Senzhu Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Hey guys, I just recently purchase my 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i premium and I was wondering if I should just use premium fuel instead of regular unleaded fuel. However, on cars.com it says recommended fuel is regular unleaded. Doesn't it make sense to use the better fuel on new cars? What did you guys do? Thanks! Under powertrain. http://www.cars.com/subaru/legacy/2013/standard-equipment/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee47 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I have a 09 legacy 2.5i limited and it recommended regular as well i used mid grade and that expensive premium but at the end of the day its just a waste of money just use regular Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarang Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Premium does not equal better. It's a misnomer. It just means that it has a higher octane rating, which could allow your ECU to advance timing but it probably won't because your engine is made for efficiency. Even if you were to tune your engine for premium, I understand there isn't much headroom for increased power. You might get slightly better mpg with premium, but probably not good enough to justify the added cost. Premium doesn't contain extra additives or cleaners or anything so running a tank of it every now and then can't be justified with that. I think that's all of the usual reasons... did I miss any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Premium does not equal better. It's a misnomer. It just means that it has a higher octane rating, which could allow your ECU to advance timing but it probably won't because your engine is made for efficiency. Even if you were to tune your engine for premium, I understand there isn't much headroom for increased power. You might get slightly better mpg with premium, but probably not good enough to justify the added cost. Premium doesn't contain extra additives or cleaners or anything so running a tank of it every now and then can't be justified with that. I think that's all of the usual reasons... did I miss any? Some premium fuels do have extra detergents and additives. IMO use what you want to use, if you believe there is a certain premium which works better in your vehicle go for it. I personally have had good results using premium over regular even when not required including a small bump in MPG. Both on my previous legacy 2.5i and forester, and a 97 sunfire before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mremteapot Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I get better gas mileage with premium (91 octane). It usually is 2mpg in town and 4 to 6 on the highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talespin Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Hey guys, I just recently purchase my 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i premium and I was wondering if I should just use premium fuel instead of regular unleaded fuel. However, on cars.com it says recommended fuel is regular unleaded. Doesn't it make sense to use the better fuel on new cars? What did you guys do? Thanks! Under powertrain. http://www.cars.com/subaru/legacy/2013/standard-equipment/ Fill your tank with regular. Take the cash you saved over buying premium and set it on fire. You'll get the same benefit as if you'd put the premium in the tank (i.e., none). Next to "what's the best oil," this is probably the most-often asked question on car forums. And on motorcycle forums, for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unsp0kn Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 The difference between premium and regular is what, $.10? So on a fill from empty, it costs you roughly $1.50-1.80 extra. Premium doesn't mean better either, just means higher octane. Most NA cars will run on regular just fine and not see any added benefit from running premium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acumenhokie Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 Most NA cars will run on regular just fine and not see any added benefit from running premium. This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rutchard Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I remember when midgrade was 10 cents more than regular, then premium was 10 cents more than midgrade. Now premium here is 55 cents more than regular, I wouldn't pay that much more for gas unless I absolutely had to. Granted, most of the stations around here also boast having ethanol-free 91 octane, and they charge even more for that than they used to for premium. My lawnmower runs better on it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poach Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 TBH your best bet is to use fuel from a top tier brand. Regular unleaded from Shell will treat your car better than regular unleaded from Cumberland Farms. Because your car, like mine, has a recommendation from the manufacturer. Just stick with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandon.mol Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 At some stations, premium fuel has no ethanol in it, while lower grades do. All Shell stations in Canada, for example. In this case, the premium fuel will always deliver better fuel economy (at least 5% maybe 10%) than regular, possibly more than offsetting the cost. This might explain why some people see better mileage on premium in an engine that doesn't need it - not the octane but because of a lack of ethanol. Ethanol has substantially less chemical potential than gasoline, and due to the large amount of oxygen in it, causes your car to run richer (by volume) to achieve stoich (by about half of the percentage of ethanol in the fuel - i.e. 5% for E10) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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