The Champ
New member
European 91 octane (RON) is the equivalent to 87 octane (RON + MON/2) here in the states.
So we're both using 87...
MPG is very sensitive to our driving habits
- Thread starter dlee1001
- Start date
European 91 octane (RON) is the equivalent to 87 octane (RON + MON/2) here in the states.
So we're both using 87...
carsNskis
New member
RECOMMENDED and required are not the same thing. The car will run fine on ANY octane currently available. They have a sweet spot they engineered for, therefore they recommend 87. It doesn't damage the motor if you run lesser octane fuel, you just won't see peak powerEuropean 91 octane (RON) is the equivalent to 87 octane (RON + MON/2) here in the states.
So we're both using 87...
The Champ
New member
I'm not sure of your response to my post.
spacedout was talking about octane ratings in europe - and all I did was clarify that 91 octane in Europe is the same as our 87 octane here in the states.
I'm also puzzled by this.
91 octane in readily available in any state I've been in. I live in what you call "the flat lands".
Besides - elevation reduces the octane needs of an engine. That's why they sell regular unleaded 85 octane fuel in Colorado.
carsNskis
New member
1st comment, in relation to the overall discussion but not to your comment. Should have just been a quick reply rather than a quoted reply
2nd comment, I was thinking in complete reverse (weed is legal here in Colorado)
European 91 octane (RON) is the equivalent to 87 octane (RON + MON/2) here in the states.
So we're both using 87...
I never said 91Ron, actually in Europe these cars are 95Ron minimum which is our 91 octane....
No matter how you try to twist it, these cars run much better on premium gas.
The Champ
New member
Well you said in Europe they require 91 octane. I lived in Europe for over 3 years and knew that 91 octane in Europe is the same as 87 octane here.
I can only read what you wrote and attempt to interpret it.
If running 91 makes you think your car runs better, then use it.
So you assumed something that wasn't written to try and make you point valid? Besides 91 RON is not 91 octane or the same as 87 octane.
91 octane here is 95 Ron and always has been. When I said these engines require 91 octane elsewhere I meant it. I didn't need to over complicate the answer for those who don't know about Octane VS RON.
Most countries around the world don't even offer fuel below 91/93 octane.
87 octane = 91 RON
89 octane = 93 RON
91 octane = 95 RON
93 octane = 98 RON
You like the car to fall on its face above 80F outside? Sure does on regular gas this would be obvious unless you live in the arctic.
Data log the car and watch how many times you hit the knock sensor on regular gas and it dials things back. Does the ECU do a fairly good job of adjusting? Sure but why would it want to allow engine knock at all?
This is besides the fact I already mentioned.. it seemingly makes more power. My car can hold 6th gear on most hills around here on premium, on regular gas the auto downshifts to 5th on the same hills. Before you claim there is some other variable at work, this was tested over a 4 year period and well over 100,000 miles between my cruze and sonic.
The Champ
New member
First you try and say that 91RON is not the same as 87 octane in the states - then you post that 87 octane = 91RON.
Now can you understand how I misunderstood your previous post?
As to fuel in other countries...
Australia - 91RON
China - 92RON
Colombia - 90RON
Denmark - 92RON
Ecuador - 87RON
Indonesia - 88 RON
Japan - 89RON
Mexico - 91RON
Russia - 92RON
Saudi Arabia - 91RON
Venezuela - 91RON
So the vast majority of the world operates on fuel that is the equivalent of 87 - 88 octane as we know it here in the United States.
You misunderstood my post because you though you were trying to use my post to prove your point. At no time did I ever say RON.... My statement doesn't change and I will word it so you can understand.... These engines require 95RON in Europe, or equivalent to our 91 octane. Geez some people.
As for your octane/RON list of other countries, I could cherry pick a list like that as well, however again I stand by my statement that in most countries 95/98 RON is all that's available.
FACT: The USA has some of the worst quality fuel available. If you are running 87E10 most is now made starting with very low quality 84 octane gas with the 10% ethanol bumping that up to 87 octane. Guess what happens if phase separation occurs? you end up with a 84 octane layer, and a mix of high octane alcohol and water.
93E10 premium starts life as 91E0 fuel before blending so if phase separation occurs, the lowest octane your car would see is 91. Take it from me(a chemical engineer in the ethanol industry) the 87E10 available today is not a quality fuel.
The Champ
New member
Who is cherry picking?
You're picking a handful of countries in Europe that are smaller than many states.
Look at the land mass and populations of the countries I listed. It's the majority of the population and land mass of the world.
Just the U.S., Canada and Mexico constitute more population and land mass then all the countries that have 95/98RON.
Add in China, Russia and Australia and....
Not even close to being a fact. You can buy 80RON in some parts of the world - and cars run on it...
Have you ever actually looked at the stock tune? It has more than one octane table and uses the knock sensor to adjust timing. What do you think happens when the car runs more advanced timing? Slightly more power and under some conditions better MPG.
Sure an aftermarket tune will gain more power from premium gas, but the stock tune does a fine job adjusting to higher octane fuel. This is best seen when above 80F outside, been more than one test of these engines that show better MPG when hot outside with premium due to the knock sensor not dialing things back to golf cart level. This test was done with a 2011 Cruze(36MPG hwy rating), shows at least during hot weather there is benefits to running premium. The Ultimate Hot Weather MPG Test - Regular vs. Premium - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ Long-Term Road Test
Per my discussions with engineers at the Flint engine plant(where the 1.4T is built), they also confirmed some measurable improvements with premium fuel. They did state the 138HP rating is on 87 octane but did not preform that testing on premium.