# Gas, regular vs premium **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** volkswagen, tiguan\ **Created:** [March 28, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775 "2010-03-28T21:20:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![missbb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@missbb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missbb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/1 "2010-03-28T21:20:23Z")
Will I ruin the engine or in any way harm the running of the car by using regular gas in an suv that calls for premium? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/2 "2010-03-28T21:50:01Z")
Is this the turbo 4? If so, I would always use premium. What does your manual say? ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/3 "2010-03-28T21:55:30Z")
This is a turbo charged vehicle. Why would you buy a performance vehicle and then try to skimp on the fuel it needs to run? If you want a fun to drive SUV that uses regular, look at the 2010 Mazda CX-7 sport models. It has the 2.5L I-4 that runs on 87 octane. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/4 "2010-03-28T22:23:33Z")
The 2.0L turbo engine has a recommendation of premium for maximum performance. You can use regular but will get degraded performance that may or may not translate into a loss of MPG. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/5 "2010-03-28T22:49:44Z")
You will save less than $100 for each 10,000 miles driven. And that assumes you get the same gas mileage. If regular mileage is 1.5 MPG less with regular vs. premium, you actually lose money. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/6 "2010-03-28T23:38:23Z")
Check your owner’s manual: - Requires premium: damage may result if you don’t use it. - Recommends premium: No damage, but you will get lower performance and likely reduced mileage. It might even cost you more to use regular. ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/7 "2010-03-28T23:38:31Z")
What does the Owner’s Manual say, recommended or required? Recommended - regular will work with a decrease in performance/mileage. Required - Premium only. Ed B. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/8 "2010-03-29T04:06:26Z")
Better not mess around with a VW. Use premium. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/9 "2010-03-29T05:32:10Z")
Normally I would say that it all depends because there is no one size fits all with this issue. However, on a turbocharged vehicle and if you’re not mechanically astute then I would say stick to the premium fuel or you will risk engine damage. Here’s what could happen… [http://rds.yahoo.com/\_ylt=A9G\_bF7bOrBL9SkAN0qJzbkF;\_ylu=X3oDMTBpZm5udGl1BHBvcwM1BHNlYwNzcgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=1idbnbckq/EXP=1269927003/\*\*http%3A//images.search.yahoo.com/images/view%3Fback=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F\_adv\_prop%3Dimage%26va%3Dpiston%2Bdamage%2Bdetonation%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26w=600%26h=608%26imgurl=i187.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx242%2Faustinado16%2FPiston4damagehighsideemail.jpg%26rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fforums.audiworld.com%2Fa6100%2Fmsgs%2F97741.phtml%26size=86k%26name=Piston4damagehig...%26p=piston%2Bdamage%2Bdetonation%26oid=5da7118c9d2674b6%26fr2=%26no=5%26tt=34%26sigr=11it8p12l%26sigi=12b565kuq%26sigb=135jul97p](http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9G_bF7bOrBL9SkAN0qJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBpZm5udGl1BHBvcwM1BHNlYwNzcgR2dGlkAw--/SIG=1idbnbckq/EXP=1269927003/**http%3a//images.search.yahoo.com/images/view%3fback=http%253A%252F%252Fimages.search.yahoo.com%252Fsearch%252Fimages%253F_adv_prop%253Dimage%2526va%253Dpiston%252Bdamage%252Bdetonation%2526fr%253Dyfp-t-701%26w=600%26h=608%26imgurl=i187.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fx242%252Faustinado16%252FPiston4damagehighsideemail.jpg%26rurl=http%253A%252F%252Fforums.audiworld.com%252Fa6100%252Fmsgs%252F97741.phtml%26size=86k%26name=Piston4damagehig...%26p=piston%2bdamage%2bdetonation%26oid=5da7118c9d2674b6%26fr2=%26no=5%26tt=34%26sigr=11it8p12l%26sigi=12b565kuq%26sigb=135jul97p) ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/10 "2010-03-29T12:14:37Z")
As others have noted, using regular in a vehicle that calls for premium may not be saving you as much as you realize. The “detuning” your engine does to attempt to avoid detonation damage from regular will also likely reduce your MPG. For example, suppose regular costs $2.80/gal and premium costs $3.00/gal, and your vehicle gets 20 MPG with premium. Then, if switching to regular drops your mileage more than 1.4 MPG, you will be spending more money to fill up with regular than premium. This is not unheard of. ---
**Author:** ![missbb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@missbb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missbb)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-regular-vs-premium/46775/11 "2010-03-29T21:47:36Z")
Thank you all for you advice, suggestions and input