About Requirement for Premium Gas

[Euljiro1ga]

Yes Korea Europe and Australia all use one rating system for octane. (RON) America/canada uses another called AKI. Its kind like the difference between meters and feet or Celsius and Fahrenhite. The real formula is RON + MON / 2 = AKI. A simpler but not quite as accurate method is take the European/Korean method and times it by .95 to get the American number.

Ah, thank you. This is excellent information. It actually always says RON at the gas stations, didn't know there's an alternative measurement.

I guess then the octane level is all the same everywhere, that also means we are paying much more for gas... sadly.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Korean octane ratings are not the same scale as the us. Koreans use a different formula like almost the whole rest of the world. 98 there is close to 93 here.

Thank you, Chris. Good to know. I still haven't stopped learning something new every day. Now if you could only teach an old dog new tricks.

 

[MarkyMark]

I've been thinking I'll use 87 octane. Mainly because I'll rarely be driving the car hard. I was going to write never but my right foot does occasionally get heavy. Like @jburns I wouldn't pay the extra money on a long trip. That just seems wasteful.

Now to my question. I know a lot of people who feel the higher octane is better for the engine. I also know a lot of people who disagree with that. Do you guys think the lower octane is worse for a smaller engine than a bigger engine? In other words if using 87 octane isn't such a great idea, would it be an even worse idea for the 2.0 than it would be for the 3.3?

Does anyone know what Octane is? Basically, the Octane rating show the buyer at what pressure the gas spray in the cylinder will withstand before igniting. If you have a standard octane engine, use standard. The engine was designed to ignite the gas as the right time, getting maximum use and timing out of the pistons.

If a car recommends a certain octane fuel, it's wisest to use that fuel. It "should" give you maximum gas mileage with the proper octane the engine was designed for, along with more power - almost always - more horses using the proper octane fuel.

 

[davebo]

If a car recommends a certain octane fuel, it's wisest to use that fuel.

Depends how you define wisest. Yes on an engine that recommends premium you'll get the best mileage and power out of premium, but as has been proven the mileage and power isn't commensurate with the cost, so it's entirely up to the driver to decide whether it's worth their money for the marginal power and fuel economy. If I was planning on going to the track or doing a fun cruise then yeah, I'll pay extra to be sure I'm running at peak performance. If I'm doing a road trip on a boring highway like I95 from D.C. to Boston where I'll be using an entire tank of gas, it's not really worth the extra $8 for premium because it certainly won't get me an extra $8 worth of miles, and ~350hp is more than enough for me to cruise at 70 for seven boring hours.

Remember folks, what's most important is that whether you go with regular or premium, stick with top tier fuels with detergents in them. Using cheap brands of gas is what'll do long term harm to your car.

 

[Kazz]

It would be interesting to know if the ECU in the Stinger is capable of handling American, 93 octane gasoline or not. If so, there's certainly a performance and cleaning benefit to running it.

 

[PA_RN]

Was there ever consensus on this? The owners manual states 87 recommended but the Kia Media site states premium recommended. Has anyone been able to clarify this yet? I’m assuming and currently plan to fill up with premium since it’s a turbo charged engine with higher compression.

 

[Gdank]

Was there ever consensus on this? The owners manual states 87 recommended but the Kia Media site states premium recommended. Has anyone been able to clarify this yet? I’m assuming and currently plan to fill up with premium since it’s a turbo charged engine with higher compression.

The manual actually says 87 or Higher. In the UK we get 95 or 98 (some do higher 99 - 103 with ethanol - But Kia say NO ethanol!)) ... Therefore I'd use 95 or higher ... as we love regulations and safety on the UK!

 

[davebo]

But the way octane is calculated in Europe (RON) is different than North America (MON). Do the manuals for Stingers in Europe say the same octane rating as USA, because that would be a huge oversight. If it just says premium then people will know what they mean.

As for a consensus, no none was reached. The Stinger is capable of running on either regular or premium. If you run regular you'll pay a lot less and get a little less power and fuel economy. Up to you if you decide it's worth it, but in terms of keeping your engine clean either is fine as long as you use good brands that add detergents to their mix.

 

[Gdank]

But the way octane is calculated in Europe (RON) is different than North America (MON).

My Bad ... did a quick google and :-

93 MON = 98 RON
91 MON = 95 RON

Therefore I suggest you stick to 91 US as a min.

Don't have a manual yet .... it's on order with the car!

 

[Kazz]

A top tier brand of 93 octane MON will net you the best gas mileage and performance as well as keep things cleaner.

 

[PA_RN]

Thanks for the quick replies. Premium it is then.

 

[RockinRay]

Yeah same for me. Since they "call" for premium, that is what I plan to run. I have the 2.0T Premium.

 

[midlife crazy]

Yeah same for me. Since they "call" for premium, that is what I plan to run. I have the 2.0T Premium.

If Premium was required, it would say say inside the fuel door. No such thing. My Subaru Legacy Turbo had that notice. Stinger GT plenty fast with Regular, just saying.

 

[UncouthLuddite]

I believe you'll suffer greater loss of HP due to this being a turbo vs a naturally aspirated engine if you switch to regular gas. I seem to recall reading that was the case on the Genesis coupes 2.0T vs their V6 variants.

 

[Kia Stinger]

I believe you'll suffer greater loss of HP due to this being a turbo vs a naturally aspirated engine if you switch to regular gas. I seem to recall reading that was the case on the Genesis coupes 2.0T vs their V6 variants.

Welcome aboard, @UncouthLuddite! Thank you for signing up!

 

[bluecatsup]

Just chiming in on this thread now, and wondering if the reason people want to know if premium is really recommended is because of costs? Is it? If so, wouldn't one just gas up premium at Costco for a cheaper price? What's the rating at Costco anyway, 93? Or 91?

 

[tofu]

Just chiming in on this thread now, and wondering if the reason people want to know if premium is really recommended is because of costs? Is it? If so, wouldn't one just gas up premium at Costco for a cheaper price? What's the rating at Costco anyway, 93? Or 91?

There's no Costco gas station near me.

 

[Kazz]

If Costco is like the grocery chain gas stations near me, they get their gas from one of the top tier suppliers. But I recommend checking yourself. Best way is, when a tanker's at the station, to ask the driver who's gas he's pumping.

 

[ralzod]

If Costco is like the grocery chain gas stations near me, they get their gas from one of the top tier suppliers. But I recommend checking yourself. Best way is, when a tanker's at the station, to ask the driver who's gas he's pumping.

Costco is on the Top Tier certified vendors list:

Licensed Brands | Top Tier Gas​

 

[Plainolmoo]

Just chiming in on this thread now, and wondering if the reason people want to know if premium is really recommended is because of costs? Is it? If so, wouldn't one just gas up premium at Costco for a cheaper price? What's the rating at Costco anyway, 93? Or 91?

The Costco stores here in Maryland and DC only sell 87 and 92 Octane.