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29 Posts
I figured this topic would get people talking:
Do you put premium fuel in your GLE as instructed? I don’t. I mentioned this to a coworker the other day and she nearly had a heart attack. She told her boyfriend (who also drives a Benz) what I said and he almost had a heart attack too. She put me in touch with him and he launched into a dissertation pointedly telling me that what I was doing was akin to blaspheme. I told him the GLE (and virtually all cars) runs fine on regular fuel and premium is not necessary. He strongly disagreed and told me he would NEVER fill his tank with regular fuel. I told him that is his choice but I felt otherwise.
He said I would damage the engine! Potentially void the warranty! And perhaps disrupt the space-time continuum by using regular fuel! I let him have his say and then I pointed out that the kind of driving I do does not require premium fuel. I drive to work, to home, to the gym, etc. I am not a race car driver, I do not drag race, and I do not need to extract the absolute maximum performance from my car. If I did, maybe I would buy premium fuel . . . but I would also have premium brakes installed and premium racing tires as well. I don’t have those because that is not the kind of driving I do. I have had this debate with a number of car guys over the years. Some swear higher end cars MUST have premium fuel. I do not believe they do. Two cars ago I had a BMW; premium fuel was required, but I never bought it. My last car was an Audi; again premium fuel was required but I always filled it with regular. Both cars ran fine for all the years I owned them. In fact, I still feel guilty for letting go of the Audi because it ran perfectly at 73,000 miles when I decided to get something new.
My argument is this: gasoline is basically the same product. It has to be otherwise it would not work in all the many different engines we use it for: different makes and models of cars from manufacturers all over the world, go carts, lawn mowers, portable generators, boats, etc, from many different manufacturers. And remember, all of these products can use gas from FL, to ME, to WA, to CA. Gasoline purchased from all over the country will work in any gas powered engine because (say it with me): it is the same product. If there were big differences in gasoline different gas could not work in all these different products from so many different manufacturers.
I’m not saying there is zero different between gasoline grades. I am merely saying that the difference is not sufficient enough to warrant buying premium gas for any newer car. There ARE cars from the 60s and 70s where you can hear and feel a noticeable difference in the engine between premium and regular fuel but that difference is negligible in modern cars.
I know many of you will think I am crazy or foolish for buying regular gas, but ask yourself this. What seems more likely 1) your car literally needs premium full to function properly or 2) the “idea” of premium fuel is a con perpetrated by car makers and big oil to extract more money from gullible consumers.
I explained all this to a friend of mine who once swore by premium gasoline. I told him to do an experiment: turn off the radio and really listen to your car when you drive it… its engine… performance… handling… with premium fuel. Then for your next two fill ups use regular. And again, really pay attention to the car. If you really notice a difference that is important to you then stick with premium. If not, forget it and go to regular. He did this test and he never buys premium any more! Mind you this is a bud who used to SWEAR on the value of premium gasoline. I have not seen him in a couple years but we stay in touch via text. The other day I sent him a selfie of me filling up my car with regular at a gas station. We still laugh about it. He said I made a believer out of him and he has not wasted money on premium fuel in years.
Do you put premium fuel in your GLE as instructed? I don’t. I mentioned this to a coworker the other day and she nearly had a heart attack. She told her boyfriend (who also drives a Benz) what I said and he almost had a heart attack too. She put me in touch with him and he launched into a dissertation pointedly telling me that what I was doing was akin to blaspheme. I told him the GLE (and virtually all cars) runs fine on regular fuel and premium is not necessary. He strongly disagreed and told me he would NEVER fill his tank with regular fuel. I told him that is his choice but I felt otherwise.
He said I would damage the engine! Potentially void the warranty! And perhaps disrupt the space-time continuum by using regular fuel! I let him have his say and then I pointed out that the kind of driving I do does not require premium fuel. I drive to work, to home, to the gym, etc. I am not a race car driver, I do not drag race, and I do not need to extract the absolute maximum performance from my car. If I did, maybe I would buy premium fuel . . . but I would also have premium brakes installed and premium racing tires as well. I don’t have those because that is not the kind of driving I do. I have had this debate with a number of car guys over the years. Some swear higher end cars MUST have premium fuel. I do not believe they do. Two cars ago I had a BMW; premium fuel was required, but I never bought it. My last car was an Audi; again premium fuel was required but I always filled it with regular. Both cars ran fine for all the years I owned them. In fact, I still feel guilty for letting go of the Audi because it ran perfectly at 73,000 miles when I decided to get something new.
My argument is this: gasoline is basically the same product. It has to be otherwise it would not work in all the many different engines we use it for: different makes and models of cars from manufacturers all over the world, go carts, lawn mowers, portable generators, boats, etc, from many different manufacturers. And remember, all of these products can use gas from FL, to ME, to WA, to CA. Gasoline purchased from all over the country will work in any gas powered engine because (say it with me): it is the same product. If there were big differences in gasoline different gas could not work in all these different products from so many different manufacturers.
I’m not saying there is zero different between gasoline grades. I am merely saying that the difference is not sufficient enough to warrant buying premium gas for any newer car. There ARE cars from the 60s and 70s where you can hear and feel a noticeable difference in the engine between premium and regular fuel but that difference is negligible in modern cars.
I know many of you will think I am crazy or foolish for buying regular gas, but ask yourself this. What seems more likely 1) your car literally needs premium full to function properly or 2) the “idea” of premium fuel is a con perpetrated by car makers and big oil to extract more money from gullible consumers.
I explained all this to a friend of mine who once swore by premium gasoline. I told him to do an experiment: turn off the radio and really listen to your car when you drive it… its engine… performance… handling… with premium fuel. Then for your next two fill ups use regular. And again, really pay attention to the car. If you really notice a difference that is important to you then stick with premium. If not, forget it and go to regular. He did this test and he never buys premium any more! Mind you this is a bud who used to SWEAR on the value of premium gasoline. I have not seen him in a couple years but we stay in touch via text. The other day I sent him a selfie of me filling up my car with regular at a gas station. We still laugh about it. He said I made a believer out of him and he has not wasted money on premium fuel in years.
