87 vers 93 octane fuel

[spacedout]

We're talking about science vs. seat of the pants here. I know which one I'd rather put my money into.

Think you should look into the science of understanding what a knock sensor does. GM has magically discovered a way to get a turbo engine to not require premium gas as most if not all have in the past. Knowing that they are relying on a sensor(that could fail) to detune/retard timing to do this you would realize how wrong you are. If the computer is detuning the motor that means it makes less power. with 87 you can feel this every single time you accelerate from 1500-2500rpm with a pulsing, surging, wobley feeling of the power(can also see the data log KR with the right equipment).

Since you dismiss seat of the pants feel, are MPG differences scientific enough for ya? With 87 octane I can constantly get 38mpg on a 240mile trip(all highway). On the same drive with 91octane premium I get 42mpg consistently (on a few of these trips have gotten even higher). On that trip its 4mpg average better, overall I am seeing 2.5-3MPG better with premium. Strangely though the more city driving I do the less I see a difference in MPG.

[XtremeRevolution]

Hey guys, don't shoot the messenger - just passing on the message.

For what it's worth, I put premium in my first fuel up and now I have regular in. Can't say that I feel, see, hear, or smell any difference. Tasting is, of course, out of the question LOL. We're talking about science vs. seat of the pants here. I know which one I'd rather put my money into. Also, it clearly states in the owners manual that 87 is recommended. If it's good enough for the GM engineers, it's good enough for me.

This horse has been beaten to death. Everyone is free to use whichever fuel they wish to, but it has been tested and verified that the engine runs better on 89, 91, and 93 octane fuels. While the computer has the ability to pull timing to protect the engine with 87 octane, that is only done in order to help the car sell. An economy car that requires premium fuel is, in most peoples' minds, no longer an economy car.

The car will run on 87 octane, but it will significantly increase detonation, it will cause significant bogging, hesitation, and throttle lag at higher temperatures, and it will reduce fuel economy. Whether or not you notice it is the only question that can validly be asked, as the others have been answered and proven. It is worth noting that the consequences of using 87 octane are much more significant at higher temperatures.

[obermd]

Hey guys, don't shoot the messenger - just passing on the message.

For what it's worth, I put premium in my first fuel up and now I have regular in. Can't say that I feel, see, hear, or smell any difference. Tasting is, of course, out of the question LOL. We're talking about science vs. seat of the pants here. I know which one I'd rather put my money into. Also, it clearly states in the owners manual that 87 is recommended. If it's good enough for the GM engineers, it's good enough for me.

Recommended Fuel

Use regular unleaded gasoline witha posted octane rating of 87 orhigher. If the octane rating is lessthan 87, an audible knocking noise,

commonly referred to as sparkknock, might be heard when driving.

Sorry - I violated my own recommendation (multiple posts in the Region & Politics section) to be clear about "shooting" the message, not the messenger. Since cooler weather has set in I have been able to drop back to 87 octane. I'm on my second tank of 85 (regular unleaded in Denver is 85) and wil be going back up to 87 after this tank. With a turbo charger, ambient air pressure and temperature play a major role in the octane requirements. In the summer, higher octane is absolutely required by most Cruzen in order to operate efficiently.

An for those of you who are curious, 85 works, sort of, in Denver. There is noticable throttle pulsing when accelerating and climbing but none when cruzing on level ground at a constant speed. However, my MPGs are definitely down.

[cruze01]

Did I miss it or did they ever say in the video if the cruze they tested had the 1.8 or 1.4 turbo? It makes a difference! I have the 1.4 and I can tell you for sure without a doubt that it runs better on 93! Can't say for sure if I get better mpg but it seems as if I do somewhat.

[rmass09]

Did one tank with 87 and got very disappointing MPG, switched to 89 (midgrade) and its been all smiles and sunshine here..

[204cruze]

I noticed an improvement as well with my las fill up with premium fuel but it may be the motor breakin in too lol just rolled over 1000 km time for an oil change!

[cruze01]

Someone should start a poll...

[CHEVYCRUZE RS]

94 all the way!!!! even in my Savana i put 94 lol.

[wayztr]

...Everyone is free to use whichever fuel they wish to, but it has been tested and verified that the engine runs better on 89, 91, and 93 octane fuels. While the computer has the ability to pull timing to protect the engine with 87 octane, that is only done in order to help the car sell.

The funny thing is, as much as you guys talk about these "tests", I've yet to see them. Please link me up. For the record, I am (was) a believer in PREMIUM level fuel. I've used it for years and years in everything from my 5.0 Mustangs to my WS-6 Trans Am to my Grand Prix GTP. However, this expose - which I did provide the link for - clearly states - from an independent testers point of view - that anything but 87 is a waste. And, they have the computer driven data to show it.

Also, where is it written that this particular engine needs to "pull timing" in order to run on 87 octane? In the interview I watched, the industry expert claims that modern ECMs "can" adjust timing if knock is about to occur, but I do believe he was referring to his 300 HP Corvette more than the >150 HP Cruze that the TV show was testing.

[Farmerboy]

For what ever it's worth, I live in La. Stays 100 deg in summer. My 12 Eco mt has never hesitated or missed a lick on 87. Ran 1 tank of 93 but saw no diff in mpg. May try again next summer.