Does Avalon Need Premium Gas

Not 100% sure, but I believe premium due to a different higher horsepower engine from the older Avalon.

...Allen

Most any vehicle, for which the manufacture recommends high grade fuel, will run on regular. The microprocessor will 'de-tune' too suit.

Before you decide to do that why not, drive and price a 2005 Ford

500? The buff mags have been giving the 500 better reviews than the Avalon and a very high quality rating. It is a bigger more roomy, vehicle than the Avalon. Although there are not rebates a loaded top of the line model 500 can be had with FWD and a six speed tranny for 6,000, less than the Avalon. Even with AWD the 500 can be had for $5,000 less than an Avalon. The 500 gets better fuel mileage and it uses regular gas.

mike hunt

Al wrote:

With all due respect, if you can afford to purchase a new Avalon, then surely you can afford to fill it up with premium gas.

If fuel costs are a concern, consider a Prius or a 4-cylinder Camry instead.

With a relatively small amount of due respect, that's a lame answer.

The poster asked whether the 05 Avalon would run properly on regular gas, while voicing a concern about the price of gas, generally.

The point is not about whether the poster can *afford* to fill it up with premium. The point is whether the Avalon *requires* premium to run properly and without damage to the engine.

As is so often the case, many owner's manuals state that premium gas is recommended for "full power" but that regular gas can be used.

The information at

not answer the question.

Toyota website specifies that the minimum octane rating should 87, but 91 octane is recommended for maximum performance. I would suggest that you use at least 89 octane in summer and 87 in winter (especially for shorter trips).

Another way to save on fuel is to purchase a smaller and lighter car, especially one that has a 4 cylinder option like the Camry.

This isn't a good idea Mike, as you say, the ECU will take care of it but by detecting detonation and retarding the spark till it stops detonating. You're depending on the 'knock detector' to be working and are therefore endangering your engine...as I said, it's definitely not a good idea...

You forgot to mention that the 500 doesn't have an engine.

I put midgrade in my 2001 Avalon and it is plenty fast.

Art wrote: || You forgot to mention that the 500 doesn't have an engine. ||

Details. Details. Art, why are you Democrat types so uptight about the MERE lack of an engine? WHO needs an engine when you're on the side of RIGHT?

What is does have is a cement mixer.

I have a 2000 Avalon with over 60,000 miles on it, and have never had anything in it but regular gas. At about 65 mph on the highway it gets just over 30 mpg, and has great performance. I have also been looking at the new Avalon with the modified Tacoma engine in it. Unfortunately, I don't like the increased compression ratio, which could mean pre-ignition and knock with regular gas when heavy demands are placed on the engine.

For the younger viewers out there, although most of you seem to be very knowledgeable, a little background about gasoline might be interesting.

About 60 years ago when we were building "hotrods", almost every car ran on regular gas. We used to have the heads on the engine machined to increase the compression on the engine, thereby increasing the volumetric efficiency and output horsepower of the engine. Unfortunately, at ratios of 10-to-1 or greater. the gas would pre-ignite and the engine would knock or ping when accelerating heavily or speeding up a hill. To stop the pre-ignition of the highly volatile regular gas we added a "lead tetraethyl" compound to the gas. This diluted the gasoline, slowed ignition, and ran better in the engine.

We had "regular" and "ethyl" gas. They cost about the same price, since there was actually less gasoline in the ethyl. Then some brilliant marketing people discovered that if they renamed the gas "premium" or something, they could charge more money for it. There is actually less energy in premium gas than in regular gas.

However, getting back to the initial issue, the modern computers with knock detectors will modify engine timing and other parameters to eliminate the knock - at the cost of reduced horsepower and torque. But like the gentleman said - you are hoping that the computer is working.

I don't know if the ping or knocking will harm the modern engine, but it is probably not good for it, since the modern aluminum engines are designed to closer tolerances and are not as robust as the engine in my old '29 model A was. We would simply let-up on the accelerator when we heard a knock or ping and never had any trouble with the old engines, except maybe a broken valve rod now and then, but those were flat-head engines.

I'll probably buy a new Avalon, and will probably run regular in it. Good Luck.

Graybeard

While that is interesting, the 2005 Avalons have a new 3.5 liter engine. I believe that it also will run on regular, however, it is a completely different engine than yours and Toyota does make some engines that absolutely require premium gas.

Your Imminence, I didn't say I can't pay for premium. What I indicated was that, with the cost of gas so high, I don't want to pay even more for premium. There's a difference, you know. I feel I'm being ripped off enough on regular these days without springing for premium. If you like to overpay, go ahead. I don't. It's not a matter of whether or not I can afford it. There are plenty of good cars that run well on regular. Al

This is one of most 'touchy' groups I've visited and posted on...one wrong statement that hits a nerve, and boom, you are dead meat! :) Seem like all should take a deep breath...I will, and wait until I get snapped at about this top posting.

...Allen

No, actually, there's not. The price of all three grades goes up the same amount.

I will. How about "sub-human glops of low-life garbage" ?

------------------------------------------------ The DNC - Building a bridge to the 20th Century.

Perhaps, for those test drivers that do not know how to drive a vehicle with a CVT. You certainly have a propensity to comment on subjects that you obviously have little or no knowledge, don't you. The 500 has better 1/4 mile and 0 to 60 times than several of its competitors smaller cars with similar HP and even some with larger engines, like the Chrysler V6.

The $6,000 saving over the Avalon will buy ALL of ones fuel for at least five years, yet alone the difference in the cost of premium fuel, in any event ;)

mike hunt

Art wrote:

Even a four cylinder in a Camry can go 'fast,' given enough time. What's more important from a safety aspect is the ability for one to pull into traffic quickly and safely, as well as the ability of maintaining speed on grades. LOL

mike hunt

Art wrote:

A.K.A. Neocons