Which Grade of Gas is Best for My Car?

There are literally almost as many ways to save money while at the pump as there are people in the world. That being said though, there is invariably one question that seems to be asked first, and that is which grade of gas is best for my car?

Many people are going to say that you have to go only with premium based on the logic that since it is a higher grade, that means it is going to last longer. This misconception may be due to the fact that this grade of gas is subjected to a more thorough refinement process. Similarly, there are proponents and advocates who are going to say the same thing for midgrade and regular gasoline as well, but with a few slight modifications. In fact, to give you a rather silly example that I overheard the other day that was frankly quite humorous. A friend of mine recently was able to purchase a new hybrid car. When he was telling me about this new purchase he said, with all seriousness that he could only fill it up with midgrade. This was due to the simple fact that since his car was a hybrid, he had to use a fuel that was a hybrid in nature as well.

In all seriousness though, it really does not matter for the vast majority of vehicles what grade of gasoline you use. Whether you use regular, midgrade or premium you are going to get the same results. There is only one real way to know what the best grade of gasoline for your car is, and that would be to check with the car manufacturer and use the grade that they recommend.

Only in a few special cases do you really need worry about what grade of gasoline you use. Those instances would include high performance vehicles that are in need of a more delicate, or refined type of fuel. In those cases though, the dealer is going to make sure that you know about these limitations prior to sale. Another example of where you might want to pay particular attention to what grade of fuel you use is if you have made specific and extensive after market modifications to your vehicle's engine.

In conclusion, the average consumer and driver does not really have to worry about what grade of gasoline is best for their car. They all burn, and work similarly enough that it is not going to make a huge difference in which ones you use.