Octane?

I have a 1998 access cab 4 banger with intake and exhaust. Does higher octane give me better performance or better MPG or a cleaner engine over the life of the truck? Is there any reason to use higher octane other than avoiding knocking?

 

90+ or nothing! Better MPG & performance. It's not so much the octane as the absence of ethanol

 

Ive always run 91+ anyhow

 

Point has been argued many times everyone has an opinion mine is 87 is just fine.

 

Octane [technically Octane Rating] is a rating of a fuel's ability to withstand heat & pressure without detonating (pinging) As compression ratios rise, greater octane ratings are required to avoid pinging or knocking. Unless the engine has a higher compression ratio to take advantage of the higher octane fuel, there's NO benefit to be derived from using the more expensive fuel. If an engine will run on 87 octane without pinging there's NO advantage to be gained by using 91 octane fuel. Convincing yourself that the more expensive fuel is better / makes more power / delivers increased mileage or makes you look sexier - is like saying the emperor's clothes are beautiful when he's naked.
Think of octane ratings like a ladder; if the roof is 10 feet tall you need a ladder that's about 12 feet long, a 30 foot ladder will work but it's more expensive, heavier and doesn't work any better than the 12' ladder. You can't take advantage of the extra length extending beyond the roof.
So, if you just want to spend more money the gas companies are happy to sell you expensive gasoline.

 

Most of my driving is doing 35-45mph granny-style; if I'm running 87 or 91, I don't notice the difference in performance
However, every once in a while I'll take the freeway; and I'll mat it the entire on-ramp. I notice a considerable difference in acceleration / performance consistency if I have 87 or 91 then
That's not why I bought a Tacoma, though; so, I'm not terribly concerned over that
Also, if I was to say I don't get any extra gas mileage with 91 over 87 WHEN EVERY SINGLE TIME I RUN IT I CLOCK EXTRA GAS MILEAGE that would be like me looking at an emperor naked... ... errr... what?

 

You voted for Obama, twice , didn't you?

 

nah, dude... i just accelerate a bit smoother and get a couple more miles on my tank with a higher octane... ...

Edit: I didn't notice it till now; but, this is a 4 cyl thread... I have a 3.4L
maybe your experiences will be different: I'm not familiar with the 2.7L
sorry I crashed the party

 

I noticed my truck doesn't rattle on really cold mornings if I put mid grade or premium in it.

 

I with out a shadow of doubt can say my 4cyl accelerates better getting on the interstate with v power in the tank than it does with joe blow unleaded. If someone without me knowing filled my truck with unleaded and had me do my daily commute I could tell you there was a difference.

 

I get good gas mileage, no pinging and plenty of power with 87. Higher octane in the 2.7 is not necessary. It is designed for 87.

 

If your vehicle was designed for 87 Octane, you will get no benefit from running a higher octane.