Premium or Unleaded Gasoline: Which is Better?
While it has been a welcome break from high gas prices over these last few weeks, we all know that they are bound to go back up. While it's hard enough to pay those high prices for regular, could you imagine what it'd be like to be paying for premium only to discover you do not need it?
Whole most drivers are familiar with the octane readings, many don't know exactly what they mean. Octane varies with region and altitude, but the higher octane gasoline is designed to run on specialty engines. While most cars are designed to run on regular, sports cars and turbocharged engines most often require the premium level gasoline.
Regular gasoline has the lowest octane rating and premium has the highest, which is generally displayed on the gas pump. You'll often find a mid-grade as well. Octane range varies with region and altitude difference, but the higher octane gasoline is designed to run on specialty engines. Most cars are designed to run on regular gas, but if you have a turbocharged engine or a sports car, your ride probably requires premium level gasoline.
Buying a higher grade gasoline than recommended for your vehicle will not hurt you car, but nor will it help it. However, purchasing a lower level than recommended can definitely affect its performance and possibly even damage the engine and create other problems resulting in a costly repair bill.
Your car will always run best on the gasoline quality recommended by the manufacturer, most post their recommendations on the dashboard, by the gas tank lid or in your owner's manual. So if your car only requires regular gasoline, save yourself some money and stick to buying the lower grade fuel.
Author Note: Alaina is the owner and author of Bullock's Buzz - //bullocksbuzz.com, where you will find a mix of informative product reviews, great recipes, giveaways, crafts, and DIY! Visit her on