Study Says Premium Fuel Is Waste Of Cash

These studies are annoying. They don’t ever get into the compression ratio of your car’s engine. The vast majority of cars on the road have an 8 to 1 compression ratio. These cars will run just fine on the cheap stuff and really don’t need the additional octane. Generally the additional octane just cause carbon buildup in the engine and will actually decrease performance.

Now, if you drive a car with a high compression engine like a BMW, they really do need the extra octane. You will notice a definite drop in fuel economy by running the cheaper stuff. The owner’s manual for your vehicle should tell you what the compression ratio is and will give a recommended fuel octane to be used in your specific vehicle.

Dang! I just gave away the fact that I’m a car nerd too.