What is the benefit of using Plus or Premium gas vs. reg. unleaded?

Question

I have a 2005 Ford Focus. I want to save money, but also do what is best for my car. I currenly use Plus or V-Power from Shell. Does it even matter?

Answer 1

if you want to save money.....use the el-cheapo gas. if you car does not say use premium only then use the cheap crap. now the v-power stuff from shell is good for cleaning out your injectors and keeping your fuel lines clean.....but in a car thats not 5+ years old there is no point of using it, personally. but its all personal opinion, if you want to use it then by all means use it. on the down side.....the detergents that are in the v-power and everyother gas that has "special" detergent in them will eat away the lining of the gas tank over the years and cause the fuel system to get clogged. now as it goes between premium, plus, and regular. the higher the octane rating means its more resistant to detonation. and by putting the higher octane stuff in the car your not getting any performance gains from it. example, i run a 95 integra gsr motor in my car, and it calls for premium gas only.....because it has a high compression ratio. now the plus or the middle of the road gas well its anyones guess......i can use it in my car but it throws the check engine light on like crazy because of the knock sensor and engine does not like it. and runs like absolute crap on the cheap stuff. so yes the octane rating does matter. and whats best for your car is your desicion, no one can tell you different....your going to take care of your car no matter what someone says. but if it does not say anything on your gas cap, filler door, dash, or owners manual about using premium only.....then use the cheap stuff to save money.....

also to add alot of people have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to fuel......after reading some of the answers.....here are the straight facts....
1. by jbear......if you want better performance it is better to use plus or premium. you can use regular as well but for the performance then use the other.
-----WRONG....THERE ARE NO PERFORMANCE GAINS WHEN USING HIGHER OCTANE FUELS!!!!. if you car reccomends using 87 octane.....using 97 will not give you any horsepower or torque gains at all....period.
2 by nicewknd....Yes it does matter in terms of your wallet. Your car is just a plain jane Ford Focus and does not require premium fuel. Typically expensive cars or cars that run high compression require premium fuel such as BMW, Ferrari, etc....Save your money use regular fuel and keep your car well mainted with things like regular oil changes at a reputable dealership.
-----WRONG.....turbocharged, supercharged and high compression naturally asperated motors require premium gas as its more resistant to detonation which can distroy a motor.....my integra gsr motor has a 10.5:1 compression ratio and compared to a ferrari 355 which has a 11:1 compression ratio
3. by --------.......I have a focus. it is 4cyl.
Ford recommends 87 octane (reg)
Ford does NOT recommend premium or higher octane.
Anything higher or lower may hurt the engine or proper performance.
If you want to do what is best, follow Ford's specifications and keep it maintained on schedule.
Check you Manual to be sure. Your engine may be different.
-----------WRONG.......if the manufacturer recomends 87 octane using 97octane will not hurt or damage anything.....period. now if your require to use 97 octane...using 87 can possibly damage or distroy the motor. a car that take 87 octane will run on a bottle of high proof everclear (alcohol)
4. the sites that chris has pointed out is a half true and half false....but its a good place to start looking if you dont know much about cars. having a certification in fuel systems by delphi....who makes fuel system components....i know what im talking about.......

Answer 2

Depends on the car and the useage. Cars that are designed for mid grade or premium must use it. Your owners manual or sticker inside fuel door should tell fuel requirements.

Cars that can run on regular unleaded can see some slight power gains when using premium, when heavily loaded. For example, my chevy pickup gets regular unleaded when I'm driving around town. If I'm towing something, I use premium.

Most gasoline has detergents and additive packages regardless of octane rating. So its not like the engine is going to carbon up on regular gas.

The engine control computer will advance engine timing to boost power. It will advance timing until spark knock is detected, then it will back off timing. Higher octane fuels allow more spark timing before knock occurs, producing more power.

You will not notice the differance between regular and premium in a regular car driving around town. I do notice a differance when its a full-size chevy pickup towing 6000 pounds up a hill.

Answer 3

Modern cars for the most part are optimized to run best on regular unleaded. It should tell the grade of fuel to use near the filler. If not there, it will be in your owner's manual. Use what it says, because using any other grade is just throwing away money. All the electronics are set for the fuel specified, and using any other will not make it run better.

Answer 4

Yes it does matter in terms of your wallet. Your car is just a plain jane Ford Focus and does not require premium fuel. Typically expensive cars or cars that run high compression require premium fuel such as BMW, Ferrari, etc....Save your money use regular fuel and keep your car well mainted with things like regular oil changes at a reputable dealership.

Answer 5

Chocolate;

Most modern energy efficient, computer controlled cars are designed to operate properly on 87 octane regular gas. Also ALL regular gasoline is derived from the same formula, the only difference is in the dyes and additives each particular brand includes. All those people who THINK their 4 cylinder car runs "better" on premium are delusional, its all in their mind, and they are just wasting their money buying it. Use the cheapest 87 octane you can find and your Focus will run just fine for as long as you own it.

Answer 6

I have a focus. it is 4cyl.
Ford recommends 87 octane (reg)
Ford does NOT recommend premium or higher octane.
Anything higher or lower may hurt the engine or proper performance.

If you want to do what is best, follow Ford's specifications and keep it maintained on schedule.
Check you Manual to be sure. Your engine may be different.

Answer 7

it does matter, your mid-grade and premium are much cleaner fuels, they have less impurities. high performance cars usually recommend only mid grade to premium. you may get a little better gas mileage but if not careful, you could actually harm your engine. use the recommended, occasionally it wont hurt to switch to a higher octane every once and a while.

Answer 8

Check this out for any info on fuels and saving gas.Read the articles under SAVE GAS

Answer 9

IN THAT MODEL CAR, REGULAR (87) OCTANE GAS SHOULD BE OK. ALWAYS REFER TO THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR THE RIGHT ANSWERS. THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT TOWING, SERVICE SCHEDULES, TIRE INFLATION, EVEN THE SOUND SYSTEM!

Answer 10

with a focus you can definitely use regular and not have any problems at all, most cars can, manufacturers embellish this though. even your owners manual should say regular for that car though.