Is Switching From Premium To Regular Worth The Cost Savings?

Gasoline is cheap again, but at the same time, the extra charge to coddle an engine with premium instead of regular has never been higher.

At a Shell station in Tucson, Ariz., regular gasoline cost $1.17 a gallon earlier this month, according to GasBuddy.com, while premium was $1.75. That's nearly 50 percent more. In Chicago, a Pilot station had regular for $1.95 and premium for $3.09, 58 percent more. And an Exxon station in Newport News, Va., offered regular for $1.59 and premium for $2.89 -- 82 percent more.

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MDarringer - 3/22/2016 9:26:18 AM

-3 Boost

The better question is whether your vehicle needs premium in the first place. Unless it specifically calls for premium, buying premium is foolish. I find it amusing how many people think premium makes a difference in run-of-thee-mill cars.

TheSteve - 3/22/2016 1:09:27 PM

+3 Boost

MDarringer: +1
According to the research I've seen, premium fuel *might* have a minor positive effect in *some* cars which don't specifically require it. The tests were done on normally aspirated cars and turbocharged, North American and Asian cars, larger and smaller cars. The keywords are "might" and "minor". Even with the minor benefits, the additional costs are not recuperated in any sort of savings, such as better fuel economy or lower maintenance costs (the alleged "cleaner engine" argument).

BTW, I note that we have some MDarringer haters onboard, who'll vote him down no matter how correct his post might be, or how benignly he might say it. Look up the Latin term "Argumentum Ad Hominem"; Attacking the man, and not the argument.

MDarringer - 3/22/2016 1:20:50 PM

-3 Boost

I'm amused by it all actually.

You'd probably find me rather delightful over martinis at the CC.