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What octane?

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octane
4K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  spacedout 
#1 ·
So tomorrow I'm going to have to buy my first tank of gas and I would like to know which octane I should or need to use?
 
#6 ·
As far as you can go until you run out of gas.
lol Thanks for the response. I think for that answer to be valid however, I think I would have had to phrased the question differently or asked an entire different question altogether. I do like your humor though.
 
#8 · (Edited)
A full tank of gas for a 1.4L cruze auto will get you as far as you need to go just remember to fuel up before the guage reads empty. Expect an average of mid 30 to 40mpg between each tank. The cruze is a great choice I have a feeling you will enjoy your new car.

The general consensus for the 1.4T is 91 octane. If you decide to save money at the pump using 87 you may experience reduced igntion timing and knock under load. To maximize performance 91 octane is recommended.
 
#10 ·
I used to be able to drive out a full tank of gas before stopping on trips then go to the rest room at the same time I fill up. Now that I have the cruze I cannot wait that long, and that's a good thing.
This octane question comes up a lot. When I bought my cruze in september 2013 I didn't even check or think about what octane to use. I've always used the lowest grade 87 due to the cost. Then after joining this forum I found out GM recomends 91. Around here we have 87,89,92/93 91 is difficult to find and the price difference between 87,89,93 is 25 cents for each grade higher. I know it doesn't make much sence when 2 more octane 87-89 is 25 cents then 4 more from 89-93 is still 25 cents. Years ago I remember each grade costing only 10 cents more.
Anyway my cruze runs fine on 87 but I think I'm going to try 89 for a while to see if there's a difference. I doubt there's a noticeable difference. I just can justify 50 cents more per gallon to use 92/93 octane when 87 is $2.50ish/gallon.
 
#14 ·
While octane higher than 91 should result in slightly better performance you face a serious case of reduced benefits vs. cost doing so. The 1.4T and 1.8 engines are coded KRD for 91 octane.

To OP, try this:

Get a good feel for how your car drives on 87 - two or three tanks will do this as long as you're paying attention to throttle feedback. Then switch to 89 octane and repeat. Then switch to 91 and repeat. What you're looking for is your personal sweet spot between cost and drivability - when you go up in octane and don't feel like the car is driving any better drop back to the previous octane to save money at the pump. Just remember that as temperatures climb so will the octane requirement to maintain this sweet spot. Any thing over 75-80 F outside and my ECO MT requires 91. Below that I can run 87 (87 is mid-grade in Denver). Personally I run 91 year round just so I don't have to guess the next week to two week's weather.
 
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