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We have all heard the phrase "you get what you pay for". This is true in many consumer products, and in my opinion, gasoline grades apply here also. Obviously, there are a few items to consider.
First and foremost, does your car REQUIRE premium? This normally applies to high performance models that identify the need for premium fuel in the manual, and may have an indicator on the dashboard, or a sticker near the gas cap. If your vehicle requires premium, then this decision is a no-brainer. Failure to fill up with premium or high octane fuel may or will eventually cause serious engine damage from detonation, or more simply, premature ignition.

If your vehicle does not REQUIRE premium grade fuel, there are a couple of other benefits of using it. Just because your vehicle may not require premium, it may in fact run better by running on premium fuel. One easy way to check this is to fill up with regular grade, reset your trip odometer, and drive normally until the tank is nearly empty. On your next stop at the gas station, record your mileage on the trip odometer, reset it, and then record the amount of fuel in gallons needed to refill the tank. Divide the gallons of fuel into the mileage, and you have miles per gallon. Repeat this two or three times with regular grade to get an average figure for miles per gallon, then repeat using premium grade. Some vehicles will show no difference, like my current truck, which is designed to run on regular grade. My previous truck was also designed to run on regular grade, but actually got 2 miles per gallon better using premium grade fuel. This equated to 10% to 20% more miles per tank, but only cost-ed 1% more per gallon. I couldn't actually feel the additional power or smoother running, but the figures told me that my truck ran much better with premium, and the cost difference paid for itself.
The final thought is longer term. Will the engine run better and require less maintenance and repairs by running a better, cleaner burning fuel? Again, my personal experience says "you get what you pay for". A few friends of mine with the same make and model truck that I had burned the cheapest gas they could get. In return, they spent more than their money saved on cheaper fuel in the repair shop, getting fuel injectors cleaned, and throttle bodies cleaned from all the excessive buildup from these cheaper fuels. For example, they were in the repair shop once or twice a year, with an average bill of fifty dollars per visit. I had one visit after 5 years, and over 100,000 miles.
So even though my new truck doesn't seem to mind the regular grade fuel, I am going to stick to premium grade fuel, and get my payoff in the long run.

Learn more about this author, Eric Cencich.
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