by runway31
WHY YSK:
If your car only requires 87 (US) or whatever the baseline “regular” gasoline requirement is in your country, it is a waste to put premium in. They all have the same functional amount of cleaners and detergents (A station may advertise more cleaner, but it wont actually do a better job).
The “premium gasoline” has a higher octane, which will prevent detonation and preignition in cars with higher compression ratios in the cylinders of the engine. If you do not have higher compression, you do not need the higher octane. These higher compression ratios generally make more power, which is why cars with relatively higher performance REQUIRE premium gasoline. Most modern cars have knock sensors and will run on regular if they’re supposed to take premium, but it is possible to cause damage by putting regular in a car which requires premium.
Some cars *may* have performance figures which are based on premium fuel, but do not require it to run and it is totally acceptable to run on regular gasoline without an issue. Go with what is recommended in the manual or in the gas cap area.
Tired of seeing people say they’re “treating their car” to premium.. its not doing anything other than wasting your money.
Edit: some folks have pointed out that premium fuel may have less ethanol, which may be helpful for classics or enthusiasts – this usually doesn’t apply to 99% of other drivers. The other point that IS actually worth considering is that you are only getting “top tier” fuel. This actually does matter, and is what the cleanliness, detergents, and other mixture standards are based on.