Should I Buy High Octane Gasoline?

Central Car Care tells our customers in the Phoenix area that unless the engine in their car or truck is pinging or knocking, purchasing higher octane gasoline is wasting their money. In fact, the extra cost paid for high octane gasoline can add up to $100 a year — or more! Central Car Care has learned that some government studies indicate that all combined, drivers across the United States may be paying millions of dollars every year for gasoline with higher octane gas than needed.

Central Car Care tells our customers that purchasing "premium" (high octane) gasoline is similar to giving your car or truck a "treat", or increasing performance. But Central Car Care tells our customers that are driving around the Phoenix area that most cars and trucks only require regular octane. Government studies in fact support that in most cases using higher octane gasoline than recommended by an owner's manual offer no benefit at all to a vehicle's performance! In other words, high octane gasoline will not make a vehicle run cleaner, go faster, or get better gas mileage.

In conclusion the best advice Phoenix can offer anyone driving around the Phoenix area insofar as whether purchasing high octane gas is the best option for their vehicle is to read the vehicle's owner manual.

Switching to and using a high octane fuel for a vehicle is usually only recommended when a car engine is knocking when using the recommended fuel. It should also be noted that this happens only to a smaller percentage of vehicles.