ohnoesaz

I posted this on another forum and thought it might help explain the price difference...

Higher octane costs about 20cents more a gallon.

If you put in 15 gallons, thats $3 more for a fill up.

Lets assume regular gas costs you 2.80 a gallon, and higher octane costs 3.00 a gallon.

The 15 gallons of 87 octane comes out to $42. The 15 gallons of higher octane comes out to $45.

If you get 2mpg more then lets assume you originally got 20mpg. So higher octane gets you 22mpg.

On the 87 octane this means you could go 300 miles on the fifteen gallons. That comes out to 14 cents a mile.

On higher octane this means you can go 330 miles on 15 gallons. That comes out to 13.6 cents a mile.

These numbers are VERY CLOSE, and are way open to margins of error. Also, in many places higher octane costs more than 20 cents a gallon extra. But the point of this is to explain to people that sure, they probably won't SAVE money using higher octane, but they probably won't be spending more either. And thats the whole point.

Of course, it may make people uncomfortable to run higher octane since Ford specifically says 87 octane. Its why I still use 87... But for anyone who is holding back because of the cost - DONT! Go get the performance.

Mudflap

So let me see if I understand this... you run an 87 octane custom tune instead of a higher octane tune because Ford recommends 87 on the stock car? This is backwards thinking if so... Ford recommends 87 octane based on the factory tune/timing.

brendend

i have the stock tune and i still run mid grade, 91 octane,

ffk_pennywise

I want to know if anyone can positively say that the higher octane will get you better performance. Is it dyno proven or just seat of the pants type deal? Will the higher octane get you better mileage or is it just theory?

howarmat

I agree I am slightly lost here to.....

If you have a custom tune then why would you only get 87? The whole point of the 93 octane tune is that it changes the ford tune for 87 to a tune for 93? and it also brings all the advantages of the higher octane with it. Thus you get more HP from the higher oct and sometimes better milage. I get less MPG because of the way i drive with the tune.

You are correct about the price between the gas being very small. Many posts show the difference which might be somewhere between 100-150 a year and if you cant afford that, at a rate of a couple bucks a week also, then I dont see how you can afford the car to begin with.

ohnoesaz

Im using Diablo's 87 octane 'canned' tune... So when I wrote this post I was referring to canned tunes.

You know what, I'll shut up now. Again.

johney5

I get better gas mileage, and way better performance with higher Octane gas. Gas costs twice as much here in Eurpope. I have no issue with the price. I am feeling a bit guilty about the environment though. So I'm not throwing my Mcdonalds empties out the window anymore (only kidding).

spuddogg

I run 89 octane in my stock 4.6 primarily because I've had spotty (pinging under moderate accel)issues with 87 ethanol blend.
Being as Santa blew me off last Christmas I'm hoping that Father's Day will set me up with a CAI/Tuner.

MrSandman

Way better?

mAnYsTyLeS

I want to see proof on paper or else I think it's all in the mind. Either way, I have a fresh 87 & 93 tune in my SCT just in case (from Brenspeed of course).