Just read this at:
A new-design, 2.7-liter four-cylinder is the base engine. It's rated 164 hp and 183 lbs.-ft. on regular-grade gas. It wasn't tested.
My dealer says the only pump they have (or need) at the dealership is 87 octane. He says they see no need to change.
Frank in Fort Worth
Almost all cars and trucks currently made with EFI and a Knock Sensor can run just fine on 87 Octane (R+M/2) Regular, they pull the timing back a few degrees and adjust the fuel map to stop the knocking. You do lose a few horsepower, but the savings per gallon on the fuel easily makes up the difference. (IMHO 5 to 10 HP loss is over-estimation, I'm betting it's closer to 3 to 5.)
The higher performance modern cars will have language in the owners manual encouraging 91 or 92 Octane Premium fuel, but very few cars made flat out require it. Heck, for some of the people who own restored 1970's Full-On Detroit Muscle Cars like GTO's and Judge's, you need 104 octane racing gas or better - which used to be readily available at the pump as Premium when the cars were built.
Where the "Use Premium" pressure really comes from is the oil companies - they want to get people to spend another 20 to 40 cents a gallon for the intangible cachet of Premium, just so you can "Put a tiger in your tank!"
-->--
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.