Octane vs MPG, 87 vs 93, anyone compared?

[Z_ealot]

Also have to take into account altitude when talking about turbo engines, generally they don’t like to run on anything less than 87 above 5000 feet and unfortunately what you tend to get at gas stations above 5000 feet is the less than acceptable 86 octane or lower

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[Ranch]

What is the significant difference between these engines? The 2.3 is built from the 2.0 engine

Even the owners manual states better engine performance with higher octane fuel.

I guess there's no difference between the the 2.0 and 2.3 except HP ratings.

 

[TheQuixotic1]

Obligatory Weird Al:

Weird Al: always obligatory. Always.

IMHO, premium vs regular in the EB comes down to smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon.

Most people won't notice or care if their EB loses ~25hp/trq when they're only using it as a work truck and/or towing well under the 4k limit (and I'm definitely not saying MTC is an accurate sample of the Maverick audience; we're all a bunch of awesome Grade A weirdos on here).

But if you feel substantially more joy being able to get the most out of your engine at any given moment, more confidence towing maximum weight, and more peace of mind knowing you're putting less ethanol through your vehicle's system, then the price difference per gallon ain't nothin' but a number.

 

[GPSMan]

Obligatory Weird Al:

Best post in this thread.

 

[GPSMan]

IMHO, premium vs regular in the EB comes down to smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon.

But if you feel substantially more joy being able to get the most out of your engine at any given moment, more confidence towing maximum weight, and more peace of mind knowing you're putting less ethanol through your vehicle's system, then the price difference per gallon ain't nothin' but a number.

But this is the point people who have done homework are trying to make:

Higher Octane does NOT help you at "any given moment".

It only helps you at very limited, very specific, very infrequent moments.

It's not useless. It's just useless MOST of the time.

 

[TheQuixotic1]

It's not useless. It's just useless MOST of the time.

I have the vaguest childhood memory of my parents saying the same thing about me...

I agree with you. By "any given moment" I meant specific and infrequent as well; but those specific and infrequent moments make premium fuel a prerequisite. I rationalize it as kind of like paying the ridiculously exorbitant amount for having a standby home generator: you have to constantly pay for it even though you may hardly ever use it and it may not be worth it for you in the long run other than the expensive peace of mind knowing you have it.

 

[rlhdweman]

I tested 87e10 vs 91 no ethanol, the difference in my 200 mile test loop was 29.7 for the 87e10 & 32.6 for the 91, hand calculated. I believe the difference is more the ethanol than the octane, but the Maverick definately will patch farther with the 91. I do not have 87 without ethanol available where I live to test it.

 

[OleFordGuy]

Can’t help ya with comparisons between the two since I only use 93 in mine. My opinion is it’s better long term for engine and turbo, along with top of line oil and filter changes. Some won’t agree with that and that ok but I will continue with my way. Good luck with whatever you decide is best for you, Merry Christmas!!

 

[TheQuixotic1]

I tested 87e10 vs 91 no ethanol, the difference in my 200 mile test loop was 29.7 for the 87e10 & 32.6 for the 91, hand calculated. I believe the difference is more the ethanol than the octane, but the Maverick definately will patch farther with the 91. I do not have 87 without ethanol available where I live to test it.

Could you "feel" any noticeable difference in the power between the two?

 

[psuarmy]

Has anyone compared their mpg running 87 verses 93? I'm curious if there is a gain and if so is it enough to overcome the price difference.

I ran 87 for the first 3 months I had the truck and 92 ever since. I tend to tow and haul often enough that I don't want to keep switching back and forth.

First you have to give it a few tanks for the anti-knock system to adjust the timing. There will not be huge gains in performance though. Where I notice it most is the truck is a little more responsive (less sluggish), especially from a stop. Nothing huge and if you are not paying attention you might not notice it.

As far as increased MPG your driving will determine that. If you are a light on the pedal driver then you may get a few MPG increase(I seem to get 1 or 2 MPG at best). If you are hard on the gas pedal you will see no difference or maybe a loss because the performance gain might cause you to be less economical. Just as if you would drive in ECO mode and floor it everywhere will not give you better MPGs.

Most likely there will not be a financial benefit to driving with 93. The price is so much higher you will not recoup the extra you pay. But if you like a little more power, tow often, or plan on keeping the truck a long time then 93 might be worth it for that.

 

[Ranch]

Will running 87 octane harm the engine in any way? Will 87 octane cause the engine to wear out sooner than 91/93 octane? I can only buy 87/89/91 octane here in California.

 

[LM42]

Will running 87 octane harm the engine in any way? Will 87 octane cause the engine to wear out sooner than 91/93 octane? I can only buy 87/89/91 octane here in California.

The truck requires 87 from the factory. In what way would you imagine it might harm the engine? The worst thing about modern fuel, especially in places like California is the added ethanol. No modern fuel you can buy out of a regular old gas pump is going to hurt your car. That conversation is more nuanced if you are talking about less than Tier 1 gasoline or places that are so lightly populated that gas might sit in underground tanks for really long periods. But just pump what the car asks for (preferably good stuff like Chevron, etc)

 

[BuddyS]

This question has been asked 1000s of times on thousands of forums, on TV news shows, at thanksgiving dinners, on tinder dates, in congressional hearings and in job interviews for pool cleaners. I think by now if higher octane gas delivered any real benefits, we'd know about it...

 

[Ranch]

The truck requires 87 from the factory. In what way would you imagine it might harm the engine? The worst thing about modern fuel, especially in places like California is the added ethanol. No modern fuel you can buy out of a regular old gas pump is going to hurt your car. That conversation is more nuanced if you are talking about less than Tier 1 gasoline or places that are so lightly populated that gas might sit in underground tanks for really long periods. But just pump what the car asks for (preferably good stuff like Chevron, etc)

I only buy top tier 87 octane gas at Costco. I'm reading some posts that high octane gas is going to be better for my Mavericks engine so I'm curious on why that is. If 87 octane does no harm then I'm not sure if the added expense of higher octane gas makes sense.
Consumer Reports: Using Top Tier Gas Is Worth the Extra Cash


https://www.motorbiscuit.com/using-top-tier-gas-worth-extra-cash/

 

[olderbudwiser]

I already did. My response was to the guy I quoted. Look above. Some of you will never learn social media. Lol

I have no idea and could care less....hows that

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