Are you one of the hardcore drivers that won’t give up their premium gasoline at the pumps? If so, you’re in a growing minority.
With regular gasoline prices topping $4 per gallon in many places, more and more drivers are letting go of the higher grades at the pump. Ten years ago, nearly 50 percent of drivers were using premium and midgrade octane gasoline to fill up their cars. Today, however, that number has dropped to about 10 percent. Those figures come directly from the Oil Price Information Service, an organization that provides the latest information in the fuel and oil industry.
But does their reasoning make sense?
If you notice gas prices for the different grades, you’ve likely noticed that the midgrade is normally ten cents higher than regular and premium is ten cents higher than midgrade. But when you look at percentages, premium gas is only six percent higher than regular today whereas it was 17 percent higher in 1995.
If you’re wondering how so many people are dropping their higher-octane fuel grades while places like Mercedes-Benz dealer facilities are so crowded, there are a few plausible reasons.
• Even though luxury vehicle manufacturers encourage owners to use premium fuel in their cars, many drivers are simply forgetting about that and using regular fuel. If 87 octane makes their car run inefficiently, they usually try 89 octane and then something higher.
• The auto industry is creating more and more fuel-efficient vehicles that run well on low-octane fuel.
• Fewer people believe the myth that an occasional tank of premium is good for their engine. As a result, they simply use regular fuel every time.
Have you changed your filling habits as a result of high gas prices? Were you once a hardcore premium fuel-user who has changed to regular or do you still refuse to let go of the “good stuff”? We’re interested to hear about your experience.
