You Can Save Over $200 Per Year By Switching Grades Of Gas!

Is higher octane gas worth the $208.00 increase in gas costs per year? Does the higher octane premium gas result in better mileage? Is better fuel economy attained by using premium gas? Does higher octane gas enable your car run better?

It will cost you $208.00 annually if you fill your car with premium gas instead of regular. The difference between regular fuel and premium fuel is about twenty cents per gallon. Therefore it will cost you $4.00 more per tank if you use premium gasoline instead of regular gasoline. This assumes you have a 20 gallon tank and you fill up about once per week.

Let's address the fuel economy question first. The simple answer is no, premium gas does not increase fuel economy at all.

The octane rating of gasoline is a relative number showing the amount of isooctane in the gasoline as opposed to the amount of heptane in the gasoline. To make it simple, the octane rating is a representation of how much energy it takes to ignite that gasoline. This octane measurement does not indicate the amount of energy the gasoline produces, which would be an indicator of fuel economy. The final answer is:octane rating and increased fuel economy have no relationship whatsoever!

The next question, does premium gas make your car gain performance, does it run better? The answer is the same as the fuel economy answer, no!! It has been shown that there is no significant difference in the way your car runs if you use premium gasoline.

I must add this one caveat, having said there is no performance gain, it is possible your car could show an increase of a little more horsepower with premium than with regular gas but it would be very hard for you to notice the difference. This slight possibility only allows car makers a little extra marketing advantage by using this claim on higher horsepower as part of their advertising.

Car manufacturers utilize this slight horsepower gain to market their cars claiming more horsepower by optimizing and designing their cars to take advantage of higher octane premium gasoline's anti-knock properties. Engineers and car experts agree that if you opt to use regular gasoline in your car designed for premium gasoline, the loss of horsepower is so small, you will not be able to detect any difference.

There is a misconception that you can void your warranty or harm your car if you use regular gas and your car maker suggests that you should use high octane premium gas. Most car makers admit that using regular gasoline even when the owner's guide suggests the use of premium gas won't void your warranty. They also stipulate that using regular will not damage the engine.

The next time you go to the gas station, use regular gas instead of premium gas. The immediate benefit:you will save $4.00 on the spot. Notice how your car runs with the regular. If it performs OK and if you do not hear any knocking then continue to use lower octane gas. You could find yourself saving over $200.00 per year!

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Scott Siegel is the author of a 143 page book of automotive industry insider information on saving gas and money at the pump. Visit us to learn how you can get better gas mileage. Find out how to increase gas mileage. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

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