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Buying a Toyota Corolla is a big investment. Because of this, you want to make sure that you are taking care of it. This extends to the type of gas that you are using in the car.
Will you be required to use premium fuel or can you get by with the cheaper options?
While a Corolla will run fine with premium gas, it isn’t necessary. It’s recommended that you use the Midrange blend, for an octane rating of 87. The benefits provided by using premium gas will be minimal and won’t be worth the additional cost.
There are a few types of fuels that you’ll find at the gas pump. However, is it worth it to pay extra for the premium gas?
Keep reading to learn more about this type of fuel and how it impacts your Corolla’s performance.
How Premium Fuel Is Different
Let’s start by addressing one of the biggest questions surrounding premium fuel. Why is it so expensive? What makes it so different from regular fuel?
There are a few things that it’s claimed that premium fuel can help with:
- Burns more efficiently. One of the reasons why people choose to use premium gas is because it burns more efficiently. As a result, you will be able to get better gas mileage. This can also be a good option when you are trying to make the car work harder, like hauling a heavy load.
- Improved performance. This type of fuel is synonymous with improved performance. This will help you get the most power out of the engine.
- Clean the engine. Some of these fuels will include substances that will clean the engine. This will make your car more reliable over the long term.
- Reduced emissions. Because they burn more efficiently, they will be releasing fewer emissions. This will lower the environmental impact associated with driving your car.
Octane Ratings
To decide the quality of your fuel, you’ll need to look at the octane ratings. This is a way of measuring how stable the fuel is.
The higher the octane rating, the less likely it is to spontaneously combust. Often, the fuel will be tested by measuring the knock.
This is the number of times the fuel spontaneously combusts.
It’s important to note that this is all that premium fuel does. It doesn’t change the amount of power that will be contained in gasoline.
There are three fuel rankings that you can use, these are:
- Regular. This is around 87 octane.
- Midgrade. This is between 88 to 90 octane
- Premium. This is usually between 91 to 94 octane.
Do You Need to Use Premium Gas?
Some car models will need to use premium gas. This is most common in turbocharged vehicles. They don’t want to risk the fuel pre-igniting.
It also allows them to get the best performance out of their cars.
However, regular cars, like the Toyota Corolla, won’t need to use premium fuel. It’s best to stick to a mid grade fuel. These cars have been designed to operate with fuel that has an octane rating of 87.
Though you can also use regular fuel if you prefer. However, using premium fuel isn’t going to do any damage. It’s just unlikely that you will experience any of the benefits so you are wasting the extra money.
The best way to find what type of fuel you should be using is by consulting the owner’s manual. It will tell you the octane that you will need to use.
From there, it will be easy to figure out which blend will deliver the best results.
Benefits Of Using Premium Fuel In A Corolla
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of the type of fuels available for you to choose from and why some people prefer to use the premium version. But this raises an important question, will it bring any benefits?
The answer often depends on the type of car that you are using.
If you are using a Corolla, premium fuel is probably not going to be of any assistance. This was seen when Car and Driver tested a range of cars with premium fuels and measured how they performed.
They looked at the Honda CR-V, which is the closest one that they tested to the Corolla. Performance wasn’t substantially different and the fuel efficiency was raised by just one percent.
Because of this, it’s best to save money and use regular fuel in your Corolla.
It should be noted that some people claim that the premium fuel stops their engine from knocking. This is true, but it shouldn’t be a significant concern for those using regular fuel.
If it is an ongoing issue, there’s likely something else going on. It could be a good idea to get your mechanic to inspect the vehicle.
Other Ways To Improve Fuel Efficiency
One of the reasons why people switch to premium fuel is because it offers better fuel efficiency. But this isn’t necessarily the case.
The good news is that there are some other ways to boost your efficiency. This includes:
- Check the tires. Something as simple as checking the tire pressure will make a huge difference. If they aren’t inflated enough, it will force the engine to work harder. Plus, it will ensure that you don’t develop uneven tread on the tires.
- Check the gas cap. Sometimes, the gas cap will get cracked. This can result in the gas vapors escaping from the tank. This is harmful to the environment and will end up costing you over the long term. Thankfully, the process of replacing the gas cap is fairly simple.
- Tuning the engine. It’s important to regularly maintain your vehicle. This will ensure that the vehicle is running as efficiently as possible. This simple action could be saving you 11 cents per gallon.
Mixing Fuel Types
If you put premium fuel into a Corolla, nothing harmful will happen. You just won’t get any of the benefits that you would expect.
However, there can be big problems if you decide to use diesel. It won’t lubricate the parts properly. It will also only last a few miles before your vehicle breaks down.
If you notice the mistake at the pump, it’s recommended that you don’t turn on the car. This ensures that it won’t spread around the engine.
Instead, get the vehicle towed to your mechanic. They will be able to drain the fuel lines, removing the diesel. While this might be an expensive job, you will be able to use it again.
Final Thoughts
The premium gas might seem attractive. In other cars, like those with turbochargers, it will be necessary. But in a Toyota Corolla, this isn’t an area that you need to worry about.
The premium fuels are unlikely to provide any noticeable benefit. You’ll be better off saving money and sticking to midgrade fuels.