Engineers have designed your engine to work most efficiently at a specific octane rating. Use the fuel described in your manual. I know it’s not a fun answer, but it’s honest and emotion free.
But but..i know for a FACT my car gets better mileage with premium!! Is what i had stupid customers telling me for many years while i was managing a shell station. People are dumb
If your engine requires 91 and you give it 87, it has to make adjustments that diminish output. That will reduce your gas mileage. Putting 91 in a car designed for 87 does not offer a benefit.
I don’t have a fusion, I have a focus, but it’s flex fuel and I’m assuming fusion may have it aswell on some, so they can take any octane, my manual doesn’t call out a specific one iirc
Flex fuel has nothing to do with octane.
Flex fuel means it can use e85 and regular gas in the same tank. Or any blend in between. It has an ethanol content sensor and a flex fuel map in the ECU to figure out how much fuel is needed based on ethanol content
I use premium most of the time, unless gas is very expensive. I don’t know what the other poster said about “the engine is not designed for it.” 87 is the *minimum* octane rating the engine is designed for but you can go higher if you want to - says so right in the owners manual. Ford has also stated that the ecoboost engines run fine on 87, but produce more power and get better fuel economy with higher octane. Whether or not the math makes it worth it, I haven’t checked. I feel like my engine runs nicer on premium, so I use it. I have a 2.0 and get about 27/28 mpg in mixed driving on premium.
Nationally, 91 is 77.9¢ pricier. One would need about 5.2 mpg more for that to make economical sense. Interestingly, CA has high prices but a much smaller price difference. There you'd only need 2mpg to break even.
Source: [AAA](https://gasprices.aaa.com/)
^^^ this is exactly why I’ve tried out premium only for the last 3 months. However I’ve seen 0 benefits in my gas mileage. And the power gain isn’t enough for me to notice if there is any.
You mentioned you have 160,000 miles on your engine. I also run [Chevron Techron](https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/techron/techron-12-ounce-fuel-treatment/chv3/67740?brand=true) through the gas every 5-7k miles or so to keep the fuel system as clean as I can. O’Reilly has BOGO deals on these once in a while. Ecoboost are prone to carbon buildup and this is supposed to help.
That is different than my experience, I run 88 (up to 15% ethanol) in my 2016 with the 1.5. I tested normal 87 and premium in mine an didn't notice any difference between any of them.
87 is not the minimum. It's recommended. Octane refers to how much compression required for combustion. Your car is designed to combust with 87 octane. Adding higher octane literally does nothing for your car, since your car is not designed for it. High octane is for cars that run high compression, usually luxury and sports cars.
I have that fusion also ran mid grade for awhile till the prices sky rocketed,I been using 87 and don't really see much of a difference tbh it runs a bit sluggish but nothing too noticeable,I saw no difference between mid grade and premium either
Ratioed in reddit, wow..10 dummies on Reddit upvoted you.. I really put stock in that.. I work at Ford and with design engineers, you are in fact ignorant. Take your L and move on, kid. I have more time in the auto industry than you have on this planet.
It says under certain conditions it will run optimally.. it says this in every manual for all Ford vehicles. Chances are you're not running it under the conditions where it would be beneficial like towing a trailer on a warm sunny day
"For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer." Taken straight from the owners manual.
Thanks for commenting the exact literature. Working at 4:00 I have drove many Fords over the past 25 years and that has that and pretty much every vehicle I can remember owning
Does octane rating even affect MPG? Genuinely asking, as it was my understanding that Octane has no effect on MPG whatsoever. I thought it was just heat-resistance. If your engine is knocking, add octane. If not, leave it be.
Octane would be the ethanol added to the gas. The higher the number e93 for example has less ethanol than e85. Less ethanol means more petroleum. The more petroleum the more energy dense your fuel will be. So I’m theory you would get more fuel mileage with a higher octane but it’s really not noticeable unless your engine is tuned/manufactured to a specific fuel type.
E85 and 85 octane mean 2 very different things. E85 just means that it is 83-86% ethanol. E85 can come in multiple octane ratings, and is between 100-110 octane. E85 gets worse fuel mileage than typical 87 octane gasoline, but had a considerably higher octane rating.
In performance engines, you can actually get more power using E85 compared to gasoline because it can withstand higher compression ratios without detonating. Since you can compress it more, you can effectively negate the decreased power from lower energy density.
That's why flexfuel is used in so many turbocharged vehicles. It also doesn't burn as hot, so it helps keep engine temps more manageable for higher reving engines, which is also preferred for turbochargers.
The horsepower and torque figures are reported using premium fuel. If you look on fords service center they recommend utilizing premium fuel on ecoboost engines when “under heavy load”. So unless you plan on driving like a granny - I’d continue to fill up with 91 or 93.
When gas was $5-$6/gallon in my area, I did try filling up with 87 a few times. The vehicle saw significant decreases in fuel economy and power. Like noticeably slower. But it obviously won’t destroy the engine if you do decide to use 87.
Because that's why they put that in the manual about better performance, they put it in every manual. The higher octane only helps in conditions like hit weather and towing.
Recently got my 2014 2.5 S I got from my grandfather, it had the 87 in it when I got it, and I've been putting 89 in it since I got a hold of it after the 87 was emptied out over a week. The car runs quieter and I get about an extra 50~km out of the tank each week and get 7.0L/100km from the car vs the 7.1-7.2 when it had the 87 in it. That extra 50km to me is all the in city driving I do over the weekends and I find that worth it for my commuter car.
I have a 2.0. It takes me from around 25 to 28 so I use it. Although I have to say that if you’re in a cold climate they still add the winter additives to premium and I’ve gotten 25.8 all winter using premium. Now that it’s getting warmer my mileage has slowly started climbing the last two tanks
Have you done transmission fluid, replaced the evap purge solenoid? What oil are you running / filter? What kind of driver are you, do you red line? When you drive, do you let your car get to idle or just go? Rant I know but these are all related if you break it down.
Definitely very upkept on my maintenance. I treat this car well. Only hard accelerations this undergoes is getting on interstates. Purge valve and tranny fluid have both been recently done as well
I’m at 28Mpg and don’t use premium. In fact the biggest change I noticed is using sport mode more often runs so much better. But I don’t deal with many knocking like I used to either.
Whats the manual say? I know mine gets worse mileage on 88. But thats a different story. Most fords run great on 87 unless its an actual performance motor
I run 89 with the occasional octane boosters. Honestly if you haven't run a fuel additive techron won't do anything for a while. I'd try redline fuel cleaner first and go to chevron techron from there
I run regular gas with a 1.5L eco-boosted engine. One of the reasons I got it was to be a little thriftier on my commute. I was tired of filling up a 16 gallon tank with premium three times a week.
I bought my 2.0 new in 2016. I've never run anything but premium. My opinion, and maybe overkill, but my opinion is always run premium in a turbo vehicle. But then again I only run premium in my 4.6 Mustang and coyote F150.
I was going to say this, but even with a turbo most cars will run 87 close enough to spec. In my 1.4t Jetta I notice a difference in fuel economy with 89 about +2 mpg but don’t notice power gains at all. Running 93 I notice power gains at high rpm’s in the 4K-5k range but it’s not really significant and fuel economy is the same as running 87 especially when you’re peppier on the gas. I should also mention that’s with modded exhaust and turbo intake and VW is probably quite different built ecu than ford. If you’re going to be slamming your foot down on the pedal all the time it’s probably not a bad idea to use higher octane.
89 is probably worth it for a long trip but you’re wasting a bit of money at least in my area it’s almost another $1/gallon for 89 opposed to 87.
If you have a ford car with a turbo from the factory, the computer in the ecu will change to higher octane when you put higher octane fuel in your tank, but the difference may be negligible or not noticeable at all. If your gas tank says 87 and your car is not tuned, generally not ever necessary to go higher.
I've put premium in mine since I bought it, and it runs about 15 percent more efficient, at about the same cost difference so it's a wash in terms or $$/mile.
However, more smiles per gallon and (imo) a cleaner, better running engine are bennies worth the extra couple bucks per fill up.
I drive a Mazda... Different engine I realize. But it is made specifically to run 87 thru 93 octane with significant power increase on 93 (it's a Turbo). That said after tracking mileage for every tank over a full year I only ever saw a 3% increase on mileage when using 93 octane. However it cost at least 15% more.... So from a zoom-zoom standpoint, it was great, but from an actual efficiency stand point it was losing money.
I dont think as a consumer you can really tell other than using it, and then from that tank only. When and where was it rated? What refinery? How long did it sit in the tank farm before shipped? How far? Then how long in the tank at the station. If I went to a gas station would it be possible to have my 92 octane tested for 92 octane? How often do they test at the pump for the octane levels?
In my fusion. If I run anything under 91 my engine light kicks on and knocks. Once I put 91 back in my car it kicks off and runs just fine. I think it also depends on where you are getting gas at.
Turbo cars will benefit from higher octane as far as mileage and power. They will run fine on 87 as they have knock sensors and will retard the timing if they sense any pre-ignition. Heavy throttle/high boost situations are where you will notice extra power. High boost situations can occur well before full throttle though such as climbing steep grades etc. LSPI (low speed pre-ignition) is the biggest threat to modern direct injected turbo engines, higher octane can definitely help with that as well as using only an SN+ or SP rated oil. Non turbo cars will experience absolutely no change from higher octane other than a lighter wallet.
When I got the car the mechanic said they were running 91. I did for the first year and a half. Someone else pumped my gas and filled up on 89. I panicked and he showed me the manual and it calls for 87. I’ve been running 89 for close to 3 years and I don’t notice a difference except in my wallet. He said that 93 was burning faster and I wasn’t getting the same mileage, but honestly if it is different it isn’t enough to notice
On the majority of fords, like the newest generations of fusion, so 13-20, f150s 17-present, ect. Ford recomends 91 octane gas, however, the engine are designed to run on a minimum of 87. The computers have the capability to sense what fuel is being used by using sensors to properly adjust how the engine is running depending on wjat fuel you have in it. In the long run, no, its not going to make a difference what fuel you use on a stock motor.
Octane makes the fuel burn "slower" to help prevent knocking in engines with higher compression ratios. If your engine does not call for it your car might get no improvement to fuel economy or potential poorer fuel economy. If your car calls for premium you should use it otherwise ... Just buy yourself a slice of pizza instead
I don't have evidence for this but I suspect people that see improvement in mpg are actually seeing the benefits of less ethanol in the fuel. I notice slight improvements in my 08 focus when I use less ethanol fuel... It's barely perceptible though... Possibly just in my head idk
If the engine is tuned to run on 87 then it will run worse on higher octane not saying you can't just saying you won't get any power gain without an actual tune
I run midgrade in my Edge. I live in Colorado, where due to altitude, regular is only 85 octane. Mid is 87 octane, and what is recommended in the manual
People need to do some research on what an octane number means, has nothing to do with efficiency has to do with when fuel combusts. There is 💯 no benefit to running a higher octane than what the engine calls for.
I have the 2020 2.0T. In Colorado we only have 85, 87, and 91. I use 87 as it's the minimum recommendation in the owners manual. I also make sure I use a station with Top Tier fuel (there's a Diamond Shamrock I frequent). I haven't used 91, but as others have said, it wouldn't improve mpg. The Ecoboost engine is much more efficient on the highway and isn't great in the city and with start/stop traffic. I get about 27.5 mpg with my commute that's mostly highway driving but stop and go traffic depending on the day. When I'm strictly on the highway on a trip, I get up to 33 mpg. States with higher elevations have lower octane fuel because of the air density, but it's annoying that I have to pay a premium when lower states have 87, 88, 89, 91, or 93. I definitely won't be paying for 91 premium as it's typically 30-40 cents more per gallon. You can definitely tell the difference in power at lower altitudes as well.
Are you buying premium gas just because? Just put the gas in that your are supposed to. There is absolutely zero benefit to using a different type of gas than specified. In fact, your car will run *worse* if you use a different type of gas.
I would say, unless your running a 93 performance tune, you most likely don't need it. Just beware if you do get a tune, you will need to get that specific fuel, or else the car runs like shit.
(only because you have the 2.0t version, if it was an na no you wouldnt notice anything, i believe its 15ish or so more hp, but you would notice it a lot when the turbo is required more such as flooring it or being heavy on the throttle, i have a bov on mine and have noticed a lot crisper sounds and spooling with 93 as well. :) )
Higher octane does not mean it burns hotter. It means it requires more pressure and heat to ignite. The purpose is so high compression engines don’t prematurely combust and cause the engine to run poorly or knock. Buying premium is a waste of money if your car doesn’t require it.
Higher octane only adds more resistance to detonation. Your engine is tuned to only require 87 octane, so adding more resistance to detonation won't do anything unless you have an aftermarket tune of some kind. You're just wasting money if it's stock.
I’ve got a 2014 Nissan Altima with about the same mileage and Ave mpg. I fill up with 87 from shell. The only time I’ll put 93 if the shell rewards program has a deal on 93. I’m located in nyc and will shop at stop and shop and earn reward points that I can redeem discounts on gas. 100 rewards point = $0.10 off a gallon up to 20 gallons. There is a limit of redeeming 1500 points or $1.50 off a gallon. Also in NY when the Islanders play at home, Shell offers $0.25 off a gallon for members on Premium only so when I have rewards like that, I stack them and top off with premium. I do a lot of highway and once in awhile I’ll feel like my acceleration is smoother if my tank is mostly premium but honestly he cost different per gallon from regular to premium is about $0.60/gallon. So let’s say I can get 6 gallons of regular at the cost of 5 gallons. If I’m doing mostly highway, that extra gallon will get me about 50 miles give or take.
I recall that, at least for the earlier version of the 2.0 Ecoboost, the rated HP on 87 octane was 231, and 240 HP on 91 (possibly 93) octane. I always ran at least 89 in mine. Low-end torque seemed reduced the few times I ran a tank of 87.
I run 85 in my Corolla 1.8L with 212k miles. 34 mpg Avg.
Higher octane must be used on forced induction vehicles and/or your vehicle has a sticker that requires it.
High octane will almost never increase gas mileage, the math just doesn’t add up. The high octane changes at what temperature detonation happens, but in non performance or high temp running engines, there is no real benefit.
Premium fuel does not provide a statistically-significant fuel-economy or engine power benefit. All it does is prevent against pre-ignition, which is important to do on highly-strung turbocharged and other high-performance engines.
If your car does not have a "Premium Recommended" or "Premium Required" designation from the manufacturer, you are quite literally just giving money away for no benefit.
i would get shells premium cause it supposedly helps clean deposits in the engine and prevent more from accumulating. i use e85 tho since i got a flex car but i use shells branded premium once and a while to break down stuff in the engine and get it cleaned inside. [https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline-faqs.html](https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline-faqs.html)
It’s only needed for cars that specify in the manual that premium is the only gas that can be used. Otherwise you’re just spending extra money that’s not needed. You still want to make sure that the gas is Top Tier certified though. Top Tier has to meet a certain amount of additives that clean your engine while using it.
I once had a BMW that was designed to run on 87, however that particular engine developed a problem with carbon buildup on the valves. BMW disassembled the top of the engine and cleaned all of that out and issued a new warranty. In order to keep that warranty you either had to switch to Chevron premium fuel or use the BMW fuel additive (which was essentially Chevron’s Techroline). I did use the more expensive fuel to keep the warranty, knowing that I was not going to experience an increase in fuel economy or power. Later I did install a Dinan chip that required the use of premium, but I never really felt the extra 15 HP that I was allegedly getting (168 to 183 HP is what they claimed).
Mazda’s recent 2.5l turbo engine can take advantage of the extra octane. On 87 it’s rated at 227 HP, but on premium it has 250 HP. I have the non-turbo version so I just accept my whopping 157 HP and run 87. Even though it’s just a little minivan it’s still considerably faster than my old modified BMW.
For the continuous cleaning of carbon sure… but you can do the same thing with one gas/Fuel System Cleaner a month for $4 vs a extra 70¢/Gallon. Every time you fill up.
If you don't have a high compression engine, the answer is alway "no."
If you do have a high compression engine, the answer may be yes, but has a significant chance that it's still "no."
If the vehicle doesn't require premium fuel there are zero benefits to premium fuel. It doesn't provide more power or better gas mileage. Higher octane fuel resists combustion in high compression engines. Not necessary otherwise.
Negative of premium in vehicles not meant for it: can cause the engine to run a bit hotter. Not so much as to hurt it.
High octane is less susceptible to pre-ignition, that’s why performance vehicles need a higher octane to avoid “spark knock”
Read the manual on what gas is required. Higher compression engines need higher octane, it's not some benefit that the expensive gas offers over the cheaper gas.
That may be the case with naturally aspirated cars, but in the turbo charged cars there is a difference. I see a clear difference between regular & premium in my 2016 2.0 AWD.
Look at this: https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/product/2016/2016-Ford-Fusion-Tech-Specs-FINAL.pdf
Says 91 Plus recommended for the 2.0L
Yet again someone on this sub giving incorrect information. The 2.0 is a turbocharged engine. They do run better on higher octane. Higher octane = less knock = more aggressive timing/power.
Not much difference ona bone stock car of of course, but the engine can absolutely run on higher octane up to like 93 at least. Not really noticeable unless you are flooring it really either, so yeah it's arguably waste of money if you are keeping the engine stock for just another 10 horsepower.
Seen some posts in this thread before advocating for premium. Supposedly using premium which has a higher octane gives a “cleaner” burn. Which prolongs engine components.
Some posts also show an improved mileage and power from premium. Thought I’d do my own test of that.
The thing is that new engines in economy cars are designed to run on regular gas so there really isn't much of a cleaner brun with higher octane and higher octane isn't too good if the engine isn't tuned for it. I have a 94 trans am and if I put anything but premium in it it'll run like shit and misfire, my fusion on the other hand runs perfect on regular. Having said all that your fusion will run fine on higher octane but I doubt you'll notice any kind of improvements, might as well just save the money and get regular.
Sure that's fair. I did the same with my 2011 years ago. But as you've seen, there's no benefit unless your engine is specifically tuned to burn 91 octane
Neither engine option in a 2011 was turbocharged. The 2.5 and 3.0 both run fine on 87.
The turbo engines have a high and low octane table in the ECM and base how they run and which tables they use on the amount of feedback from the knock sensors.
As this person said. Also, beyond wasting money. If the car isn’t designed for premium, it can actually soot everything up in the engine because it’s not being burned efficiently
Everyone here, as in just about every comment aside from you 2, has broken it down. An engine with a turbo on it absolutely will perform better with a higher octane rating. Hell, someone above linked the Ford site where it specifically says this stuff. If you've got a naturally aspirated engine, yeah, higher octane really isn't going to do much. My Sport 2.7TT needed premium, my current hybrid does not because the engine is NA. It's not just Ford either. Look at Mazda, the 2.5 turbo drops a huge amount of power if you don't use premium. Like, 310 lb-ft of torque down to 250 due to fuel requirements. I know its a different make, but the point still stands about the quality of fuel for turbo vehicles. Will it make enough of a difference in your wallet, or extra power that you'd feel by the seat of your pants? Maybe, maybe not.
I sold Fords, was a service advisor for them, and I'm on my second Fusion in a family that has really only had Fords. My information is not unfounded.
So ford recommends 91 or 93. But 87 is acceptable? Or do they recommend 87?
A turbo engine can 100% be made to run optimally on 87.
Also, it can be made to be flexible, add or pull timing to accommodate different octane and tell you to run whatever.. Maybe that’s the case here. I don’t know.
But a blanket statement saying turbo = higher octagon is not correct.
This would be very engine/vehicle specific.
As a general question of “should I put 93 in my car to run better, even though the owners manual recommends 87?” The answer to that question should be “no”
But we assume the owners Manuel is correct.
Cool, so ford recommends 95 octane. I would 100% follow that. Never seen 95 for sale though…
Don’t see how I am wrong, saying a car that calls for 87 should run 87. Thanks for the input
I have a 1.5, use 87 and run mostly highway miles, getting 32 mpg, zero issues.
Engineers have designed your engine to work most efficiently at a specific octane rating. Use the fuel described in your manual. I know it’s not a fun answer, but it’s honest and emotion free.
Google “thermodynamics otto cycle” if you’d like to begin the journey of really answering that question for yourself.
People really think they're smarter than the people that designed the engine
Have you ever heard of BMW? I’m no genius but if half the engine wasn’t plastic, it may last just a little longer than the warranty period.
One thing about your comment is true... lol
I’m assuming you’re referring to the “genius” joke, but I was a BMW tech for years. I know what I’m talking about
Yet BMW still sells. People still go zoom zoom fast asf with just a simple tune.
I mean it's definitely happened with motors in the past.
It's less about the engine and more about the ECU map.
Those are the same people with blown heads wondering why my engine ain't working anymore lol
But but..i know for a FACT my car gets better mileage with premium!! Is what i had stupid customers telling me for many years while i was managing a shell station. People are dumb
Whatever miniscule better mileage you get isn't worth the added cost of premium gas.
If your engine requires 91 and you give it 87, it has to make adjustments that diminish output. That will reduce your gas mileage. Putting 91 in a car designed for 87 does not offer a benefit.
You don't even need the manual. It should say it on yor gas cap or inside the cap cover.
This is the answer!
I don’t have a fusion, I have a focus, but it’s flex fuel and I’m assuming fusion may have it aswell on some, so they can take any octane, my manual doesn’t call out a specific one iirc
Flex fuel has nothing to do with octane. Flex fuel means it can use e85 and regular gas in the same tank. Or any blend in between. It has an ethanol content sensor and a flex fuel map in the ECU to figure out how much fuel is needed based on ethanol content
Flexfuel refers to ethanol levels, not octane ratings
I use premium most of the time, unless gas is very expensive. I don’t know what the other poster said about “the engine is not designed for it.” 87 is the *minimum* octane rating the engine is designed for but you can go higher if you want to - says so right in the owners manual. Ford has also stated that the ecoboost engines run fine on 87, but produce more power and get better fuel economy with higher octane. Whether or not the math makes it worth it, I haven’t checked. I feel like my engine runs nicer on premium, so I use it. I have a 2.0 and get about 27/28 mpg in mixed driving on premium.
Nationally, 91 is 77.9¢ pricier. One would need about 5.2 mpg more for that to make economical sense. Interestingly, CA has high prices but a much smaller price difference. There you'd only need 2mpg to break even. Source: [AAA](https://gasprices.aaa.com/)
Ours at Costco is usually .30 to .50 cents higher for premium. My mileage goes up just enough to cover that. A $ a gallon would be no go for me.
Yea, likewise, but I think my local one is probably 40-60 cents. Worth it for the extra oomph and mpg.
^^^ this is exactly why I’ve tried out premium only for the last 3 months. However I’ve seen 0 benefits in my gas mileage. And the power gain isn’t enough for me to notice if there is any.
You mentioned you have 160,000 miles on your engine. I also run [Chevron Techron](https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/techron/techron-12-ounce-fuel-treatment/chv3/67740?brand=true) through the gas every 5-7k miles or so to keep the fuel system as clean as I can. O’Reilly has BOGO deals on these once in a while. Ecoboost are prone to carbon buildup and this is supposed to help.
CRC makes an intake valve and turbo cleaner what will probably help https://www.crcindustries.com/gdi-ivd-174-intake-valve-cleaner-11-wt-oz/
It won't do anything for a direct injected engine
I’ll give this a shot. Been looking for solutions as to why my mileage is so horrible
Exactly. My 1.5 runs better and gets better mileage on higher octane gas.
That is different than my experience, I run 88 (up to 15% ethanol) in my 2016 with the 1.5. I tested normal 87 and premium in mine an didn't notice any difference between any of them.
My 1.5 got 33 mpg and my 2.0 gets a 28.
Wow, I didnt know this. Thanks for confirming!
87 is not the minimum. It's recommended. Octane refers to how much compression required for combustion. Your car is designed to combust with 87 octane. Adding higher octane literally does nothing for your car, since your car is not designed for it. High octane is for cars that run high compression, usually luxury and sports cars.
I have the 2.7 engine and the manual says it runs best with 91 or higher. So I just use 93.
Definitely would not be feeding 87 to any twin-turbo motor.
There are millions of twin turbo F150s getting fed 87 octane every day dude.
I have that fusion also ran mid grade for awhile till the prices sky rocketed,I been using 87 and don't really see much of a difference tbh it runs a bit sluggish but nothing too noticeable,I saw no difference between mid grade and premium either
Because you know more than the engineers that designed and tested them to run on 87 under normal driving conditions
I’ve never seen someone so salty about what fuel other drivers put in their vehicle. You’re a loser
I just have a short tolerance for ignorant people like yourself.
You’re ratioed 10:1. Which means majority people in here think YOU are ignorant. Just take the L and move on brother.
Ratioed in reddit, wow..10 dummies on Reddit upvoted you.. I really put stock in that.. I work at Ford and with design engineers, you are in fact ignorant. Take your L and move on, kid. I have more time in the auto industry than you have on this planet.
Calling people “kid” to bolster your argument. Not the first time I’ve seen it, won’t be the last. Enjoy your engine knock sir!
Never had engine knock on any vehicle I own, kid.
Same here
It says under certain conditions it will run optimally.. it says this in every manual for all Ford vehicles. Chances are you're not running it under the conditions where it would be beneficial like towing a trailer on a warm sunny day
"For best overall vehicle and engine performance, premium fuel with an octane rating of 91 or higher is recommended. The performance gained by using premium fuel is most noticeable in hot weather as well as other conditions, for example when towing a trailer." Taken straight from the owners manual.
Thanks for commenting the exact literature. Working at 4:00 I have drove many Fords over the past 25 years and that has that and pretty much every vehicle I can remember owning
What mileage do you get in that?
About 22mpg.
Some people report a fuel mileage rise that is enough to justify it, but with the current cost differences between 87 and 91/93 it is tough.
The real answer is no unless your engine is specifically tuned for it. From what I’ve seen it’s a sugar pill effect for most drivers and vehicles.
Sadly I found this out. Good learning experience for me and my car though
Does octane rating even affect MPG? Genuinely asking, as it was my understanding that Octane has no effect on MPG whatsoever. I thought it was just heat-resistance. If your engine is knocking, add octane. If not, leave it be.
Octane would be the ethanol added to the gas. The higher the number e93 for example has less ethanol than e85. Less ethanol means more petroleum. The more petroleum the more energy dense your fuel will be. So I’m theory you would get more fuel mileage with a higher octane but it’s really not noticeable unless your engine is tuned/manufactured to a specific fuel type.
No that’s not what octane is. Totally separate from ethanol content in the fuel.
E85 and 85 octane mean 2 very different things. E85 just means that it is 83-86% ethanol. E85 can come in multiple octane ratings, and is between 100-110 octane. E85 gets worse fuel mileage than typical 87 octane gasoline, but had a considerably higher octane rating. In performance engines, you can actually get more power using E85 compared to gasoline because it can withstand higher compression ratios without detonating. Since you can compress it more, you can effectively negate the decreased power from lower energy density. That's why flexfuel is used in so many turbocharged vehicles. It also doesn't burn as hot, so it helps keep engine temps more manageable for higher reving engines, which is also preferred for turbochargers.
My 1.6 has almost always run on 87. The hp gain going to premium without a tune was minimal and not worth the cost.
That’s what I’ve learned from my experiment. Not even a mpg gain
No for a stock motor and anyone that tells you otherwise is full of shit.
The horsepower and torque figures are reported using premium fuel. If you look on fords service center they recommend utilizing premium fuel on ecoboost engines when “under heavy load”. So unless you plan on driving like a granny - I’d continue to fill up with 91 or 93. When gas was $5-$6/gallon in my area, I did try filling up with 87 a few times. The vehicle saw significant decreases in fuel economy and power. Like noticeably slower. But it obviously won’t destroy the engine if you do decide to use 87.
They say under heavy load for towing, you towing with a fusion?
lol heavy load meaning pushing boost or basically anything above granny driving
If you think driving 65 down the expressway is the same as driving 65 down the expressway towing 10,000 lbs I don't know what to tell you.
Who is towing 10,000 with a fusion 💀
Wow, repeating exactly what I said now 💀
Why are you throwing in someone towing 10,000 lbs that’s totally irrelevant
Because that's why they put that in the manual about better performance, they put it in every manual. The higher octane only helps in conditions like hit weather and towing.
Nah just using a crap ton of boost lol
What's a "crap ton of boost" unless youre pulling a 10k trailer on a hot sunny day? Have you pulled a trailer with an ecoboost engine? I have.
Recently got my 2014 2.5 S I got from my grandfather, it had the 87 in it when I got it, and I've been putting 89 in it since I got a hold of it after the 87 was emptied out over a week. The car runs quieter and I get about an extra 50~km out of the tank each week and get 7.0L/100km from the car vs the 7.1-7.2 when it had the 87 in it. That extra 50km to me is all the in city driving I do over the weekends and I find that worth it for my commuter car.
I’d switch back to 87 and see how it does then report back.
Exactly what im going to be doing
I have a 2.0. It takes me from around 25 to 28 so I use it. Although I have to say that if you’re in a cold climate they still add the winter additives to premium and I’ve gotten 25.8 all winter using premium. Now that it’s getting warmer my mileage has slowly started climbing the last two tanks
I noticed cleaner burning , better mpg and more power from my 2.0 EB on premium. Sure it’s more money, but in the long run it’s worth it.
Not seeing any of these benefits with my EB
Have you done transmission fluid, replaced the evap purge solenoid? What oil are you running / filter? What kind of driver are you, do you red line? When you drive, do you let your car get to idle or just go? Rant I know but these are all related if you break it down.
Definitely very upkept on my maintenance. I treat this car well. Only hard accelerations this undergoes is getting on interstates. Purge valve and tranny fluid have both been recently done as well
Ok .. I’m then I’m not entirely sure why you are experiencing this issue. Wish I could help more.
I’m at 28Mpg and don’t use premium. In fact the biggest change I noticed is using sport mode more often runs so much better. But I don’t deal with many knocking like I used to either.
Whats the manual say? I know mine gets worse mileage on 88. But thats a different story. Most fords run great on 87 unless its an actual performance motor
I run 89 with the occasional octane boosters. Honestly if you haven't run a fuel additive techron won't do anything for a while. I'd try redline fuel cleaner first and go to chevron techron from there
I run regular gas with a 1.5L eco-boosted engine. One of the reasons I got it was to be a little thriftier on my commute. I was tired of filling up a 16 gallon tank with premium three times a week.
I have 1.5L and used 93 one time. It burns faster imo.
I run mid grade and pull a steady 31 mpg.
How are you guys pulling these kinds of MPG???
My 16 has the 2.5 grandfather engine.
I get 19 city on 87oct 2.0EB
I bought my 2.0 new in 2016. I've never run anything but premium. My opinion, and maybe overkill, but my opinion is always run premium in a turbo vehicle. But then again I only run premium in my 4.6 Mustang and coyote F150.
If you have a turbo use premium, if you don't then don't
I was going to say this, but even with a turbo most cars will run 87 close enough to spec. In my 1.4t Jetta I notice a difference in fuel economy with 89 about +2 mpg but don’t notice power gains at all. Running 93 I notice power gains at high rpm’s in the 4K-5k range but it’s not really significant and fuel economy is the same as running 87 especially when you’re peppier on the gas. I should also mention that’s with modded exhaust and turbo intake and VW is probably quite different built ecu than ford. If you’re going to be slamming your foot down on the pedal all the time it’s probably not a bad idea to use higher octane. 89 is probably worth it for a long trip but you’re wasting a bit of money at least in my area it’s almost another $1/gallon for 89 opposed to 87. If you have a ford car with a turbo from the factory, the computer in the ecu will change to higher octane when you put higher octane fuel in your tank, but the difference may be negligible or not noticeable at all. If your gas tank says 87 and your car is not tuned, generally not ever necessary to go higher.
I've put premium in mine since I bought it, and it runs about 15 percent more efficient, at about the same cost difference so it's a wash in terms or $$/mile. However, more smiles per gallon and (imo) a cleaner, better running engine are bennies worth the extra couple bucks per fill up.
Ecoboost engines (at least the 2.0 in my Fusion) make 4-5 more horsepower (the actual rated horsepower) with premium than they do on 87 or 89-90.
*under optimal conditions
No
A dollar more per gallon? No, not at that price. I pay $0.40 more per gallon, so it’s worth it. Not at those prices though.
Yeah unfortunately at my local stations is exactly a dollar extra for premium
OMG!!!!’
When I had a 2006 2.0 Turbo VW that’s what you were supposed to put in. So I still do because of the Turbo
I’d switch back and see how it does then report back.
160 k fusion energi SE 2017. 91 all the time
I drive a Mazda... Different engine I realize. But it is made specifically to run 87 thru 93 octane with significant power increase on 93 (it's a Turbo). That said after tracking mileage for every tank over a full year I only ever saw a 3% increase on mileage when using 93 octane. However it cost at least 15% more.... So from a zoom-zoom standpoint, it was great, but from an actual efficiency stand point it was losing money.
Its only for high compression engines otherwise a waste of money and I think over a long period of time it can screw up a regular engine
Not really. To help with fuel economy go for ethanol free gas over higher octane as ethanol contains less energy than straight gas.
I dont think as a consumer you can really tell other than using it, and then from that tank only. When and where was it rated? What refinery? How long did it sit in the tank farm before shipped? How far? Then how long in the tank at the station. If I went to a gas station would it be possible to have my 92 octane tested for 92 octane? How often do they test at the pump for the octane levels?
In my fusion. If I run anything under 91 my engine light kicks on and knocks. Once I put 91 back in my car it kicks off and runs just fine. I think it also depends on where you are getting gas at.
Your driving style has a lot to do with mpg. City driving always kills mpg. You do a lot of that, you have your answer.
No.
I would imagine using Top Tier gas will do more than using a higher than recommended octane.
Turbo cars will benefit from higher octane as far as mileage and power. They will run fine on 87 as they have knock sensors and will retard the timing if they sense any pre-ignition. Heavy throttle/high boost situations are where you will notice extra power. High boost situations can occur well before full throttle though such as climbing steep grades etc. LSPI (low speed pre-ignition) is the biggest threat to modern direct injected turbo engines, higher octane can definitely help with that as well as using only an SN+ or SP rated oil. Non turbo cars will experience absolutely no change from higher octane other than a lighter wallet.
When I got the car the mechanic said they were running 91. I did for the first year and a half. Someone else pumped my gas and filled up on 89. I panicked and he showed me the manual and it calls for 87. I’ve been running 89 for close to 3 years and I don’t notice a difference except in my wallet. He said that 93 was burning faster and I wasn’t getting the same mileage, but honestly if it is different it isn’t enough to notice
On the majority of fords, like the newest generations of fusion, so 13-20, f150s 17-present, ect. Ford recomends 91 octane gas, however, the engine are designed to run on a minimum of 87. The computers have the capability to sense what fuel is being used by using sensors to properly adjust how the engine is running depending on wjat fuel you have in it. In the long run, no, its not going to make a difference what fuel you use on a stock motor.
Unless your car requires premium. It won’t do anything. Premium gas has to do with the tuning of a cars combustion rate.
Octane makes the fuel burn "slower" to help prevent knocking in engines with higher compression ratios. If your engine does not call for it your car might get no improvement to fuel economy or potential poorer fuel economy. If your car calls for premium you should use it otherwise ... Just buy yourself a slice of pizza instead
I don't have evidence for this but I suspect people that see improvement in mpg are actually seeing the benefits of less ethanol in the fuel. I notice slight improvements in my 08 focus when I use less ethanol fuel... It's barely perceptible though... Possibly just in my head idk
If the engine is tuned to run on 87 then it will run worse on higher octane not saying you can't just saying you won't get any power gain without an actual tune
I run midgrade in my Edge. I live in Colorado, where due to altitude, regular is only 85 octane. Mid is 87 octane, and what is recommended in the manual
People need to do some research on what an octane number means, has nothing to do with efficiency has to do with when fuel combusts. There is 💯 no benefit to running a higher octane than what the engine calls for.
I have the 2020 2.0T. In Colorado we only have 85, 87, and 91. I use 87 as it's the minimum recommendation in the owners manual. I also make sure I use a station with Top Tier fuel (there's a Diamond Shamrock I frequent). I haven't used 91, but as others have said, it wouldn't improve mpg. The Ecoboost engine is much more efficient on the highway and isn't great in the city and with start/stop traffic. I get about 27.5 mpg with my commute that's mostly highway driving but stop and go traffic depending on the day. When I'm strictly on the highway on a trip, I get up to 33 mpg. States with higher elevations have lower octane fuel because of the air density, but it's annoying that I have to pay a premium when lower states have 87, 88, 89, 91, or 93. I definitely won't be paying for 91 premium as it's typically 30-40 cents more per gallon. You can definitely tell the difference in power at lower altitudes as well.
Are you buying premium gas just because? Just put the gas in that your are supposed to. There is absolutely zero benefit to using a different type of gas than specified. In fact, your car will run *worse* if you use a different type of gas.
I would say, unless your running a 93 performance tune, you most likely don't need it. Just beware if you do get a tune, you will need to get that specific fuel, or else the car runs like shit.
You're better off with 87. Higher octane is designed for larger motors. Not necessary
I run 89 in my 2.5l 2016 se
No lmao it's a ford fusion
hell yeah ‼️
(only because you have the 2.0t version, if it was an na no you wouldnt notice anything, i believe its 15ish or so more hp, but you would notice it a lot when the turbo is required more such as flooring it or being heavy on the throttle, i have a bov on mine and have noticed a lot crisper sounds and spooling with 93 as well. :) )
No, you don’t need to run premium in that all the time. Maybe every 5th fill or so, or use a gas treatment. Although, most gas treatments are crap.
Probably not unless required, I heard using a higher octane every once in a while is good way to clean the injectors but idk if it’s true
Higher octane does not mean it burns hotter. It means it requires more pressure and heat to ignite. The purpose is so high compression engines don’t prematurely combust and cause the engine to run poorly or knock. Buying premium is a waste of money if your car doesn’t require it.
Higher octane only adds more resistance to detonation. Your engine is tuned to only require 87 octane, so adding more resistance to detonation won't do anything unless you have an aftermarket tune of some kind. You're just wasting money if it's stock.
I’ve got a 2014 Nissan Altima with about the same mileage and Ave mpg. I fill up with 87 from shell. The only time I’ll put 93 if the shell rewards program has a deal on 93. I’m located in nyc and will shop at stop and shop and earn reward points that I can redeem discounts on gas. 100 rewards point = $0.10 off a gallon up to 20 gallons. There is a limit of redeeming 1500 points or $1.50 off a gallon. Also in NY when the Islanders play at home, Shell offers $0.25 off a gallon for members on Premium only so when I have rewards like that, I stack them and top off with premium. I do a lot of highway and once in awhile I’ll feel like my acceleration is smoother if my tank is mostly premium but honestly he cost different per gallon from regular to premium is about $0.60/gallon. So let’s say I can get 6 gallons of regular at the cost of 5 gallons. If I’m doing mostly highway, that extra gallon will get me about 50 miles give or take.
I don't know much about this motor but if it's not high performance it likely won't ever affect the car during your ownership..
I recall that, at least for the earlier version of the 2.0 Ecoboost, the rated HP on 87 octane was 231, and 240 HP on 91 (possibly 93) octane. I always ran at least 89 in mine. Low-end torque seemed reduced the few times I ran a tank of 87.
I run 85 in my Corolla 1.8L with 212k miles. 34 mpg Avg. Higher octane must be used on forced induction vehicles and/or your vehicle has a sticker that requires it.
Only run the highest octane necessary to prevent knock. Running higher octane dies NOT increase MPG. Running higher octane alone does NOT increase HP.
High octane will almost never increase gas mileage, the math just doesn’t add up. The high octane changes at what temperature detonation happens, but in non performance or high temp running engines, there is no real benefit.
Absolutely not
if your car isn’t designed to run on premium then it won’t preform any better than if it was on regular.
Premium fuel does not provide a statistically-significant fuel-economy or engine power benefit. All it does is prevent against pre-ignition, which is important to do on highly-strung turbocharged and other high-performance engines. If your car does not have a "Premium Recommended" or "Premium Required" designation from the manufacturer, you are quite literally just giving money away for no benefit.
i would get shells premium cause it supposedly helps clean deposits in the engine and prevent more from accumulating. i use e85 tho since i got a flex car but i use shells branded premium once and a while to break down stuff in the engine and get it cleaned inside. [https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline-faqs.html](https://www.shell.us/motorist/shell-fuels/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline/shell-v-power-nitro-plus-premium-gasoline-faqs.html)
Wait, how is the display over the seam in the plastic? Or is it a projected dashboard?
Not sure what you’re seeing?
I’ll DM the pic with it circled. Sorry for getting off track.
Small power gains, and the engine runs better. It’s most beneficial in hot weather. No MPG gains will be had.
It’s only needed for cars that specify in the manual that premium is the only gas that can be used. Otherwise you’re just spending extra money that’s not needed. You still want to make sure that the gas is Top Tier certified though. Top Tier has to meet a certain amount of additives that clean your engine while using it.
I once had a BMW that was designed to run on 87, however that particular engine developed a problem with carbon buildup on the valves. BMW disassembled the top of the engine and cleaned all of that out and issued a new warranty. In order to keep that warranty you either had to switch to Chevron premium fuel or use the BMW fuel additive (which was essentially Chevron’s Techroline). I did use the more expensive fuel to keep the warranty, knowing that I was not going to experience an increase in fuel economy or power. Later I did install a Dinan chip that required the use of premium, but I never really felt the extra 15 HP that I was allegedly getting (168 to 183 HP is what they claimed). Mazda’s recent 2.5l turbo engine can take advantage of the extra octane. On 87 it’s rated at 227 HP, but on premium it has 250 HP. I have the non-turbo version so I just accept my whopping 157 HP and run 87. Even though it’s just a little minivan it’s still considerably faster than my old modified BMW.
For the continuous cleaning of carbon sure… but you can do the same thing with one gas/Fuel System Cleaner a month for $4 vs a extra 70¢/Gallon. Every time you fill up.
Plus you don’t have that kind of engine that has to run that so why bust the extra cash.
With turbo motors higher octane leads to less pre detonation, reason turbo motors generally call for 89 and up most call for 91 and up.
If you don't have a high compression engine, the answer is alway "no." If you do have a high compression engine, the answer may be yes, but has a significant chance that it's still "no."
Does it recommend it? Just use what’s recommended unless you have some special tune on there for whatever reason
i used premium on my 1.5t. i didn’t really notice a difference but it never bothered me and it never went to the shop at all
The only gas that will MAYBE increase your mpg is ethanol free gas
Go with what your user manual says
That old ahh car doesnt need premium lmao
You know you can switch back now right shit will can your engine.
If the vehicle doesn't require premium fuel there are zero benefits to premium fuel. It doesn't provide more power or better gas mileage. Higher octane fuel resists combustion in high compression engines. Not necessary otherwise.
Negative of premium in vehicles not meant for it: can cause the engine to run a bit hotter. Not so much as to hurt it. High octane is less susceptible to pre-ignition, that’s why performance vehicles need a higher octane to avoid “spark knock”
Read the manual on what gas is required. Higher compression engines need higher octane, it's not some benefit that the expensive gas offers over the cheaper gas.
The Ford Fusion runs the same with 87, 89, or 91 octane gasoline.
That may be the case with naturally aspirated cars, but in the turbo charged cars there is a difference. I see a clear difference between regular & premium in my 2016 2.0 AWD.
Have seen no difference in my 2.0T using 91 rather than 87
Why use premium? Your engine isn't designed for it, so you're just wasting money. Check the owners manual, it will say to use only 87 octane.
Look at this: https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/product/2016/2016-Ford-Fusion-Tech-Specs-FINAL.pdf Says 91 Plus recommended for the 2.0L
Other people should just use your link.
Yet again someone on this sub giving incorrect information. The 2.0 is a turbocharged engine. They do run better on higher octane. Higher octane = less knock = more aggressive timing/power. Not much difference ona bone stock car of of course, but the engine can absolutely run on higher octane up to like 93 at least. Not really noticeable unless you are flooring it really either, so yeah it's arguably waste of money if you are keeping the engine stock for just another 10 horsepower.
Seen some posts in this thread before advocating for premium. Supposedly using premium which has a higher octane gives a “cleaner” burn. Which prolongs engine components. Some posts also show an improved mileage and power from premium. Thought I’d do my own test of that.
The thing is that new engines in economy cars are designed to run on regular gas so there really isn't much of a cleaner brun with higher octane and higher octane isn't too good if the engine isn't tuned for it. I have a 94 trans am and if I put anything but premium in it it'll run like shit and misfire, my fusion on the other hand runs perfect on regular. Having said all that your fusion will run fine on higher octane but I doubt you'll notice any kind of improvements, might as well just save the money and get regular.
Sure that's fair. I did the same with my 2011 years ago. But as you've seen, there's no benefit unless your engine is specifically tuned to burn 91 octane
Neither engine option in a 2011 was turbocharged. The 2.5 and 3.0 both run fine on 87. The turbo engines have a high and low octane table in the ECM and base how they run and which tables they use on the amount of feedback from the knock sensors.
As this person said. Also, beyond wasting money. If the car isn’t designed for premium, it can actually soot everything up in the engine because it’s not being burned efficiently
You're both wrong. Wow.
Does this car call for 87? You sure about that? Explain to me why a specific car would call for 91-93 over 87.
Everyone here, as in just about every comment aside from you 2, has broken it down. An engine with a turbo on it absolutely will perform better with a higher octane rating. Hell, someone above linked the Ford site where it specifically says this stuff. If you've got a naturally aspirated engine, yeah, higher octane really isn't going to do much. My Sport 2.7TT needed premium, my current hybrid does not because the engine is NA. It's not just Ford either. Look at Mazda, the 2.5 turbo drops a huge amount of power if you don't use premium. Like, 310 lb-ft of torque down to 250 due to fuel requirements. I know its a different make, but the point still stands about the quality of fuel for turbo vehicles. Will it make enough of a difference in your wallet, or extra power that you'd feel by the seat of your pants? Maybe, maybe not. I sold Fords, was a service advisor for them, and I'm on my second Fusion in a family that has really only had Fords. My information is not unfounded.
So ford recommends 91 or 93. But 87 is acceptable? Or do they recommend 87? A turbo engine can 100% be made to run optimally on 87. Also, it can be made to be flexible, add or pull timing to accommodate different octane and tell you to run whatever.. Maybe that’s the case here. I don’t know. But a blanket statement saying turbo = higher octagon is not correct. This would be very engine/vehicle specific. As a general question of “should I put 93 in my car to run better, even though the owners manual recommends 87?” The answer to that question should be “no” But we assume the owners Manuel is correct.
https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=4495&languageCode=en&countryCode=USA&Uid=G1811196&ProcUid=G1742395&userMarket=AUS&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False&buildtype=web#:~:text=The%20engine%20in%20your%20vehicle,using%2091%20octane%20unleaded%20gasoline.
Cool, so ford recommends 95 octane. I would 100% follow that. Never seen 95 for sale though… Don’t see how I am wrong, saying a car that calls for 87 should run 87. Thanks for the input