Do you really need to use premium fuel?

[ichbinroot]

I just picked up a 1997 Avalon today and I was reading in the owner's manual that fuel with an octane level of 89 or better should be used. I've never owned a car that supposedly needed higher octane fuel (the gas I've been putting in all of my vehicles here in CO is 85 from Costco) so I was just curious what existing owners of Avalons put in their cars.

Thanks!

[benbeaux]

Nah, waste of money. We ran 87 in both Avalons & my trucks & never had a problem.

[Pavilion]

Regular unleaded is all you need. My car and truck perform well and get great gas mileage using this grade of fuel.

[Tundradrenalin]

Originally Posted by ichbinroot

I just picked up a 1997 Avalon today and I was reading in the owner's manual that fuel with an octane level of 89 or better should be used. I've never owned a car that supposedly needed higher octane fuel (the gas I've been putting in all of my vehicles here in CO is 85 from Costco) so I was just curious what existing owners of Avalons put in their cars.

Thanks!

Higher elevation as you are can use slightly lower octane. Most sea-level states don't even sell 85 or 87 octane fuels.

[TX RN]

We've been using 93 octane exclusively since the car was new. Trying to save a few bucks we downgraded to 89 octane then 87 octane. No difference in MPG's or performance.

Conclusion: Run whatever grade the car performs best on.

[JohnintheCdnRockies]

Regular gas is fine - most definitely so at higher elevations. Calgary is at 3,500 feet and our company fleet fuel expert sent a note to all execs advising that even high performance cars work fine using regular. We've been doing it for a decade in our family vehicles - a BMW, Mercedes, Maxima, Volvo (turbo) and the Avalon. WE've have never heard any pinging or had any engine problems with just great fuel economy as well.

[coal miner]

The manual for my 06 Salara v-6 says to use middle octane fuel for best performance. Especially now that they are adding this crappy mentanol up to 10 per cent that delutes the octane of the fuel. So I use mid grade & the car runs super. But today everyone wants to save gas so use whtever grade makes you happy. Coal miner. PS. Was at a car show recently & a guy had a magnificant 1956 Buick "WILDCAT" with a 464 cubic inch engine it it. It was pure black & enough metal & chrome in the grill to build an entire Toyota of today. And the Wildcat was a convertable, ah the ultimate car when America owned its roads & builcks, 98 oldsmobiles & cadillacs ruled our hyways. The bggest Buick ever made as the Buick Electrica 225 . Coal miner

[TedL]

Originally Posted by Tundradrenalin

Higher elevation as you are can use slightly lower octane. Most sea-level states don't even sell 85 or 87 octane fuels.

Don't know where you live & travel, but 87 octane [ (R+M)/2 ] is universally available on the east coast.