In the United States at least there are 3 grades of unleaded gasoline at most pumps. Does it really matter what grade of gas you use? Can I use the lowest grade one week and the next week get premium if I can afford it? Does it help with milage or does it keep your engine clean? What is the difference?
In: Engineering
There is no such thing as premium gasoline. That is a marketing word. What we have is gasoline with different octane (or RON) ratings. The octane your engine needs is mostly based on engine compression among other things.
If your vehicle is rated for 87 octane you will gain nothing by putting in a higher octane gasoline.
If your car is rated for 93 octane but you use a lower octane it can cause pinging or knock. Modern vehicles have a sensor that detects this and the engines computer will adjust the timing of the engine which results in less power output.
In the United States all gasoline has fuel additives to clean out your fuel system and engine of gunk and deposits. It is [federally mandated.](https://www.epa.gov/gasoline-standards/federal-gasoline-regulations)
There is a list of [top tier fuel brands](https://www.toptiergas.com/licensed-brands/) that are supposed to do a better job of ensuring a higher quality of gasoline to begin with, proper mix of fuel additives and better fuel storage techniques. Personally I recommend Shell or Texaco.
Latest Answers