Edmunds.com Advises Cost-Conscious Drivers It May Be Safe to Switch From Premium Gasoline to Regular

Knowledge Base: Calculate Your Fuel Cost

SANTA MONICA, CA--March 10, 2011: As consumers start to feel the pinch of rising gas prices, some drivers can save money simply by switching from premium to regular gasoline, according to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information. In "To Save Money on Gas, Stop Buying Premium," Edmunds.com's Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed says that it's a common misconception that all drivers need to follow the manufacturer's recommendation for premium gasoline.

“Running regular-grade fuel in a car that requires premium might sound like a good way to shave a car's running costs, but the short-term savings won't come close to offsetting the bill of a damaged engine”

"You'll find that in today's automobiles, advances in engine technology mean that even if the owner's manual recommends premium gasoline, the car will typically run on regular without knocking," said Reed. "Its performance will suffer only slightly: perhaps it might be a half-second slower from zero to 60 mph. The key for drivers is to know whether premium gasoline is merely recommended or if it's required."

To help drivers make that determination, Edmunds.com has compiled two lists of vehicles from 2008 to 2012 model years that identify whether premium gasoline is "recommended" or premium gas is "required." A vehicle on the "recommended" list may be switched to regular unleaded gasoline, while cars on the required list should continue to run premium fuel.

"If a recommended premium vehicle is never driven with a wide-open throttle on regular gas, the driver might never feel the difference and neither will the car," adds Edmunds.com Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh.

Edmunds.com strongly urges drivers with cars on the required list not to cheat and make the switch to regular gasoline, even if it does save money. For those vehicles, the fuel's lower octane can result in elevated exhaust-gas temperatures and possible knocking, both of which can adversely affect the engine's health.

"Running regular-grade fuel in a car that requires premium might sound like a good way to shave a car's running costs, but the short-term savings won't come close to offsetting the bill of a damaged engine," said Kavanagh.

To learn more about why drivers may or may not be able to make the switch from premium fuel, please visit Edmunds.com at Fuel Economy . Consumers can also estimate their monthly fuel costs in the Car Data Center at Auto Observer.