It's not just marketing, but it's a "requirement" from a lot of automobile manufacturers. If the owner's manual say "Premium", it's what you put in the tank. Gas companies know this, so they make sure to maximize their profits.
My ecoboost mustang is premium recommended. 310 hp on 93. 280 hp on 87. I put 87 in when feeling cheap and just don't floor it while the 87 is in it. I prefer to run 93. I couldn't pass on getting gas at $1.96 for regular last fill up so I went with 87. Doesn't really effect mpg from what I've seen. Maybe 1mpg at most.
Utter bullshit. It's illegal for a manufacturer to mandate specific fluids for a car without providing that fluid for you. Even if the owners manual says "premium required" it is never a requirement. Period. You will not damage your vehicle running regular and you will not void your warranty by running regular.
I think you have that wrong. A car manufacturer can indeed require specific fluids in a car, such as requiring DOT3/4 brake fluid. Your car require DOT 3 brake fluid? Probably...if not undoubtedly. But is the manufacturer required to pay for your brake fluid because they specify the brake fluid standard? Don't think so.
What you're thinking of is a manufacturer requiring their own branded fluid, like "Use of GM/BMW/Ford/etc. brake fluid is required." That's what's illegal. Like requiring specific brands of tires or wiper blades or anything else. It's not illegal for a car manufacturer to require fluids, etc., that have to meet a standard.
Take GM. Most of their "new" engines require Dexos 1 certified oils to maintain warranty. That's legal. All GM is requiring is the use of oils certified to their spec.
Requiring the use of premium fuels is not illegal. It would be illegal if GM required the use of GM-branded fuel or Exxon specific fuel.
[Exhibit #1] Premium gas vs. regular: What's really better for your car? (CBC Marketplace)
- Does Premium Fuel clean your car's engine/burn more cleanly for the environment?
- Does Premium Fuel improve your car's mileage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPPkPAbzwbU
[Exhibit #2] "They tell you premium because they're trying to support advertised horsepower ratings," he told CNN Newsource. "But you won't harm your car at all putting in regular. Even Porsche's chief engineer says you can run your Porsche on regular gas."
http://articles.courant.com/2011-04...1_premium-gas-higher-octane-gas-expensive-gas
[Exhibit #3]
July 16, 2015 -- Edmunds: Save Money and Stop Buying Premium Gas
"Drivers used to buy a tank of premium gas every once in a while to clean their engine. Years ago, premium gasoline contained more detergents and additives to stop carbon deposits. But experts say that because of government regulations aimed at cutting emissions, all grades of gas, including those you buy at independent, low-price stations have plenty of additives to both protect engines and cut pollution.
Edmunds has compiled two lists: "premium recommended" and "premium required" for vehicles from the 2010-2015 model years (with some 2016 model-year vehicles). If your vehicle is on the "premium recommended" list, you're OK to try switching to regular unleaded gasoline. If, on the other hand, your car is on the "premium required" list, then you have to run premium fuel. You can confirm the information on these lists by checking your owner's manual.
It's a different story for a car whose engine requires premium fuel. The car will still run on regular fuel in a pinch, but you shouldn't make a habit out of it. The fuel's lower octane can result in elevated exhaust-gas temperatures and possible knocking, both of which can adversely affect the engine's health in the long run. Running regular-grade fuel in a car that requires premium might sound like a good way to shave a car's running costs, but the short-term savings won't come close to offsetting the cost of repairs to a damaged engine.
For those driving "recommended premium" cars, however, it's just a matter of driving moderately and avoiding acceleration with a wide-open throttle. Do that and you might never feel the difference between using premium and regular grade gasoline: and neither will your car."
Thoughts and any other scientific data that contradicts the above?
No. While I didn't explain it well you're completely wrong.
True, they cannot mandate their own brand of fluids or replacement parts.
Yes, they can mandate "official" fluids that pass certain government standards like DOT 3/4 brake fluid as opposed to generic red stuff.
But they can't go father than that. They can't demand a specific gasoline octane, they can't demand synthetic oils or a specific brand of parts. That's all covered by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. You have to use REAL gasoline, that's all. You can't use a 50/50 mix of moonshine and cooking oil and be covered. But any legit government approved automotive gasoline pumped from a real filling station will not void your warranty regardless of brand or octane. Period. It's the law.
If you want to learn the truth, read your actual warranty rather than the owners manual. The manual wants people to use premium gas for potentially better performance and to make the car seem better. But the manual carries no legal weight. Even if the manual says premium fuel is REQUIRED, the actual warranty will always use a different word like "suggested" because they legally can't require a specific octane or fuel grade for warranty coverage.
Regardless, people who buy high performance (particularly turbo/supercharged) cars and insist on running 87 octane should be slapped. :|
I never claimed otherwise. But being a putz does not void a warranty. Even if that 500hp turbocharged monster a person might use to compensate for being born with a tiny, ummm, stickshift, runs best on 93, its warranty still applies if you use 87. You never have to use 93 octane even if the manufacturer really really really wants you to use it.
Utter bullshit. It's illegal for a manufacturer to mandate specific fluids for a car without providing that fluid for you. Even if the owners manual says "premium required" it is never a requirement. Period. You will not damage your vehicle running regular and you will not void your warranty by running regular.
No. While I didn't explain it well you're completely wrong.
True, they cannot mandate their own brand of fluids or replacement parts.
Yes, they can mandate "official" fluids that pass certain government standards like DOT 3/4 brake fluid as opposed to generic red stuff.
But they can't go father than that. They can't demand a specific gasoline octane, they can't demand synthetic oils or a specific brand of parts. That's all covered by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. You have to use REAL gasoline, that's all. You can't use a 50/50 mix of moonshine and cooking oil and be covered. But any legit government approved automotive gasoline pumped from a real filling station will not void your warranty regardless of brand or octane. Period. It's the law.
If you want to learn the truth, read your actual warranty rather than the owners manual. The manual wants people to use premium gas for potentially better performance and to make the car seem better. But the manual carries no legal weight. Even if the manual says premium fuel is REQUIRED, the actual warranty will always use a different word like "suggested" because they legally can't require a specific octane or fuel grade for warranty coverage.
No warrantor of a consumer product may condition his written or implied warranty of such product on the consumers using, in connection with such product, any article or service (other than article or service provided without charge under the terms of the warranty) which is identified by brand, trade, or corporate name; except that the prohibition of this subsection may be waived by the Commission if
(1) the warrantor satisfies the Commission that the warranted product will function properly only if the article or service so identified is used in connection with the warranted product, and
(2) the Commission finds that such a waiver is in the public interest.
The problem isnt octane. the problem is that damn alcohol.
How so?
<-- disagrees
All this bickering back and forth over saving $2/tank on a $30-40,000 car. :/
That's pretty much the conclusions from these articles from 3 different sources. The loss in horsepower in non-performance cars is not really important. If you have a Corvette ZR1/Z06 or Porsche 911 Turbo or BMW M3/M5/X6M, sure. I bet even the 2015 Mustang GT may only lose 10-15 HP with regular fuel. Unless you are going to the track or racing daily, I think it's not worth the premium for a car unless it requires it. Although, Edmunds did compile a list of vehicles that require premium fuel. I suppose if a vehicle requires premium fuel, then it's probably more reasonable to use premium but I clearly for most regular cars, buying mid-grade or premium fuel is a waste of $.
All this bickering back and forth over saving $2/tank on a $30-40,000 car. :/
I bet even the 2015 Mustang GT may only lose 10-15 HP with regular fuel.
I run 93 100% gas in one car, and 93 10% ethanol in my other. Both would run very sub par on 87. My first is an older car, my second requires it.
Pisses me off too, used to be 10 cents to go up a grade, now it is far more. Money grabbing assholes.
Please ignore GagHalfrunt, he is nuts.
If you have an older car (to be safe say 2000 or newer) that requires premium gas then you MUST run premium gas, because the car has no way to know what the grade of fuel is so it cannot compensate when you use regular. The car also doesn't know when predetionation is occurring and damaging the engine.