Does premium gas make a big difference over regular?

[Jmtoast]

I drive wot a lot and I definitely notice a difference between 91 and 93.

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[Jmtoast]

There was a thread here where people were defending getting cheap gas for their mustang GT. I always laughed when I read the comments. I want the most HP i can get, so I get premium. For all my vehicles.
If you're on a budget, why not get a cheap daily driver? My daily driver was $3k. Even that gets premium gas.

Shoot if you still want a fast daily driver You can get a 2007 bimmer 335 for $6k with under 100K miles, put $1500 into it, be at 500whp, blow most mustangs away, get better mgp, and be able to drive it all day everyday in every condition. I'm with you I don't daily my special fun cars anymore.

 

[1mic]

Shoot if you still want a fast daily driver You can get a 2007 bimmer 335 for $6k with under 100K miles, put $1500 into it, be at 500whp, blow most mustangs away, get better mgp, and be able to drive it all day everyday in every condition. I'm with you I don't daily my special fun cars anymore.

Theres a reason those cars are so cheap. No thanks.
I even have a coworker that admitted she and her bf pushed their 335i over a cliff. LOL

 

[Jmtoast]

Theres a reason those cars are so cheap. No thanks.
I even have a coworker that admitted she and her bf pushed their 335i over a cliff. LOL

No worse than my malibu daily but that's why you don't spend more than 5-6K. My gf's son has one and it's done pretty well for $4800. It's a crap shoot with any used car but not many options if you still want to have a cheap daily with the HP of the Mustang.

 

[ChiTownStang26]

@bigyzf

I did all this before I tuned the car and was stock, I used my old x4 from my v6 to watch knock.

I would put $100 bet that a stock coyote will knock consistently on the highway on 87. Prove me wrong mr proof

Went to 93 and all knock was gone

Went to e85 and knock sensor reads negative. Average -3 to -5 and maxes -9.99

Since day 1 I've had my GT I've had the x4 plugged in watching the knock sensor, STFT, ect. So I've seen what 87, 89, 93, and now e85 does regarding knock. I will admit I probably look at the x4 an unsafe ammount lol.

Now this is my experience may not be everyone's but I cant see why I wouldnt. Lmao stop say my engines fucked!

 

[Ebm]

There was a thread here where people were defending getting cheap gas for their mustang GT. I always laughed when I read the comments. I want the most HP i can get, so I get premium. For all my vehicles.
If you're on a budget, why not get a cheap daily driver? My daily driver was $3k. Even that gets premium gas.

There's two thought processes here...

1) Why do I need premium gas if I'm just driving my car to work. It seems like a waste of money and it probably is. Just because you own a high performance car doesn't mean you can't be financially conscious.
2) With a car with this much horsepower, you need to run premium fuel. The car will knock with regular gas and you are leaving power on the table.

With that said, would your thought process change if gas was $10 a gallon instead of $3 a gallon? Be truthful. This question probably isn't meant for you. If you can afford a new Viper, you are rich anyways.

 

[1mic]

There's two thought processes here...

1) Why do I need premium gas if I'm just driving my car to work. It seems like a waste of money and it probably is. Just because you own a high performance car doesn't mean you can't be financially conscious.
2) With a car with this much horsepower, you need to run premium fuel. The car will knock with regular gas and you are leaving power on the table.

With that said, would your thought process change if gas was $10 a gallon instead of $3 a gallon? Be truthful. This question probably isn't meant for you. If you can afford a new Viper, you are rich anyways.

Meh I'm not rich, but if it was $10, I would still do it and only drive the car 1 day a week.
I daily'd a mustang GT, and always ran premium. If I was concerned about saving on gas or mpg, I would get a daily driver. It makes the most sense. Also wouldnt get tired of the mustang so fast. Novelty wore off in less than 2 years.

 

[ChiTownStang26]

@Ebm

You make a good point there. I guess it comes down to driving characteristics and financial surplus.

I DD my car but I drive it like it stole it, I'm not rich by any means but I'm paying 1.95 a gal for e85 even though I run through it 30% faster than 93

To each their own I guess...

 

[Jmtoast]

Meh I'm not rich, but if it was $10, I would still do it and only drive the car 1 day a week.
I daily'd a mustang GT, and always ran premium. If I was concerned about saving on gas or mpg, I would get a daily driver. It makes the most sense. Also wouldnt get tired of the mustang so fast. Novelty wore off in less than 2 years.

Good points 1mic. Personally I would look into gas buddy. Save $20 on the first 40 gallons for $6.99 a month then $.05 after. Includes towing and road side assistance in that price thru Allstate I believe. I don't need the road side assistance but I save $2-3 a month over the monthly subscription. Not to mention you use their card so it gives you a bit of security.

 

[nastang87xx]

OP...

A. Stop street racing and go to the track
B. It has been shown time and time and time and time and time and time and time again that the 2.3 knocks its brains out around 4500 RPM and the torque significantly drops off with 87. Even worse than it already does with 91 or 93.
C. Top speed runs are more than just power. It's also tires and driveline durability.

Personally I think it's incredibly silly to be looking at a car and not understand what it takes both balls and bills for it to run at best performance even if you aren't going to be pushing it to its limits all the time. You should expect to spend xyz ALL the time and if you get an opportunity to save here and there, that's a bonus, not an expectant.

Cheap
Fast
Reliable

Pick 2. Sounds like you want Cheap and Fast. Weigh the pros and cons.....

 

[320guy]

Arrg, my head is about to explode...

My 2016 Ecoboost, feels extremely quick off the line and all the way up to the low 120's mph on regular gas, I have no problems about how the car feels.

But it bugs me that I can't get the car over 126mph, I have tried to pass a few cars and got shown up, the car simple won't go pass this top speed regardless of tires or gas.

So it appears that the only way to get above 126mph is to get a tune that will take the limiter off of the engine program.

It seems silly to me that Ford markets a sporty car, lists the top end at 148mph and then limits the car to about 125mph....because they don't want people to out drive the crappy stock tires.

Terry

The EB that can reach that speed is the Performance Package which have different tires, suspension, chasis tuning, EPAS, ABS and Stability Control Tuning.

Those things will make the car safer for higher speeds out the factory. You can make your car faster, getting a tune and making whatever modifications you want.

 

[Ebm]

Meh I'm not rich, but if it was $10, I would still do it and only drive the car 1 day a week.
I daily'd a mustang GT, and always ran premium. If I was concerned about saving on gas or mpg, I would get a daily driver. It makes the most sense. Also wouldnt get tired of the mustang so fast. Novelty wore off in less than 2 years.

Don't get me wrong, I run premium gas right now for other reasons. I'd be willing to pay for premium up until a certain price point.

I do agree about driving the car so much, it isn't as fun as it was. That feeling sucks.

 

[Loki-GT]

For the Coyote 5.0 it's a high compression engine, for the EcoBoost it's a Turbo, Ford has calibrations that keep knock down so you don't hear it because the knock sensors/computer pull back timing hence performance to keep things safe and no knock, that doesn't mean it hasn't occurred however but the computer caught it and cut back.

IF you WANT the car to perform better in either V8 or EcoBoost form you have to run gasoline that has less chance of causing the timing to be reduced and that is higher octane fuel. 91 in many places and 93 in my area. It's simple, you drive like Grandma, the requirement is 87, have a party but don't expect all the beans if you decide to punch it, turbo or V8. Why buy a high performance car without putting the good gas in it, boggles my mind.

My wifes MKC is very noticeably slower and not as quick to respond when running 87, I ran 93 in it for 2 tanks and she loves how it drives now, it's worth the extra not to have to worry about throttle delays or other response issues, especially when its hot out.

Do whatever but don't be shocked when you get exactly what you paid for when buying 87. Top speed is the very last thing to worry about when it comes to octane, pushing the car to top speed with junk in the tank is just plain silly.

 

[Colleton]

Edited to remove my reply. I don't want any part of this stupid thread.​

 

[Huck FInn]

Three suggestions for performance & longevity: 1. Higher octane is always a value, regardless of price. 2. If you have any way to do it, never put ethanol in your car. As a forensic engineer I can assure you that ethanol is evil. 3. Change your oil religiously and use full synthetic oil.

My 2012 GT has 221K miles and still runs as strong as when new, and still gets 26 - 28 MPG on the freeway. In WI I don't have to buy ethanol, and if I ran out I'd walk with a can to get real gas if it was only 50 miles or so.

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