AAA: Drivers waste money on premium gas

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – AAA says American drivers wasted more than $2.1 billion dollars in the last year by using premium-grade gasoline in vehicles designed to run on regular gasoline. According to a recent foundation study, a better option for drivers concerned about gasoline quality is to purchase gasoline from a TOP TIER supplier.

Over the last 12 months, 16.5 million U.S. drivers unnecessarily used premium fuel at least once despite the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. With the national average of premium gasoline fifty cents more than regular gasoline the cost quickly adds up. To determine what, if any, benefit this practice offers to consumers AAA conducted a comprehensive fuel evaluation.

AAA tested 87-octane (regular) and 93-octane (premium) gasoline in vehicles equipped with a V-8, V-6 or I4 engine designed to operate on regular-grade fuel. To evaluate the effects of using a higher-octane fuel when it’s not required by the manufacturer, each vehicle was tested on a dynamometer, which is essentially a treadmill for cars that is designed to measure horsepower, fuel economy and tailpipe emissions when using both fuel types and variety of driving conditions. The laboratory testing found no significant increases in any tested category, indicating the practice of using premium gasoline when it’s not required for the vehicle offers no advantage.

“Drivers see the ‘premium’ name at the pump and may assume the fuel is better for their vehicle,” said Lilla S. Mason, AAA Spokesperson. “AAA cautions drivers that premium gasoline is higher octane, not higher quality, and urges drivers to follow the owner’s manual recommendations for their vehicle’s fuel.”

To understand the magnitude of the issue, AAA surveyed U.S. drivers to understand what type of fuel their vehicles require and the frequency at which they upgrade to premium fuel. Results reveal:
• Seventy percent of U.S. drivers currently own a vehicle that requires regular gasoline, while 16 percent drive vehicles that require premium fuel. The remaining 14 percent own a vehicle that requires mid-grade gasoline (10 percent) or uses an alternative energy source (4 percent).
• In the last 12 months, 16.5 million U.S. drivers unnecessarily used premium-grade gasoline in their vehicle at least once. On average, those that upgraded to premium gasoline did so at least once per month.
• In the last 12 months, U.S. drivers unnecessarily used premium gasoline in their vehicle more than 270 million times.

However, just because premium grade gasoline won’t increase the performance of your vehicle it does not mean that all gasoline is created equally. Previous AAA research found that fuel quality varies significantly among gasoline retailers and that using a gasoline that meets TOP TIER standards can result in 19 times fewer engine deposits, increase vehicle performance and improve fuel economy.

To keep your car performing as well as possible AAA recommends:
• Following the vehicle owner’s manual to determine which type of gasoline is required for your vehicle.
• For optimal performance, AAA urges vehicle owners to keep their vehicle’s maintenance up-to-date by following the manufacturer’s recommended schedule.
• Drivers whose vehicles require regular gasoline and want a higher quality fuel should select a TOP TIER™ gasoline, not a higher octane one.

To calculate the total annual cost of using premium gasoline when not required by the vehicle manufacturer, AAA conducted a comprehensive analysis that included a U.S. consumer survey, Federal Highway Administration data, per-gallon costs of premium gasoline and regular gasoline and the average number of fill-ups annually.

All testing was conducted at the Automotive Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center in Los Angeles, California, using an industry-standard chassis dynamometer, emissions test equipment and Environmental Protection Agency driving cycles.

All gasoline used for testing was EPA Tier III certification fuel with ten percent ethanol content in both regular and premium grades.

Certified test fuel was used to remove variability in fuel quality and additives. For this study, AAA did not evaluate the effects of using regular fuel in an engine that requires premium gasoline.