How much did it cost to modify it to run on E85?
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:12 PM
|
#13
|
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,288
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister
I have never owned a car that called for premium, but I've always heard that the car's computer can generally compensate, so you should only buy premium if you start experiencing an engine knock.
|
+1....and Ive never had any knocking.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:13 PM
|
#14
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by utrecht
+1....and Ive never had any knocking.
|
most of the time you won't hear a knock event until it's too late
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:15 PM
|
#15
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
How much did it cost to modify it to run on E85?
|
let's see - the injectors were about $500 and the fuel pump was about $200, then I had it tuned so I could switch maps back and forth from 91
so maybe a grand? it puts down 420 awd ft pounds of torque on e85
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:17 PM
|
#16
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,239
|
There is a difference between a car that 'recommends' premium and one that 'requires' premium....
I had an Acura TL and it was recommended.... but in the book it said you could use regular... it just retuned the engine... and it was NOT a dog on regular...
I know that some sports cars require premium.... and you can pay dearly if you do not use it...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:19 PM
|
#17
|
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Alberta/Ontario/ Arizona
Posts: 3,393
|
All my cars burn premium. Never even thought of the extra cost or tried to calculate it. Just part of the cost of a premium ride in my opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:21 PM
|
#18
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud
I know that some sports cars require premium.... and you can pay dearly if you do not use it...
|
exactly - when you are running 20+ pounds of boost you'd better not get cheap on the fuel
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:32 PM
|
#19
|
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 10,930
|
I guess I'm desensitized to paying a higher prices for premium. I've been driving a number of higher performance (typically higher compression) cars for years and they all recommend premium, (although most seem to run okay on regular in a pinch.) Not sure I'd want to run a steady diet of regular in those cars.
I've actually seen (measured) the difference between regular and premium gas in competitive driving conditions in higher compression engines. 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile ET's. I've also read claims that you get more mileage out of premium but I've never actually measured it myself since there are to many variables and to be honest, I don't really care if I get a mile per gallon more or less.
BTW, the price difference in my area is between 30 and 40 cent per gallon depending on the station.
|
|
|
|
|
10-13-2015, 04:55 PM
|
#20
|
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Dogpatch
Posts: 561
|
My car "requires" premium. It has an anti-knock sensor, and the forums say that using a lower octane gas will retard the ignition, and reduce the gas mileage. So you won't save money. I've tried regular and mid-grade, and I can't really tell much of a difference in performance. YMMV 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|
