Do you use premium gas?

Not to get into Finance 101, but inflation is value KILLER……..inflation doesn’t make your dollar more…….
Ask a retiree, when you’re on Fixed Income…….Inflation is a worry……
Your $1 a day doesn’t have a COLA (cost of living increase)

instead of looking at the $6400 , because it took 10 YEARS…….i would look at $356 a year savings for your parts investment…….
.hmmmmm, what can u get for $356 stamped Toyota……?, not much

 

Patos Tacoma understood my comment. $6400 over 10 years is nothing.

It's as baseless an argument saying everybody should stop energy drinks and save $2/day, cancel home internet and save $2/day, never travel to visit family/friends and save thousands/year. I bring a very healthy lunch to work daily and probably costs no more than $2/day. For the guys who go out daily for $13/day, there's $55/week. In fact, if I starve 2x weekly, I could save $4/week. Hmm.

 

The dyno by Stillen & OTT shows you pick up a few extra horses, no surprise on a turbo engine, if that's worth it to you, then run premium, but 87 is certainly safe. Isn't that the end of the discussion? (I would run 91 just since I am used to putting it in every car I've owned, and it's only 25-30 cents more in CA.)

 

sir this is tacoma world. its never end of discussion. not much has changed since ive been gone the past 20 years....

 

You may wish to revisit your finance 101...

The price differential between regular and premium since 1995 stayed relatively constant when adjusted for inflation, although the spread started increasing sharply beginning in 2012. (source) So your $1 per day will increase with inflation.

You do you, if the feeling you get is worth the cost, go for it. Claiming there's not a cost is just rationalizing things.

As I mentioned above, it's an illustration of the time value of the money involved - not a suggestion of what someone should do.

Helps us to choose what's worth spending on vs. not.

I have friends who never have money for the important things they want to do because they don't pay attention to how they spend all their money on other stuff.

If someone feels the placebo effect of high octane is worth the spend, that's their prerogative. But to claim $1 a day is "nothing" is rationalizing the action, not owning the choice.

 

It was an old topic when gas pumps still had both leaded and unleaded nozzles. Just was more of a face to face debate/discussion at the time.

 

I'll agree, that it's all about the multiple little savings that adds up to larger savings. And yes I agree too, that there's a difference for someone making $20/hour vs high 6-figures.

But I'll always say for all the folk and myself who had 2G and 3G Tacos, using 91 was less about the tiny power & mpg boost, but 100% about the more predictable and stable transmission behavior (i.e., major impact to gear hunting) ... a major quality of life upgrade.

 

How do you know if your getting higher octane gas...

 

I'm so old I remember when this thread used to be about gas

 

Whatever the highest available grade is, typically 91 or 93 here and a bottle of stp octane booster. Fluids and gas are cheap. Engine and components are less so. Max $5-$15 difference between a fill of the lowest vs highest grade here in TX.

The only annoying part is making sure I read the label before I hit the very left or right button bc muscle memory. Some gas stations have the fuel grades differently. Lol

 

Sunoco 94 every time

 

This assumes that there is a real benefit to running higher octane fuel, which hasn't been proven. There are plenty of high mileage Toyotas that ran on regular their whole lives.

 

In California the clowns who run the state are now pushing for low carbon fuels on top of the extra 2 bucks a gallon we already pay than every other state , so what effect will this have on octane ratings and how will it effect our turbo engines ?

 

It has been proven……..Dyno info, OTT tune info…….actual driver testimony……
bUT, you’re going to ignore it, or say the difference isn’t enough………ie: the Earth is Flat.
You do you………..the rest will continue to pump Premium, and enjoy their trucks more……

those high mileage Toyotas were NOT Turbos…….(I used to have one…2nd gen……255k)….

 

Most of us aren’t comparing to the previous gens. We’re comparing in the 4th gen, 4 cylinder turbo rattle bucket. The higher octane lower knock gas helps make the engine sound normal. Almost.

 

My engine sounds no different with 87 as it does 93. You may want to get yours checked out if 87 is making your engine knock as that is the fuel that is recommended and your truck should not be knocking.

Also he was replying to the guy that claims 87 is going to hurt his engine NOT give it more HP etc etc etc. Running 87 is not going to hurt the engine any more than running 93 the entire time. There are plenty of TURBO engines with 100's of thousands of miles running the recommended 87 all day long.

 

Just move to Colorado & drive 85

 

I must be the only one on here that loves the little "clatter" of the little turbo 4-pot. We also have a '23 Camry with the A25 4 banger that sounds very similar, if not slightly louder. I'm an oddball character so I guess that explains it

 

You should probably read the post I was replying to. It suggested that not using premium would damage your engine.

I should have clarified that while there may be a benefit to performance, I don't believe using regular is going to damage the engine.

I wasn't referring to the turbo engine specifically. The post I was replying to suggested that not using premium would damage the engine.

If the turbo engines run better on premium, then by all means use it.


Side note, I didn't even realize this was specifically aimed at 4th gen owners.

 

True. I also use premium after researching what engine experts recommended with turbos. As far as the noise goes, I'm still baffled that when I tested a Sport the engine noise was horrendous and I remember thinking I'll have to blow the $400 for the hood insulator if I get this. But I didn't because the suspension was so choppy on the Sport. I then drove an SR5 which was quieter for some unknown reason. I ended up driving 150 miles to buy a different SR5 and it was also better sounding. After I started using premium the truck runs better and the engine sounds like a normal N/A engine, maybe just a bit more raspy but no turbo spool or clickety clank going on at all. I have no desire to get the hood insulation now. Also, it will be in the 100s temperature wise here starting next week, will be in the 110s before long and I figure the computer will be detuning it enough for the excessive heat and I don't need even more detuning with 87 gas.