More And More Cars Using Higher Priced Premium Gas

The number of new vehicle models that need — or at least run better on — the priciest gasoline has steadily risen from 166 in the 2002 model year to 282 this year, shows an analysis by Kelley Blue Book at the request of USA TODAY.

More may be on the way. Automakers are turning to smaller, high-performance engines, which use premium as a way to boost mileage without losing power.

Being able to boast of a couple more miles per gallon can be a selling point but won't quell the ire down the road of buyers having to put in the glamour gas, says David Champion, auto testing chief for Consumer Reports. "People really, really, really dislike putting premium into their car," Champion says. "You see the cheaper fuel right in front of you, and you can't use it."

0to60 - 4/14/2008 3:29:48 PM

+7 Boost

I always eye the regular fuel when putting premium in my car. It makes me sick every time.

07G35J - 4/14/2008 6:17:45 PM

+4 Boost

I feel you. I'm at an Exxon gas station in north Atlanta right now. The prices are 3.45, 3.57 and 3.69. It took $59.50 to fill up my G35. I think I'm going to throw up.

EnnNorak - 4/14/2008 7:58:51 PM

+4 Boost

My Audi manual tells me to use premium. I could get away with regular but I always use premium because I drive in the mountains and I don't want the engine to knock when I use the kick-down to pass a truck on a long uphill grade.

I have a friend who toured the U.S. on his Harley and he just about ruined his engine when he got stuck with some bad regular gas in the South.

S4cabriofoxone - 4/15/2008 12:17:36 AM

+2 Boost

$60 for a G35! Wow! That actually may be more than what I pay, on average, for the S4!

0to60 - 4/15/2008 12:28:49 PM

+2 Boost

My G35 fillup was $55. It has a 17.5 gallon tank... I think.

Chip - 4/14/2008 3:42:37 PM

+6 Boost

Yeah, but almost every desirable car on the planet requires it, so I've forced myself to get used to it, as depressing as it may be.

gooch - 4/14/2008 3:46:12 PM

+4 Boost

Yep. The price I pay for the engine's technology. I believe most engines will run fine on regular -- you'll just have decreased performance and in some cases lower fuel mileage. In my car, I tend to run the good stuff, but when funds get low, I do go for the cheap stuff too (at a name-brand station).

Agent009 - 4/14/2008 4:25:16 PM

+3 Boost

It used to not be this way. Diesel was CHEAPER than regular before the mid 1990's

jeffy210 - 4/14/2008 5:33:51 PM

+1 Boost

Ah, Xero, falling into a fallacy there. As I had pointed out in a comment about 6 months ago:

Diesel versions of cars generally yield on average 40% better fuel economy (take the Jetta for example). Diesel prices are only 9 - 12% more expensive.

So even with higher price diesel, it is still cheaper in the long run. If you want the math I can crunch out some numbers for you.

EnnNorak - 4/14/2008 8:02:18 PM

+1 Boost

GAs was around 35 cents per gallon in the mid-sixties and everything else is 10 to 20 times more expensive now also. Gas is still relatively inexpensive. the problem is that the economy sucks and people are hurting so it hurts to pay for gas.

Bmw8ter - 4/14/2008 10:00:20 PM

+3 Boost

EnnNorak......It's not just the economy. You can thank speculators for a good portion of the price increase.

holmstar - 4/15/2008 8:16:27 AM

0 Boost

nah, I'd go for a diesel hybrid if it were available. That would seriously outperform a gasoline hybrid.

raikkonen - 4/15/2008 10:07:42 AM

+1 Boost

LOL - little jeffy got pwned!

Shredmo - 4/14/2008 3:57:57 PM

0 Boost

I said this in a previous thread,
Running premium is more cost effective than it used to be. The difference in price between non-ethanol regular and premium seems to remain ~$.10 per gallon, as it has always been. Now that gas is well over $3 per gallon, $.10 is a much lower precentage of the cost of a gallon of gas, compared to $.10 on $1.00 per gallon gas.

I only use premium in my vehicles that require premium. Performance is lost when you switch to the lower grade fuel. I paid a "premium" for that performance. It takes a few hundred miles of running premium again to re-gain the "lost" performance. Not worth $1.50 savings to me.

Shredmo - 4/14/2008 4:03:02 PM

+2 Boost

This is the pricing trend in Iowa. Never seen a $.37 discrepancy for premium anywhere in the US, with the exception of every Amoco/BP. :)

bocabimmer - 4/15/2008 10:36:05 PM

+1 Boost

in florida premium is 20-40 cents per gallon more. today premium was $3.79 in ft lauderdale, $3.39 for regular unl....

djrickp - 4/14/2008 5:32:41 PM

+2 Boost

I think the reason for the requirement from auto manufactueres is because of the marketing sell for a car's engine. They promote the HP/torque of a vehicle and to get those numbers, it's usually with high octane fuel.

Designer1 - 4/15/2008 7:31:39 AM

+1 Boost

I hate to read about two things now days. Real estate market and gas prices. God damn it no God damn politician is listening to our voices!

0to60 - 4/15/2008 12:46:17 PM

+1 Boost

WOW! You just might need Jesus!

dumpsty - 4/15/2008 9:21:18 AM

+1 Boost

I own an FX45, and really appreciate putting 92-octane in the tank every time. Yes, the price hurts, but knowing that I'll be avoiding the potential of costly repairs in the future is a bit reassuring.

My wife used to drive more than I did and put regular/plus in it all the time. The performance & fuel economy suffered.

When I started driving it, I only put premium (or better) in the tank. Now performance & fuel economy has noticeably improved where the wife could go maybe 7 days between fill-ups. I can go 9 or 10 days between fill-ups and I drive much faster than she does.

Whelan - 4/15/2008 11:10:00 AM

0 Boost

I'll stick with my 05 Matrix filling up with 87 getting just fine mileage in the mid to high 20's and being able to pull into a station, pump about $37 from dead empty with the light on, look at the guy next to me dumping passed the $60 mark who pulled in before me. I smile, get in my car, and head off. Driving for me has become such a pleasure.

0to60 - 4/15/2008 12:45:18 PM

+1 Boost

Your sick! I owned a civic that did cost me $20 to fill up. Now it up to about $32-35. That does not make me happy regardless of what I pay to put fuel in my G35!!!

Whelan - 4/15/2008 12:50:49 PM

+1 Boost

My 02 Civic before this got my over 30mpg on average and pulled almost 37mpg on a 404 mile road trip with 11 gallons of gas used. The Matrix has pulled 360-380 before on highway trips.

My fiance gets pissed when she goes with me to fillup cause her Jeep is a 20 gallon tank and she gets the same mileage as me with almost double the fuel.