Octane

Lexus recommends 91 octane or above for my 2004 ES330. My experience is that I get better mileage (and less hesitation/jerking) using premium gas (93 octane) than using regular gas (87 octane).

Virtually every gas station around me offers 3 grades of gas -- 87, 89 and

It seems like a bit of a hassle to save about a dollar a tank, but I was wondering if anyone has tried it and what their experience has been.

I just use the mid-grade fuel and do not have any problems with performance, hesitation, etc. in my LS.

"Ray O" wrote in news:gh6i0t$lk3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.motzarella.org:

I use 87 on my LS - no problems. I tested the fuel economy a while ago with 93 octane and 87. Filled the tank with 03 (after it was almost empty) and recorded the mpg per tank than did the same with 87. Both times driving the same route: a 1000 miles from Delaware to Michigan. The result was 2% or less difference. I am using 87 now.

If the Toyota engine doesn't perform smoothly with 87 then it's a design problem with the engine, not the fuel. Modern cars do adapt without problems, including Porsche. Yes, I agree that you may lose a bit of power and mileage, but it's very slight in typical driving.

Go ahead and read the USA Today article and decide for yourself,

"My wife runs midgrade (89 octane) in her car, and it's a turbocharged engine" meant for 91-octane premium, he says.

It's all about the COST PER MILE, people. Don't worry about the mileage in and of itself. It's the cost per mile to fuel the car.

Not all fuel is the same. You'd see a difference between, say, Shell gas and grocery store gas, all at 87 octane.

And the ONLY way to measure it decently is to run several tanks of each gas and measure it carefully.

Good idea in theory. However, it's impossible to drive exactly the same on two different tanks of gas. Anyone who thinks they can do that and use the data to gage small differences in mileage is kidding themselves.

Also, it's not only about cost. It's about performance, too.

But if you do each gas over several tanks, it all comes out in the wash. Overall, over a couple thousand miles per type of gas, your driving is generally all the same.

And you'll discover that, too.

That's about as scientific as astrology. It would be foolish to rely on such data.

Apparently you haven't discovered it yet. That's why, in response to "you may lose a bit of power and mileage," you said "It's all about the COST PER MILE, people" (see above, you know, the part you deleted).

To the thousandths place, sure.

But try it--you'll be surprised at the information you can glean.

It's not about the MILEAGE, it's about the COST PER MILE. People think "oooo, I'm getting 2mpg better" then they never factor in the cost of getting that extra 2mpg.

Performance is a completely different, and subjective, matter.

Nonsense. Astrologists make the same claim.

I taught you well, I see.

Your wife complained to me just last night about your performance.

Like I said, very predictable.

That you can't get it up? Absolutely.

hehehehe Keep going, asswipe, for the world to see.

It's ALL about the cost per.....asswipe.

David -- stop having a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. It's just not fair! (but it IS amusing).

The funny thing is I could keep this moron going on in perpertuity if I wanted.