Read the last paragraph: High-Octane Hijinks: Is Premium Fuel Better Than Regular? » AutoGuide.com News

 

So this is obviously a very subjective conversation - not only for the RDX, but for virtually every other Acura car that has the word "premium" somewhere in the same sentence as "fuel". Personally, I've always run the 93 octane in my Acuras just to be on the safe side (and also because 91 Octane is rarely available here in NH).

But I just ran across a very curious article over on edmunds.com and within the article itself, it has links to a "required" and "recommended" list that apparently Edmunds has created to help guide people to whether they should roll the dice or not on lower octane. Interestingly enough, they list the MDX, RDX and RLX as "required", and the ILX and TL as "recommended". You can decide for yourself, but consider this another voice into the conversation...

Save Money and Stop Buying Premium Gas

andy

 

To clarify it is only for the 2016 year that the RDX is required, 2014-2015 are recommended

 

It's recommend for both, not required. The K23 turbo should have been required. It got abysmal gas mileage because it was constantly throwing fuel down the pipe to keep things in check (moreso on reggo). It would have been a brilliant platform if Honda executed properly.

 

^^ I was only referring to what the article stated. Yes Acura says recommended for all

 

I own two identical RDX's, both tech package. I run 89 on one and 91 on the other. The only difference I have noticed is better mileage on the 91 octane. JM2C

 

You won't have any problems running regular on your RDX. The performance difference is minimal and not noticeable to the casual daily driver. Don't waste your money and don't be scared lol.

 

 

Don't vaccinate your kids either ... It'll kill them or cause Autism.

 

Please vaccinate your children....but putting regular in your RDX will cause no harm.

 

I'm using 91 octane fuel as per the manual recommendations. It is only about 10% more expensive than regular fuel and is supposed to keep the engine cleaner from what I understand. I'm getting near 600 km on one tank of fuel, city driving.

 

Holy shit this has got to be the first time you said something we agree on ...

 

Has anyone used 87 octane fuel in their RDX and experienced engine issues/repairs? I know there has been lots of discussion on this topic, but wanted to know if any damages have been observed.

After we bought our RDX, the sales person said regular gas is Ok and it has no impact on warranty.

The difference of 91 and 87 octane gas here in Canada is about %25.

 

The differences in the word recommended and required are important here. 91 is recommended and 87 and above is required (unless you in a high altitude location - in which case 85 is like 87 and 89 is like 91).


As long as you don't hear pinging when accelerating, then all is well. If your car does ping, then use the higher octane.


The higher octane in this particular engine will give you more power and may give you better mpgs - note the will and may.

 

"After we bought our RDX, the sales person said regular gas is Ok and it has no impact on warranty."


You believe anything a car salesman has to say about anything? Can I interest you in a bridge?

 

From the Manual 2016 RDX:

Refueling
Use the proper fuel and refueling procedure to ensure the best performance and
safety of your vehicle.

Fuel Information
Use of unleaded gasoline of 91 octane or higher is recommended.
• Acura recommends TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline where available.
• Do NOT use gasoline containing more than 15% ethanol.
• Do NOT use gasoline containing methanol.
• Do NOT use gasoline containing MMT.

We recommend quality gasoline containing detergent additives that help
prevent fuel system and engine deposits. In addition, in order to maintain good
performance, fuel economy, and emissions control, we strongly recommend
the use of gasoline that does NOT contain harmful manganese-based fuel
additives such as MMT, if such gasoline is available

 

Thanks for your responses.

It seems top-tier gas is also important (based on Acura recommendation). That leaves only a few gas stations, eg Esso 91, Shell 91 and Petro Can 91 here in Canada, not a lot of options.

 

I only stick to PetroCan and Shell, myself.

I've tried filling up with Costco, Safeway and even Esso in the past, and I've noticed that with each of those, I always get worse fuel economy than I do with PetroCan or Shell. You save $0.05-0.08/L with Safeway or Costco, but then you get less miles... so are you really saving?

 

Dealers scam. Regular ok until you have an engine problem and they ask do you run regular. you say yes and they alway say than that is the problem! I just use regular and lie to them like they lie to us! Problem is looked into and one time actually fixed!

 

This is confirmed on Page 22 of the 2016 RDX Quick Reference Guide - Q&A

Is it possible to use unleaded gasoline with a Pump Octane Number (PON) of 87 or higher on this vehicle?

Unleaded gasoline with a Pump Octane Number (PON) of 91 or higher is recommended. Use of lower octane gasoline can cause occasional metallic
knocking noise in the engine and will result in decreased engine performance. Use of gasoline with a pump octane less than 87 can lead to engine damage.

 

Everyone....This is a simple conversation.

Read the manual, if you understand the meaning of "recommended" and "required", then that is all you need to know. If you understand the meaning and chose to do otherwise, then that is fine but why do we have to have these discussion all the time.

 

Perhaps steering this thread in a different direction:

Perhaps here is a way to have your cake and eat it too:

I use GasBuddy.com to find the lowest gas prices in my area. 91 at a station a mile from my house is lower priced than 87 at the gas station across the street. (Right now there is a $1.36/gallon spread between the lowest and highest priced 91 within 5 miles of my house)