American drivers wasted $2.1 billion in the past year buying premium gasoline their vehicles don’t need, according to AAA.
The consumer travel group says 16.5 million U.S. drivers used premium fuel in their vehicles the past 12 months even though the manufacturer may recommend using regular.
“Drivers see the ‘premium’ name at the pump and may assume the fuel is better for their vehicle,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair in a statement. “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.”
AAA said it worked with the Automotive Research Center to test the difference between 87-octane and 93-octane gasoline in vehicles with V-6, V-8, and I4 engines that are designed to run on the low-grade fuel. AAA said the lab tests found no significant benefits in any tested category.
“Premium gasoline is specifically formulated to be compatible with specific types of engine designs and most vehicles cannot take advantage of the higher octane rating,” according to a statement from Megan McKernan, manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center.
AAA says it asked U.S. drivers what fuel they use and why. Seventy percent of U.S. drivers own a vehicle that should run on regular gasoline.
16.5 million said they filled up at least once in the past year with premium. On average, those that used premium did it at least once per month.
AAA suggests drivers use a TOP TIER gasoline, not one with higher octane. TOP TIER is a detergent gasoline sold by many fuel retailers that AAA says leads to fewer engine deposits and can ultimately save drivers money.
