Should I switch to premium fuel?

[Osco]

Still running regular at 27,000 miles in my 1.5L
Performance is good, mpg’s is 26 average but I’m in the Appalachian mountains so lots of climbing and switch backs.
In the heat of the summer my little turbo mill does like the taste of the mid grade fuel, 89 octane, and I feed it that for .40 cents a gallon more but I only drive 8-10 gallons a week on average.
I’m back on regular for the winter.
I don’t push it into the top ten percent of its performance range so that little bit of extra grunt from using premium is never needed.

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[Meanderthal]

My BS 1.5 has 10K miles and have used regular until 8.5K when i switched to premium. I obtained better gas mileage from 23.4 to 25.2 MPG, both city / highway. I have now noticed the performance is much smoother and don’t need depress the gas pedal more. I do have a custom intake i put together. With the stock intake @ regular gas I was getting the 23.4MPG.

So you are getting 8% more fuel mileage. If you are paying more than an 8% increase for premium fuel, then you are losing money. As a reference, if regular fuel is $3.50 per gallon, then an 8% increase for premium fuel would be $3.78 per gallon. I’m guessing that you are paying more than 8% more for premium.

 

[Jmuns]

So you are getting 8% more fuel mileage. If you are paying more than an 8% increase for premium fuel, then you are losing money. As a reference, if regular fuel is $3.50 per gallon, then an 8% increase for premium fuel would be $3.78 per gallon. I’m guessing that you are paying more than 8% more for premium.

I agree with the idea here, but if he feels it’s running better on premium you’d have to factor that into the equation which runs deeper than cost per mile based on fuel consumption. I also feel mine runs smoother with premium.

 

[Mark S.]

I agree with the idea here, but if he feel it’s running better on premium you’d have to factor that into the equation which runs deeper than cost per mile based on fuel consumption. I also feel mine runs smoother with premium.

You'll get better throttle response with premium because the engine is producing more power. You might try driving in Sport mode with regular gas. You don't get more power in Sport mode, but you will get better throttle response and a different shift program.

 

[Meanderthal]

I agree with the idea here, but if he feel it’s running better on premium you’d have to factor that into the equation which runs deeper than cost per mile based on fuel consumption. I also feel mine runs smoother with premium.

Agreed that cost is not the only consideration, but you should be aware of the extra cost of running premium. Even if it gets a little better mileage, it will cost more. So then you have to decide if the extra cost is worth any other “benefit” you are finding.

 

[Jmuns]

Agreed that cost is not the only consideration, but you should be aware of the extra cost of running premium. Even if it gets a little better mileage, it will cost more. So then you have to decide if the extra cost is worth any other “benefit” you are finding.

For sure, but it’s not a “benefit”. It’s an actual real life benefit. The engine performs better with premium. I think anyone using premium understands it’s a higher cost at the pump.

 

[69cuda340s]

Mine runs smoother makes more power with 93 octane. Might be another 1 mpg don't know. If saving money is priority and you don't think there is a difference then run 87 octane.

 

[Meanderthal]

For sure, but it’s not a “benefit”. It’s an actual real life benefit. The engine performs better with premium. I think anyone using premium understands it’s a higher cost at the pump.

If you can find it in your area, you might want to try ethanol free gas and see how the BS engine likes that.

 

[Osco]

So you are getting 8% more fuel mileage. If you are paying more than an 8% increase for premium fuel, then you are losing money. As a reference, if regular fuel is $3.50 per gallon, then an 8% increase for premium fuel would be $3.78 per gallon. I’m guessing that you are paying more than 8% more for premium.

Where in the world did u get 8% ???
Did you mean the mpg’s ?
That was because the driver was looking for more mpg’s and mashed the throttle easier.
To get a true 8% it would have to be done over at least a ten tank test average.

 

[Bronco Blue]

I average 26.9 to 27.1 in my Outer Banks with 87 rn with a little under 1,300 miles on the odometer. It’s hard not to worry about fuel economy, but it gets 5 miles better than the 22 miles my Fusion averaged out at with the 2.0 liter. My Escape that my parents bought from me with the 2.0 liter gets the same as my Bronco Sport. Maybe once it gets up higher in mileage it’ll start getting better, it happened with the Escape.

 

[Meanderthal]

Where in the world did u get 8% ???
Did you mean the mpg’s ?
That was because the driver was looking for more mpg’s and mashed the throttle easier.
To get a true 8% it would have to be done over at least a ten tank test average.

Well, they did drive 8500 miles on 87 and 1500 miles on 91. So maybe not 10 tanks but much more than 1 on 91. I got 8% from the fuel mileage (mpg to you) that they posted. Do I need to show my work? Like I am in math class?

 

[Osco]

I wonder what the BS could get on Nitro Methane ? :,P

 

[Osco]

All I’m saying is I can and have made a small change to my driving style simply by getting interested in my mileage and gain 2 mpg’s.

 

[Mark S.]

I average 26.9 to 27.1 in my Outer Banks with 87 rn with a little under 1,300 miles on the odometer. It’s hard not to worry about fuel economy, but it gets 5 miles better than the 22 miles my Fusion averaged out at with the 2.0 liter. My Escape that my parents bought from me with the 2.0 liter gets the same as my Bronco Sport. Maybe once it gets up higher in mileage it’ll start getting better, it happened with the Escape.

We drove my wife's 2020 Escape Titanium with the 2.0L to Tampa and back this year. I hand-measured the mileage for the trip and it logged an honest 32 mpg for the trip. I used the cruise control to the maximum extent possible, and kept the speed set to 5 mph over the limit.

 

[TravisPNW]

It’s hard not to worry about fuel economy

Not gonna lie... I don't give 2 flips about fuel economy. I didn't buy my V8 Challenger because I was trying to get great MPG and quite honestly I didn't buy the Bronco Sport for it either. If I cared about fuel economy I'd have bought a Prius or a SUV hybrid.

The dealership filled it up for me when I bought it a couple weeks ago and I'm 100% certain they added 87... and I ran it to almost empty and just made my first fill up with 93.... and will for as long as I own it.

It's $81.60 for 16 gallons of 87 @ $5.10 or $86.40 for 16 gallons of 93 @ $5.40...

That $4.80 difference every tank makes it an easy decision... 93 all the way.

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