Premium gas vs. Regular Whats really better for your car? 

Thanks for everything that you do for the Toyota community.

I was a fuel transporter for several years, I would never buy premium fuel at any station, what happened a lot of time, was we would get a order to deliver 8000 gallons of no lead to a shell or amoco or no preticular brand , I would arrive and stick there regular tank and see it would only hold 6000 gallons and go in and tell the manager ,they would say OK that's fine just throw the extra 2000 gallons in the premium tank, so I would unload and fill there regular till full, then add the left over into the premium tank like they said, I have also went to stations where they would order 8 ,000 regular, I would arrive and could only get 4000 in the regular tanks and the manager new before ordering that they did not have room for all that regular ,but his manager said get 8,000 and put excess in the premium tank, I had several brands where I seldom took premium because I was always adding the excess regular in there premium tank , so there are probably some managers who do fill the premium tank with only premium but in my 30 years experience most premium was watered down to a fraction of premium ,that's why I would never buy premium because from my experience most people are just paying a lot more for regular thinking they are getting premium, So unless you know what your getting , I would say buyer beware and I personally have always just put in regular after seeing this practice going on for 30 years.

AMD, I really appreciate the detail, the clarity, and the integrity of the videos that you share with us. Your experience and your commitment to telling the truth and helping owners is just fantastic! May God give his blessing to you and your family.

Golden! You are doing a wonderful service to all Toyota Owners! Especially this one. Once again, thank you and appreciate it a whole lot!

AMD, I hope your dealership treats you well. You provide the best information. Your information makes me feel more conferrable about dealing with Toyota dealerships I can trust, as , I have been a Toyota owner for more than 30 years. Its guys like you and some service advisers that keeps me coming back. THANK YOU

You were a very different RU-vidr in 2020 it's crazy to see the development for the better I may add

Amd tells it like it is folks, no sugar coating, no bull. Thank you for sharing young man, you are the button in the cap of car care!

My friend has a Tesla and he said it makes no difference whether he uses Regular or Premium.

I was told to never get gas at the same time as the gas companys tractor trailer is re-filling the tanks. Due to the sediment and possible sluge at the bottom of the big tanks gets stirred up

Agreed, I own two cars both 2grfe V6's a kluger and an Aurion (Australia) I always thought 95 and 98 was better until I started using 91 (mobil synergy) since I've been using the 91 both cars are getting good mileage per tank e.g. Aurion 610kms , Kluger 575kms city driving and even better mileage hwy driving, both cars are using fully synthetic oil 10w30 and 5w30(kluger) and genuine filters on every service, absolutely love these cars for their reliability and performance and economy. Both are now due for trans and diff(kluger awd) services your vid on that is excellent too, will take your advice about using genuine toyota trans oil , thanks again man 👍

I am glad I found you on this platform as most on here don’t convince me they know what they’re talking about. I believe in you and you come across as honest which in this subject, is a bit of a rarity. If that sounds harsh, so is life. Good, honest people are rare. I choose you as my advisor. That is a complement. It is hard to earn that status. I don’t yield it easy!

A friend of mine used to work at a petroleum distribution center. He said that a lot of off brand stations buy what is known as 'bottom tank' gas. This type of gas is left in the bottom of the big tanks and is actioned off to the highest bidder. He said that this gas could contain a lot of stuff. All he said was beware of this type of gas.

Excellent, simple and informative. Thank you!

Great channel, thank you very much,l for comprehensive topic coverage and straight forward to the point👍🏼

I just found your channel. You are the best of all. Very informative, easy to understand, simple but full of details. Thank you so much for your help full videos!!!

Here in Spain my only concern is Diesel, I buy from a station near my house and never had a problem outside of Rude employees and this is to be expected in Spain. Love your common sense advice/knowledge and this is coming from a retired hvy equipment mechanic w/ over 50 yrs experience worldwide. Yes I just bought my first Toyota Hilux and absolutely love it.

I knew the part about 87 vs. 93, but I wasn't aware of the "Top Tier" gas. That was very helpful! You share so much helpful information, and I really do appreciate it!

I love getting educated from you, Master AMD! You are super awesome Sir! I hope that one day I can meet you in person! Thank you so much 😊

Thank you so much!!! You answered every concern I had. Thanks again 👍🏻

Best Toyota information channel ever , Toyota needs to star a You Tube channel with you for Toyota maintenance .

Great video, I’ve always used Shell gas my Dad used always and never had a problem, so I have used all my life so far and never had any bad gas or engine problems related to Shell gas.

Holy crap this guy is amazing already watched 6 videos

More knowledge bombs from an awesome teacher. Ty, AMD-esp for the Top Tier gas info.

I only put shell gas in my car at the same station and I am so happy to hear you say it’s a good thing.

Lot of extremely good advice on this channel about the Toyota Hybrids. It is appreciated. As to car gas.. The Engine Control Unit (capabilities depending on the year of the vehicle) measures air density, temp and numerous other parameters to adjust the ever changing fuel to air ration mix in order to meet the load demands of the engine. We have been all over the nation, both ends of Canada, most of Alaska and the Yukon. 2000 32H Bounder motorhome Ford V-10 engine towing a Honda CR-V. We used Flying J and Arco when available. A lot of the time its was just any gas station with a roof more then 12.6 feet high. Never had a problem with the quality of various regional formulas of regular gasoline even when climbing a 10.'000 foot mountain pass-unhooked.. Same for Mexico using Pemex gas. Biggest problem is random credit card skimers installed in gas pumps at isolated gas stations. scheduledmaintenance that I won't do. somethinglethel

You are a wealth of knowledge my friend.

The car care nut, I definitely subscribe to your channel. I did so because I was in the middle of looking for a good car and I did purchase a 2015 Toyota Camry based off of your experience with vehicles. It helped me make a good choice for this vehicle. It's a Toyota Camry SE, hopefully you have other positive things to say about this vehicle because I plan on taking very good care of it. Thank you for everything that you do it is much appreciated. John in Erie Pennsylvania

My Dad was a truck driver and hauled gasoline and other bulk liquids for years in Michigan and he learned that there are only a couple of sources for gasoline and it depends on what part of the state you live in but generally all the stations in a given city get their fuel from the same distributor. This is even more true these days since all of the smaller refineries were forced to shut down years ago. In Michigan there is only one refinery in the entire state and it’s south of Detroit, it’s a Marathon facility. That refinery supplies most of the state, the rest is supplied by an interstate pipeline. I now live in Chattanooga and there is a big fuel terminal in town that I learned when the pipeline company got hacked earlier this year, is supplied from that pipeline. That same pipeline supplies terminals in Knoxville, Nashville, Atlanta, and Birmingham. So every station within at least 200 miles is supplied by the same source. My Dad used to get a kick out of listening to guys talk about which station was best when he knew he would deliver to different brand stations out of the same load, and all the loads came from the same big tank at the terminal. Another little gas station trick was that sometimes the station would order say 2000 gallons of regular and 500 gallons of premium but they didn’t sell as much as they thought before the truck arrived so only 1800 gallons would fit in the regular tank. The driver asks them what they want to do with the remaining 200 gallons and the answer was dump it in the premium tank because it costs them something to send it back.

I was wondering about whether the brand name gasoline is worth it. Someone had told me once that it makes a difference and I’ve been following that advice. Thanks for confirming that I’m doing the right thing.

I've been using Top Tier gas since reading about it 2015 for my 2016 Camry. GetGo a convenience store chain, started selling Top Tier gas! The chain operates locations in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

I’m a head lab tech for a major oil company. I spent 5 years doing nothing but octane testing on gasoline. We are a top tier gasoline producer. If the manual recommends 87 then use 87. You gain nothing by going higher. If it recommends higher but says you can use lower, use the higher recommended octane. As far as the ethanol gasoline, if it says 10% at the pump it must test at 10 +\- 0.5% ethanol.

Great videos.... keep them coming...

In another video you mentioned rather than putting an additive in you gas tank to clean deposits to just run a tank of premium gas through your tank. I thought that was a great tip!

This dude gets a like from me as soon as I push play on the video, I know every video is going to be great!

All gas comes from the same place the only difference is the additives, I have a friend that delivers gas, mobile,shell etc all comes from the same tanks just different additives are put into the tanker truck at the rack.

Good and accurate info. I ran my 2003 Toyota Tacoma for 13 years and 229,000 miles on cheap gas and never a problem outside normal maintenance.

I use 91 octane in my Rav4 Prime. This is because it is TT (Shell), and ethanol free (Hybrids sometimes take longer to drain the tank).

Thanks! Simple and right in to the point.

Thank you for Excellent Video on Different types of gasoline ratings, Very Informative!!

Costco gas is Top Tier and typically @20-30 cents cheaper than nearby stations. Its typically my go to. Along with 5-10 min wait times.

Loving this!

I always learn from this talented man.

I wish I had found you and this video before the engine in the car we love, 2012 Prius V was ruined due to both the faulty engine design in that year model and also due to cheap gas from wherever we could get the cheapest - usually Walmart! I'm sure we lost 150,000 miles of use. Thanks to you, we are treating our newer vehicle, 2018 RAV4 Hybrid, to the same gas station and their Top Tier fuel when we are in-town. And, when on the road, we will look for the same brand. Thanks!

Great information! Thank you!

Just found AMD's channel today as I'm shopping for a Highlander Hybrid. I'm hooked, I've watched about 5 or 6 of his videos. I've learned more about maintenance in the last hour than I have in my previous 50 years. This info to Top Tier gas was awesome, and I'm glad I have been using Shell exclusively. And on his hybrid video!! Yes, I WILL absolutely maintain the filter to the Hybrid battery fan!! That was pure gold information!

I had a 92 Nissan truck (thought it would be the same as a Toyota - gack, big mistake), but once I switched to using top tier gas, it ran so much better. I lived up on the CA/OR border and learned that even getting gas from a top tier brand in a different state can make a difference. OR top tier gas wasn't as good for my old truck as CA top tier. Gas really does make a difference. Great video.

My go to is Cumberland Farms. But i have a lease so I hand it in after 2 or 3 years thus I don't worry about long term... Though I do still often have tire issues...

I have listened to Scotty Kilmer for a long time, if he says its so, my wife takes it as gospel. Now I have found another car guru. Thank you so much. I'm getting a 4 runner ,I have a work car, I also have a mid size groceries getter, but I needed a dream vehicle, . we live in the country, so the question was what kind of truck do I need ? And, after watching your channel, ... Gun metal Grey, TRD Pro, with black out lettering. Of course the side step is a must, if you think I'm making a mistake let me know, its going to cost me 4 times as much as my last car. But being 57 years old, ill have it the rest of my life.

The "what octane fuel should I use" discussion pops up at least once a week in my car groups online. There is always one or two people who swear up and down that they get noticeably better fuel economy and power with 91 over 87 in their 3ur-fe. Like you said in your video, and like I reply to them, the octane rating is related to your compression ratio and to combat detonation, nothing more, nothing less.

New subscriber. Can't wait to go through your videos.

I mostly use Esso here in the UK (Unleaded 95Ron,normal run of the mill fuel) as it's closest to me,there is a 97 or 98Ron but that's Super Unleaded ie For performance vehicles. I don't often use Shell or BP ,but i do use it if need be.I very,very rarely use supermarket fuels.Used Esso so much in 30 yrs of driving,my 2002 Yaris which i've owned for 13 yrs had 90% of Esso in the 13 yrs of owning it,never had an issue with it nor any other vehicles i ever had.

GREAT VIDEO MAN! Keep me coming!

Very good fantastic teacher 🥰

Super useful and crisp. Thank you and God bless

This guy is the BEST!!! Period!!!

In Germany you can get 95 E5, 95 E10, 98 or Diesel. Maybe LPG or CNG, too. But Gasoline wise you mostly have two or three options.

Thumbs up my friend,, Keep on Keepin on! God Bless

Wow, didn’t know about top tier gasoline labels. Thanks for the tip. 👍

Really enjoy your videos. I have a 2008 Lexus RX350 and a 2006 Toyota Tundra Double Cab Limited. Love my Tundra! My question is the Tundra has a recommendation for tire pressure of 29 lbs front and 32 lbs rear. I have a boat that I tow occasionally that weighs just under 3,000 lbs. What tire pressure do I use when I tow the boat? Thanks for your informative videos!

Cars that require premium gas will say directly at the fuel gauge, because it is very important NOT to down grade fuel for these cars, you will ruin the engine.

Love the straight forward (and wallet-saving) advice, thank you! You said not to change gas station brands for consistency, but didn't explain what you meant by that, and how it affects the car, can you please explain?

You’re easy to like as a car guy. Thank you for everything.

Thanks for your detailed explanations, especially your advice on top tier gas stations ( Shell, Costco, BP. & mobil etc) Please i just got highlander 2022, what gas type should i buy? Premium , Medium or regular ?

I’m running 89 in my 2021 Camry LE. “Racetrack” fuel in Texas Runs better at light throttle. Always a great share brother!.. Larry

We use ethanol-free (any octane) usually top tier in our 2009 RAV4 2.5 liter four cylinder.

Before the US EPA released specifications for detergency in gasoline (1996, IIRC) there was a big difference in detergency between regular and premium gas. I think it was Shell that showed commercials on TV where they lit the exhaust of a car running regular gasoline with a torch, and then showed the exhaust didn't burn when Shell - or whichever - premium was used. I think that era was where the legend of premium gas started. Thank you a thousand times for championing top tier gas! There are probably some cars that do okay with EPA standard gasoline, at least for the life of a cheap car, and almost any car can tolerate a bit of random gasoline once in a while when there are no good choices available. We can eat at fast food restaurants once in a while, too, but we have to make good food and top tier gas the mainstays in our lives.

Another helpful video! Thanks

Thank you sir! You rock!

I rarely use anything other than Chevron. It has little to no smell at the pump compared to other places that are 50 cents cheaper or more, like Costco, ARCO and Sams Club. I find that my car accelerates less smooth when I use the low quality gasoline with a harsh smell. 2013 Camry SE.

The reason most people use 89 or premium gas is because these GDI engines pings or have detonation after sometime. Going higher in octane resist those pinging. 87 octane is not always 87 sometimes it is 85 and cause pinging in GDI high compression engines. 87 octane make your car run like crap and pings on acceleration or under load

Very knowledgeable and professional.

Wow great video sir. God bless you.

Great video I think you forgot to address one thing in this video. Some vehicles like modern ford ecoboosts or the Mazda 2.5Turbo where they say premium is recommended but not required.

I had bad experience with both premium and regular petrol as we called in Uk . I usually run my Prius on 95 but from the different garages comes at different quality and I can feel the car sometimes doesn’t accelerate as normally does, last filled up with 99 octane and the engine went super quick, quiet and very smooth transition from electric to petrol . Plus when accelerating on motorways it’s a lot easier, perhaps was a good batch of fuel as previously I had the worst experience with 99 from different place

Good material from Super Mechanic. Thx

Thank you brother! God bless you !!

If there’s one thing we all should have learned from that gasoline pipeline shutdown is that quite clearly, most brands sell the same exact gasoline that comes from the same refineries via the same pipelines. Just get your gas from a Top Tier brand (most are) and get your recommended octane rating. That’s all.

Great job you do there man, thanks. Question my 2020 RAV4 pulls to the right as I drive on highways. What could be the problem it’s on 6000mils

Always great content here.

Thanks .. Costco is my primary choice since it's close by and when traveling.. always look for a Costco or Shell

In Europe the regular gas (octane 95) is E10. Premium gas (octane 98) is something between E0 and E5. There is no difference in quality, however regular gas has an expiration date of 3 months. Premium gas has an expiration date of 6 months. There are a lot of people over here who don't use their car often. They use premium gas for this reason.

I am sharing my own personal experience with reg vs premium gas. i have had several camries, 85, 92, 98 4 and six cylinder, and currently own a 2006 sienna 3.3L engine and always keep track of miles per gallon. when i compared over 30,000 miles of using each in every vehicle I always got 10 -12% higher mpg with premium. also when I did emissions tests the premium gas had nearly no emissions. another simple observation test is to tske a white cloth and rub the back end of the tail pipe and note how black the cloth is. low octane ALWAYS is blacker and premium is nearly zero black soot in the back tail pipe. what dies that tell me? it says the regular gas is not burning completly and unburned hydro carbons ( lost energy) my engines run smoother with fewer misses. higher octane simply means there is more oxygen in the fuel and contributes tonslower burning or more complete burning which means more boom combustions whichbisbwhy I akways get better mpg. also ethanol blended gas I always lose power and mog is reduced 18% to 23%!!! if you dont believe me talk to any drag racer or stock car racer what they think of alcohol and the performance of their engines... cleaner burning means also myboil lasts longer cuz not dropping contaminants into the oil, big oil has been messing with us for decades. oil is NOT a fossil fuel. it is abiotic which means its nothing tondonwith living or decayed matter. it is a chemical process by the earth renewing its gas and oil constantly. there is no shortage of oil, rather its an abundance of over zealous super greedy brain damaged elites with insatiable appetite for world control of everything and unwilling to share the wealth. they have stolen thousands of patents that would keep life simple lasting and inexpensive. they have nonintention of long lasting vehicles( except toyota) rather everything planned obsolesence! EVERYTHING including human lifespans

Thank you for another informative video. But does the brand of the gas station matter? Thank you

THANK YOU that’s a amazing advice❤️

I have always used regular gas in all my cars, but I have recently discovered that my 1.4 turbo engine performs much better when I consistently use 89 octane. Much better throttle response, quicker acceleration, and 1-2 more miles per gallon. Much more enjoyable to drive. I have read that ECMs test for fuel quality by doing occasional ignition advance tests so I surmise that it is using a more aggressive timing curve with the higher octane gas. Maybe a more aggressive boost curve as well?

I run 91/93 in my 3UR-FE V8 only because it’s mostly ethanol-free around here and the MPG is noticeably better than regular 87 with ethanol, even though it’s a flex fuel engine.

Thanks for the information!

Thanks bro! Your a big help! God bless!

Great video thanks, but I have more question though how about 2GR-FE on toyota and lexus, toyota takes regular fuel but lexus needs premium gas, why is that possible? because both cars have the same engine and same horsepower.

The only thing stopping me from getting a used Lexus GX460 is the recommendation of premium gas. I heard the same engine in a Toyota can use 87.

In Australia the octane ratings are 91, 93, 95 and 98. 93 is E10. The fuel isn’t better, just a different scale. The difference in octane rating is pre-ignition protection. However, fuel companies put additives in 95 and 98 to make them run ‘cleaner’. Like you, I fill at either Costco or Shell.

My Honda CBR 600RR owners manual says minimum of 89 octane, but it also Revs at 18000 RPM, but it runs very good if not better with non ethanol Gas.

Great channel, down to earth info. I will have to disagree with you on this one. Several reputable studies have shown benefit from higher octane high detergent fuels in passenger vehicles. I have done similar tests with data logging the ECM and borescope cameras. 87 octane is the absolute minimum to maintain your warranty for the first 3yr/36000 miles, and it far from the most optimal fuel. The average consumer will be irrate if they have to pay for premium so the manufacturers de-tune the cars to allow for this minimum octane. 40 years ago high octane help little with standard ignition, carburetor, and primitive fuel injection systems. These new engine computers system can most certainly benefit and I have proven so with an inexpensive, blue tooth scan tool with data logging, and a USB boresscope with my phone. In my standard GM crossover with a 4 cylinder engine I was able to nearly eliminate all engine knock, increase engine power and efficiency using 93 octane. The higher additives in premium significantly reduces combustion chamber carbon build up. This carbon is one cause of engine knock. I have many pictures to prove it. I drove thousands of miles, under controlled conditions, and data logged dozens of sensors, tracked fuel economy and took pictures of the combustion chamber using various grades and fuel octane levels. 87 E10 is the worst fuel you can use in these modern cars. Ethanol is a cheap octane booster. It allows companies to use lower grades of fuel and still achieve the minimum octane, and maximize profits. Top Tier 87 E10 isnt much better. Use 93 octane, non-ethanol fuel from a major provider if you want the best, LONG TERM performance and reliability. When I say performance, not talking about the small horsepower difference. I am talking about combustion efficiency and performance leading to cleaner, longer lasting engines. The alternative fuels industry is getting so desperate that they are saying that non ethanol, high octane fuels will make your engines more dirty, and perform worse, which is bs. Ethanol in these small quanitities in GDI engines will burn much more dirty and leave more deposits. Ethanol has 30% less energy. Even Shell's 93 Octane Premium with Ethanol left significantly more deposits than the similar 93 octane non-ethanol premium fuel. You dont have to be a scientist to do your own testing, I am an electronics engineer, and DIYr for 35 years. Wish I had these tools when I was growing up.

I have a 2003 Honda Accord 2000cc. The owners manual recommends regular, but I put premium and I'm sure the onboard computer adjusts the timing to where it should be. I noticed improved economy, also premium gas burns cleaner generating less carbon. Please comment.

Hi 👋 I’m a big fan of your channel… love your honesty .. can you please tell me What Should I put 87 or 89 for my Toyota RAV4 2022 ?

Thank you AMD for your informative Toyota videos . Im about to purchase a new 2023 RAV4 Hybrid , What is your recommendation regarding Non Ethanol regular grade fuel for the RAV4 ?

Just watched your video on fuel injection cleaning and carbon... i run 91 octance because there is no ethanol here in our 91 vs 87. I do find the lack of ethanol does give a minor bump to fuel mileage... thoughts?

I previously had the same opinion about sticking with a top tier fuel brand. Until we discovered carbon buildup in our Lexus group. We had members with less carbon buildup/ problems when they didn’t stick with the same brand. Combining different top tier fuels is not a bad idea, as their combined with different additives to clean the carbon deposits.

Thanks for your infos

Presumably cars are ,"pre-tuned" or adapt to whatever octane is available you give it per market (within its parameters of course). In the EU for instance "normal" petrol is 95 octane whilst "super" is 98 RON. That's what I feed the NX300h and ut's giving me back 7-7.5L per 100 km.