Octane
11-11-06, 09:04 AM
#16
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NY
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So that we have all of that out of the way....what IS the correct thing to do. On one hand it is said lower octane gas is okay to use (even in my 01 owners manual...but only if premium is not available...and for only a short time...as per Leuxs!!! Hmmmmmm????????) and on my 97, I have used 87 for about 110000 thousand miles (no trips to the shop, good performance, but poor fuel economy, and I do not know what was going on inside the engine. Just how much damage was I doing to the engine? ). But on the other, CHEAP gas will give you somewhat poor performance, engine damage, and maybe some pinging.
For those you can afford a brand new state of the art LS 460, premium gas should not be a factor. For those who watch the pocket (how could you afford a 460...430 sure, but a 460? Cancel your order, return the car, and go get a 400. That way you never have to worry about the cost of fuel).
I find when I fill up with premium, vehicle runs great and the gas gauge takes forever to reach empty, average 2 weeks local driving (16 mile per day) and 2 weekends of 110 miles per before having to refuel. Not so with regular (and I DRIVE my car). The savings is only a few bucks. If you were driving a SUV witha big fuel tank and driving it daily into the city and having to visit the gast station 2-3 times a week, then fuel should be a factor in your purchase/usage (buy a Prius). If not, don't be CHEAP!!!!!
For those you can afford a brand new state of the art LS 460, premium gas should not be a factor. For those who watch the pocket (how could you afford a 460...430 sure, but a 460? Cancel your order, return the car, and go get a 400. That way you never have to worry about the cost of fuel).
I find when I fill up with premium, vehicle runs great and the gas gauge takes forever to reach empty, average 2 weeks local driving (16 mile per day) and 2 weekends of 110 miles per before having to refuel. Not so with regular (and I DRIVE my car). The savings is only a few bucks. If you were driving a SUV witha big fuel tank and driving it daily into the city and having to visit the gast station 2-3 times a week, then fuel should be a factor in your purchase/usage (buy a Prius). If not, don't be CHEAP!!!!!
11-11-06, 09:21 AM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
11-12-06, 07:51 AM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
Referring to old manuals and "Lexus I have owned" is...
assuming that nothing has changed under the hood. This is a brand new state of the art high performance engine folks. It would be a travesty to put under 91 Octane in it. Any engine that runs above 10 to 1 compression should use a higher octane. The LS460 is off the charts at 11.8 to 1. The direct injectors inside the cylinder work under high pressure to deliver a precise dose of fuel at just the right moment of the piston return. The fuel is burned completely and very little emissions are left to go out the tailpipe. This car is fuel efficient anyway with the help of the 8 speed transmission which has two overdrives. If affording proper fuel is that much of a hardship then you have certainly purchased too much car and possibly a fuel efficient V6 or V6 hybrid would be a better choice. Lexus has never had a gas guzzler tax and the LS460 betters the S550 (3 MPG) and the BMW 750 (2 MPG) with the same or better performance so it's really a non issue. The 2nd gen. GS300 would lose in fuel efficiency to the LS460 so that's how much improvement has been acheived by the new engine design...
Rock
Rock
11-12-06, 03:47 PM
#20
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Great post Rock. 
11-13-06, 12:20 AM
#21
Beg to differ-you should not use 87 octane. The Lexus web site says the new V8 has the highest compression of any manufacturer-that is why they went to two injection ports so the engine would work on 91 octane. I believe they said the compression was something like 11.8 which is very high compared to the 10.5 of most V8s including the GS. (some of Lexus other new engines are also in the 11s). The computer will only retard to some degree then you get knocking, and with the quiet cabin you may not hear it and suffer engine damage as a result. Knocking will pit the pistons and cylinder walls and eventually deteriorate the rings with oil usage increasing.
Most gas stations have 93 octane as premium and 91 as their "plus". The manual says use greater than 91 octane-so why not fill up every other time with 93? I agree with another post, that in the long run 93 octane is the right stuff and with its increased mileage you probably break even.
You know the old saying about boats/yachts that also applies to luxury cars-if you can afford a $70K car-you don't need to ask about fuel costs.
Most gas stations have 93 octane as premium and 91 as their "plus". The manual says use greater than 91 octane-so why not fill up every other time with 93? I agree with another post, that in the long run 93 octane is the right stuff and with its increased mileage you probably break even.
You know the old saying about boats/yachts that also applies to luxury cars-if you can afford a $70K car-you don't need to ask about fuel costs.
put it this way, would the car stall right the way if you use 87? i bet not. that means the car will run, just not good, might knock a lot and jerk. good for the car? no. good for driving? no. but will 87 work or can you add 87? yes, just not recommended at all
the is350 also has very compression so we are talking about the same thing. none of these cars "should" use 87, but it's a very different from "not able to use it".
but believe me, if they actually have the damn 93 commonly available here in cali, i WILL be using that... i wouldn't even doubt once in my right mind about what gas to put in for my lexus
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