Premium Vs Regular

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

91 octane required. Pay to play.

I agree........honestly, not to put too fine a point on it but if you are "um-ing" and "awe-ing" over the expense of Premium vs regular......... this probably isn't the car for you anyway.

Sounds like you can't afford it.

[2K2BIRD]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

Geesh, why don't we put folks down a little more.

Gasoline is one of those things in life that you can see the price difference of on a daily basis. Many people are looking to save money where they can and when a big difference is staring you in the face at the pump it is pretty easy to ask is it really necessary.

There is also the fact that while many of us can easily afford the difference, knowing that the oil companies are ripping us off really irritates the crap out of us. Does anyone really believe that premium fuel costs them $.30 or more per gallon to make than regular? It is just another cash cow for the oil companies.

Many cars that are initially marketed as premium recommended have been shown to operate just fine on mid-grade or regular so the question was not unreasonable nor worthy of some of the uppity responses that this thread has generated.

Bottom line if the performance of your car is what you need/want and the car is not pinging, then using a lower grade of gasoline isn't hurting anything and certainly doesn't mean that you don't deserve or can't afford to own a 10 year old used car, err T-bird.

[My Raven]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

Paul we are talking like John said less than $2 a fill up and that is being generous so if you are that hung up on 7 cents a gallon difference then a T-Bird in particular or any car that requires premium fuel in general shouldn't be a consideration. FoMoCo doesn't put stickers on the gas door tocut costs. We will just have to agree to disagree as I used to tell Julie. As I said before I cannot believe we are even discussing it .... JM2C.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

if you are that hung up on 7 cents a gallon difference then a T-Bird in particular or any car that requires premium fuel in general shouldn't be a consideration. FoMoCo doesn't put stickers on the gas door tocut costs. As I said before I cannot believe we are even discussing it .... JM2C.

Joe,
I second this. I hope we can bury this thread.

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

Well, I second that motion. I've learned here on the thread that we need to pay to play...if we want to save money.... buy a Sebring....and that if we can't afford 93 octane we probably can't afford the cars and probably shouldn't own one anyway.....all because several mentioned they occasionally use a range of fuels and don't always fill up with premium. As they say, "It's not the cars it is the people who drive them"

[Gobird]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

I think Rambirds question has been answered. Anything else posted is just a waste of time. This subject has been talked about many times over the years.

[Rambird]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

Thanks 2K2Bird
Uppity people making uppity comments wasn't expected or appreciated.
Pretty easy to read who they are in this thread that has deteriorated to unmerited mud slinging-in very poor taste indeed.

[kbrighton]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

Price in litres and CAD. For US gallons, multiply by 3.8.

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

Rambird,
You know you will have many friends and get great advice on this site. Welcome to TBN and we look forward to having you join us.

[FUN X 3]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

I quote Rusty Frye, "Has anybody seen the movie Wedding Crashers? It's really funny."

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

I quote Rusty Frye, "Has anybody seen the movie Wedding Crashers? It's really funny."

NOT AS GOOD AS "O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?"

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

We watched the re-release of Bambi with the two grandsons last night.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

We watched the re-release of Bambi with the two grandsons last night. Everyone enjoyed the movie with popcorn. What happened to my seconding the motion to close this thread?

Only the starter can request the thread be closed.
If you want it to die
JUST QUIT POSTNG TO IT!

[lmartun]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

93 premium for mine. Tried 87 and 89,clear loss of performance resulted. Personally, don't care about higher price for 93. Not a daily driver.

Lou M

[MerlotBlue]

Re: Premium Vs Regular

93 premium for mine. Tried 87 and 89,clear loss of performance resulted. Personally, don't care about higher price for 93. Not a daily driver.

Lou M

Your experience shouldn't surprise anyone really.

Those who suggest you can run regular and if no "ping" is heard you're good to go are suffering from a "time warp" into the past.

These are COMPUTER CONTROLLED vehicles. This is not 1979 and you are facing the dilemma of what to run in your 1960s high performance muscle car.

The "no ping" advice back then might have been a little risky, in terms of potential engine damage, when considering regular for your 10.5:1 Compression muscle car but it's performance "power" and "mileage" unaffected.

All you were worried about back then was the potential for engine damaging "DETONATION" or "ping".

Today's modern performance vehicles are once again built with higher compression. Even though "premium" gas isn't near as high in octane today as it once was, thanks to computer controls that mix the fuel/air mix perfectly and an ability to ratchet back the ignition timing when necessary 10.5:1 in an "02 Thunderbird and 10.8:1 in an '03-05 is once again possible.

The down side today of using regular based in a thought that says, "if you can't hear ping you're OK!" is found in the fact that your car's computer is helping you achieve this. Sure, maybe you aren't damaging the engine with ping but that's happening because the timing is being "retarded" from it's optimal settings in any given situation.

this means less power for passing and poor gas mileage over all vs the potential of what your car can achieve when you use Premium.

Does it balance out on a cost vs benefit?

Beats me.......... but since you really do still have to wonder if there aren't situations where detonation you can't hear is happening and the computer can't compensate for may still be happening anyway?

For me it's simple and I apologize if anyone is so thin skinned they can't handle the only reasonable conclusion I can make here..........If a couple of extra dollars for a full tank is a make or break on the decision......... this person is either TERMINALLY FRUGAL to the point of "penny wise pound foolish" or they simply can't afford the car.