TX-Miner

Use whatever you are comfortable with for your driving style and your wallet.
Miner

profarcity

we've used midgrade 89 for awhile and don't seem to have any issues

BetterBob

After some seafoam and some 93.. mine has much better mileage.

I am a firm approver of the correct octane gas.

Nicks2001tl

If you did run 87 or 89 for a while and your gas mileage dips than you know it`s time to seafoam and get back to 93.

Skirmich

Welcome to the Club

mccvii

370,000 miles spread out over 3 different Acuras (185k on my old MDX) from 2002 to 2013 - all running 87 octane for the most part would tend to make me disagree with the conventional thinking. Course, that's just me and I would never dream of telling other Acura owners how to fuel their cars.

Honda makes a pretty resilient car. That's why we keep buying them. These Acuras are bullet proof if you keep the fluids changed and keep up preventative maintenance. If your car knocks and you feel like using Premium, go for it. However, based on my experience, and my 2 highest mileage cars that account 330,000 of those 370,000 miles, I estimate that I pumped 18,000 gallons of gas to keep them going (about 18mpg combined between a TL S type and an MDX city driven in horrible traffic). Applying a conservative $.20 per gallon difference, I saved at least $3600 in fuel surcharges. Hey, I know, most of us middle class ballers piss $3600 in a night of wild partying, but, I like to cut costs where I can.

3.2TLc

There's always a few that seem to think saving a buck or two is worth neglecting the manufacturer's operating recommendations.

Acuras and other highly engineered car motor's are specifically designed to operate more efficiently with premium fuel for optimum performance, runability, fuel mileage and long lasting service.

But, if you're happy....we are even happier to be still be enjoying exceptional quality performance from our cars for quite awhile longer. Hey, ......to each there own !!!

02type-s

These threads drive me crazy. Your gauge cluster says premium. Your gas lid says premium. Well what do you think? They don't just put it there for fun, its a high compression engine tuned for 91+.

If you can't afford the extra 5-10 bucks per tank, you bought the wrong car and should start looking at 4cyl Accords.

Whew.

Nicks2001tl

Yikes

Can't escape the laws of thermodynamics.

In my humble opinion a savings of $3600 over 11 years is... well... how can I put this politely?

That is such a small amount considering the time period.

3.2TLc

Perhaps a few coffees and maybe an occasional lottery ticket to offset any risk factors.

Skirmich

that's 1.11 bucks a Day (Premium vs. Regular? = A BUCK).. I believe that amount is just guessing the gas Price and not real HARD facts..
I don't think he saved anything substantial at all.. He just tell us the difference in Price between Regular and Premium over 11 years and basically took out MPGs out of the equation...

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

LOL, and didn't i say you technically save $1.50 per full tank.

Yikes

x2.

That, and in the early 2000s gasoline was cheap.

In 2002 the average price of oil was $20 a barrel.

mccvii

I don't disagree with anything you're saying and I certainly didn't post because I want to argue with anyone. My experience is my own and not meant to persuade or dissuade anyone. 185,000 miles on one and 140,000 on another don't lie. I guess that maybe had I wanted to keep those 2 cars another 10 years and 300,000 miles, maybe I would be proven wrong. The way I look at it, this is a car, not an investment. I buy Acura's because they're relatively cheap for what you get. New or used. Why would I baby a 30-something thousand dollar car especially when my experience is that I will get in excess of 100k miles out of it regardless of the gas I pump in? Any rate, its a good conversation. I'll tell you this, My 2003 TL S to this day is the best car I ever owned. Even with more than 140k on it, it drove as well as it did the day I rolled it off the lot in 2004.

Nicks2001tl

The main reason for the 93 octane in the car is two-fold. One because of the engine and two because of the gas mileage. Nobody will fault you for putting 87 or 89 in YOUR car, but I wouldn`t recommend it.

Savings over time will add up but the maintenance might also be costly.

Skirmich

"mccvii" I think you under appreciate the Brand and think its a "HONDA" kinda guy... The Engine was specifically made to use 91 because it had a higher compression than the variant used in a Honda not because the car was Higher Priced tag than a Honda because it was more powerful and had to move more weight while being friendly to the environment.


The MPGs listed for it was using 91.. The power listed for it was using 91.. So you have all those years with a car slowly crying for help because you wanted to "THINK" it was ok and the car was running fine.. Well let me get you of your delusion.
The car was running POORLY using 87 if you think the car was OK you would be AMAZED on how a proper maintained TL-S runs, You didn't get the MPGs by FAAARRR, And overall you had to do more maintenance (If you did) using 87 than 91..
All in all Using the car with 87 is;


1) More Expensive to Maintain
2) More Expensive to run
3) Horrible to Drive, Specially a TL-S


But its OK... Your car, Your money.. Just don't think for a SECOND your car broke the laws of physics and well said "Thermodynamics" all of these years. Your ECU was doing all the magic at the expense of pretty much the Experience of driving a good car such as the TL-S which I hope R.I.P.

HairyMonkey019

iTrader: (7)

and we have already shown you HARD FACTS. I personally enjoy smooth idling and better performance. Btw in the city with traffic i get the minimum of 21 mpg

DevinSidell

My brother and I both have 2002 TL Type-S's. I only run premium and he only runs on regular. I know the engine is engineered to run on premium so that's the only reason why I use it. I drive 50+ miles a day and i need to refill once every week and a half. My brother never noticed a difference in his TL performance wise but then again hes been running on it for a few years.