wallykeys

I looked it up and now have a clearer picture of what this all means. Thanks for the advice!

heisnuts

I guess I am in the minority. We have always ran premium in our "00 RX300, and now in our '13 RX350. For the extra $2 per tank, I don't think it is that big of a deal.

wase4711

where do you live that its only 2 dollars a tank?
in Chicago
19 gallonsX 40cent per gallon more=$7.60 per tank X 52 tanks per year, min= almost 400 dollars
BIG difference over 3-4 years

dctex99

most places are like here, 3.52,3,62,3,72; so only 20 cents more a gallon and most of us can only squeeze in 14 gallons, even tho it says 40 miles til empty...

heisnuts

In Oregon we currently pay $3.35 for 87 octane and $3.55 for 92 octane (at a top tier station). I have never ran a car out of gas so I can say I have never put in 19 gallons of fuel. I think the most I have ever added at one is 16.5 gallons X 20 cents = $3.30 for the tank. The tank lasts me at least 2 weeks (most of the time longer), so I am nowhere near the numbers you list above.

However, even with your numbers above, you are talking about $33 per month on a $50,000 vehicle. I can understand someone who is trying to scrape by each month putting in regular and buying that fuel at Costco, but I don't think most people who have a newer Lexus are just barely scraping by each month when it comes to finances.

ggebhardt

To me it is not a matter of a little more money, it is giving the gas companies more money for a product that only marginally, at best, increases performance. If there is little gain in performance, what is the purpose except to make you "feel" better.

corradoMR2

I use Fuelly and has some graphing but not nearly as nice as AutoTrac it seems.

I use 87 in my F-Sport since 91 is a killer in Canada. Close to 20 cents more per liter that's about 75 cents more the gallon! No value proposition here though admittedly, the RX feels a tad peppier which does not surprise me if the engine makes 275 hp with 91 like with the 2010-11 models requiring 91.

jfelbab

It wasn't but a few years back that the cost of premium was only 20 cents a gallon more than regular. I have been seeing 89 octane going for 10 cents more than regular (87 octane) these days but premium now is usually 40 cents a gallon more everywhere I go.

There may still be a case for using higher octane fuel though. The preliminary data for my 2014 RX350 shows improved mileage may be achieved with mid-grade gas (+1.7 MPG so far) but that data only represents a dozen fill-ups at this point so the data is too sparse to be confident in it.

So unless wase4711 is getting premium fuel at a discount somewhere or is filling his tank whenever it is down by 5 gallons I don't see the $2.00 per tank. My fill-ups usually range from 12-16 gallons. 40 cents a gallon more to fill my tank = $5 to $6.50. Assuming I drive 12,000 miles a year and get 23 MPG average, I'd use 522 gallons of gas a year. 522 gallons @ +40 cents a gallon = $208 extra.

cflutist

Newbie here (SF Bay Area).

According to Gas Buddy, Reg (87) is $3.37 and Premium (91) is $3.57 / gal at my local Costco.
So for 17.2 gals that is an extra $3.44 for Premium or $3.30 if you consider the 4% cashback on my Costco Business AMEX card.

So I read the manual and it says to use Premium from "top tier" gas stations.
Will I be harming my RX450h engine by using Costco gas?
Or should I buy Chevron at $3.85 per gallon for Premium.

Then I read that some people here just use 87 with no problems..
Can I mix and match e.g. alternating 87 and 91? (I tend to refill at half a tank).
In the past I was pretty frugal with many things, but I figure that I better take care of this car.

Any other suggestions?

Cheryl (2014 RX 450h AWD)

RX330inFL

Cheryl, Costco is a bit different on their pricing when compared to other gas stations. Their premium is usually much cheaper than other stations even here in Flatland, FL. As for switching grades of fuel, pick one and stick with it. As your RX450h needs 91 octane I would use premium only if you are going to use Costco as your source. Switching back and forth does you no good.

Keep in mind that many here in this part of CL have RX350 while you have the RX450h. There are different fuel requirements for these two vehicles. Specific information on your hybrid would be found here at CL:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/hybrid-technology-213/

As for the quality of Costco fuel, it is perfectly fine for your vehicle. The whole topic of Top Tier gas is nothing but marketing. Use a quality gas from a known station that is a national brand you recognize and you will be fine.

dctex99

Be aware that there are two qualities of gas sold at different Costco's;;If their is a BIG sign saying that this Costco Gas has additives it will be more expensive, but have the quality of Union 76 and other Top Tier companies; if no sign, you are getting the same gas as Armanis Gas on 9th avenue; you will see the difference in price. San Diego area Costco Gas stations just switched late last year and I spoke to the manager who says that COSTCO puts in the additives themselves!! My Lexus is running better as I had previously never used Costco gas; stuck to the better stations!! Just my .02 cents

RX330inFL

All gasoline in the US has detergents. It is required by the EPA. Whether these detergents are added at the depot or at the station is of little matter since each has their own mix of detergents anyway. The base gasoline component varies very little as much of it is pumped around the country in shared pipelines. The variations in the base has to do with local needs and pollution controls.

As for Top Tier gas, for many years BP/AMOCO was not listed among the stations included in their list. I know because I checked and BP/AMOCO is the only gas my RX has ever seen. EVER. Have used other brands over the years and still do, just not in the RX. It is easily possible to drive from FL to PA and back using only BP/AMOCO fuels. I now see they are listed by Top Tier on their web site, so this is something new in the last year or so. I would be very doubtful there is any real difference between the fuel before and after their certification. In the following article on the topic BP/AMOCO is not listed as a Top Tier fuel.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...-gasoline.html

There is no saying how much more detergent or if the detergent is any better when comparing a Top Tier fuel to that sold by Costco. Perhaps Costco is of the same level and they just choose not to spend the money to be certified. Again, much of this is nothing but marketing IMO.

The auto manufacturers got on this top tier gas kick years ago as a way to help head-off potential problems in meeting emissions standards, with carbon deposits and with the resulting lawsuits from those types of problems. If you feel the need for more detergent in your gas you can always add a 20oz bottle of Chevron Techron to your tank every once in a while.

The biggest problem with purchasing gas at Costco is that you then feel obligated to go inside to shop and spend $$$. So, you are really not saving anything.

BTW, I find it a bit funny that people talk about Costco gas but very few if any talk about Sam's Club gas.

dctex99

FYI;;in Southern California there is only ONE Sams Club with no gas station; serving 6 million people; two others closed years ago; never been a Sams Club station that I have heard of.
In my case Costco Gas is before the Costco store so very easy to fill up and leave without shopping!!! This is the general design of others in San Diego as well as other suburbs!
Sorry you are convinced all gas is the same; maybe my Tag Heuer is just another cheap watch too...lol

jgr7

iTrader: (1)

All I use is Sams club gas, unless I travel somewhere that there is no Sams. Use to use costco but sams lets me use my credit card so I get points. I have never had any trouble in any of my cars. Using premium in my 12 IS350C and regular in the new 14 RX350 Fsport.
The IS gets average 23MPG and the new RX is getting around 22 MPG with only 1100 miles.

RX330inFL

While there may have been others, you are the first I have personally seen here at CL who has stated they use Sam's Club for gas. What I said above for Costco I would say the same for them as well. In short, nothing wrong with it. It is not Top Tier gas and so what. To me it was just a bit odd that Costco gets mentioned so often and Sam's Club never seemed to get mentioned when it comes to this topic. If you are getting points or discounts as cflutist was getting at Costco all the better.

Just checked GasBuddy and the local Sam's has the cheapest gas in the area for both regular and premium.