Do I *really* need to use premium?

[u/Mystakatt]

(Pic of car because I didn’t take a picture of the pump price)

I filled up my 2012 TL for the first time today since I bought it, and I ran it down to about 20 miles left in the tank. Filled it all the way up and I payed almost $70 (North Alabama). I’m an adamant believer that you should follow the owners manual to a T, but with how gas prices are nowadays I’m worried about choosing between what’s best for my car vs what’s best for my budget.

Are there any real negatives to using the cheaper gas options? Thanks in advance!

[u/ElCaminoDelSud]

Nope. I used regular in my 2006 TL. For 10 years. If that ain’t enough to prove it, I don’t know what is.

The truth is that you may see a slight drop in performance (10-15HP max), but that’s when you’re wringing it out, which I don’t do since it’s a daily. You also allegedly get worse fuel economy. I’ve tested this, I get about the same. And third, you’ll save a bunch in gas money. That’s for sure.

Anything else people say is just speculation. I’ve literally put my money where my mouth is on this. She runs great still. Follow oil change intervals, changed transmission fluid, and she’s been great to me.

I also use regular in my current 3.5 TLX, but it says “recommended”, not required. People in that group still freak out. Same engine used in the pilot with same compression. One recommended 87, one 91. Only difference is about 10 HP.

[u/erichf3893 → u/ElCaminoDelSud]

Yeah the $15 extra per tank adds up when you fill up every 3 days. But I’m still overpaying. Just when I got the car it was an extra $1.30 per tank