Saving Gas

Edmunds.com conducted various tests to improve your car's MPG (miles per gallon). With gas prices sky rocketing out of control, it pays to stop driving like a maniac and obey the speed limit. By accelerating less aggressively from a stop will save you up to 37 percent and driving the speed limit can save you up to 14 percent. I, for one, have a hard time taking it easy from a stop light. It is just too much fun to accelerate fast and feel that kick. My car guzzles gas, yielding 18/22 MPG under official tests. In reality, my car only gets under 15 MPG in the city by the way I drive. Yes, I am a maniac; however, with gas prices going out of control, I may have to change my driving habit to save a few bucks.

I have already switched to using Regular gas (octane 87) instead of the Premium as suggested by the manufacturer. From my research, I have discovered that Premium is not necessary, a slight difference of maybe 5 horsepower. Most modern cars have sensors to detect gas with lower octane ratings and adjust accordingly. Unless you hear a pinging or knocking sound from your engine when using lower octane, it is okay to simply use Regular instead of Premium. In the few months I have been using Regular, I have not notice any difference in performance. I still get the bad MPG and I can still drive like a maniac. By switching to Regular yields an instant saving up to 20 - 30 cents per gallon. I was very skeptical at first when I first switched to Regular. It was mostly guilt for not feeding my car the most expensive.

USA Today wrote, "Profit is meaningless to the modern engine, which, regardless of what's specified in the owner's manual, hardly cares what you use — as long as it's clean."

Kiplinger's reported, "Most cars can adjust to regular fuel because engines are now equipped with knock sensors, which adjust the engine's timing automatically when they detect uncontrolled burning. You may experience a slight decrease in power, but no damage to the engine."

Consumer Reports said, "Some engines for which premium gasoline is recommended can run on regular without problems. That's because the engine's knock-sensor system detects the presence of uncontrolled burning in the chambers. When it does, the engine's computer-control system retards engine timing, eliminating the knock but slightly reducing power."

So there you have it. It pays to drive like a grandma and use the cheap stuff. It is completely up to you if you choose to feed your car with Premium or Regular. My car has been guzzling down Regular for a few months and it seems to do just fine.