Chances are if you’re a car owner you have pumped your own gas before unless you’re super rich and have your own personal butler, so if that is the case please refer your butler to this blog, please and thank you! Anyway, we have all been at the pump before and if you’re like most of us you probably always hit the “Regular” choice in gas aka my favorite because it’s the cheapest! But have you ever stopped to think hmm “who actually chooses the other two options?” or even “what is the difference between all of them?” I sure did when I called my mom crying because I accidentally put in the most expensive choice and then thought my car was going to blow up if I turned on the ignition…so yeah, I guess we should know the difference right? Or at least so you don’t end up calling your mom crying… Don’t worry the worst part of the whole situation was that I ended up paying way more than usual *CRIES*!

What’s the difference?

1. The price! It is pretty obvious that the “premium” fuel would be more expensive right? Well, if you said yes you guessed right. Premium fuel runs about 20 cents higher than regular fuel.
2. Premium fuel also comes with a higher octane level—92 or 93 compared to 87 for regular gas. Fun fact that’s what those numbers mean on each choice of gas! Octane is how much compression a fuel can withstand before igniting. A higher octane gas won’t pre-ignite or explode as quickly.

Why the right fuel matters?

Every car is designed differently and every car is designed to run best with a specific type of fuel. If you’re unsure which type of fuel you should be putting in your car check your owners manual!

For the drivers who have been filling up your car with premium fuel, you may be tempted to put in regular fuel to save yourself some money. The issue with that is if you use a lower recommended level of fuel, the gas may combust too fast in your engine. That can cause the engine to make knocking noises, reducing your car’s power and fuel economy, and cause potentially cause engine damage.  

When it comes to the opposite, using higher octane fuel when you usually use regular, the risk is lower. If you use regular gas and switch to premium gas there are not any extra benefits to your engine life. So in my personal opinion, I would recommend saving your money!