Switched from Regular to Premium gas. 4Runner runs better (more power & smoother)

[Laszlo]

My last SUV was a 2011 Nissan Armada with 146k miles and only had premium. I'm paying less for gas now because of the smaller gas tank and better milage with the 4Runner. So continuing to put premium in the tank is a no brainer to me.

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[Joe Dirt]

I know you folks on this forum are all over the country, don't forget your ethanol percentage that a lot of the stations are now incorporating in their fuel.

My RAV4 can run fine on 10% ethanol but 15% is a no no. Hot days you will notice your fuel level going down sharply. Just my two cents

 

[brumey]

One of my requirements when buying a vehicle was the ability to run on regular gas. I know many vehicles that recommend 91/93 can also run on regular but I believe that is for a short period, not permanent.

The cost of the additional fuel does not make sense to me. It's a 4Runner, not a Porsche. If you want more horsepower, get a different vehicle. Saying that, I think the 2.4 Turbo engine is more than adequate to the point I am happy I did not get the Hybrid version.

Our 4R is a "utility vehicle". It's not a race car or a status symbol. I purchased for the potential reliability of Toyota, the size and function, etc. If I wanted a fast SUV, I'd look at the Range Rover.

Each to their own I guess. I'd prefer to keep that extra gas money in the bank for other things.

 

[Paulw]

Our '25 4Runners are tuned to run on a regular gas. The Land Cruiser, which has the same engine requires premium. I decided to make a comparison. Last week went to Costco and filled up with Premium gas. After driving the car for a few days, noticed two things:

First the engine had more power, and second, it runs slightly smoother. The engine noise is less raspy. Will run Premium until the car gets to 2-3000 miles so I forget the old way, and will go back to regular to see if there is any difference.

I did the same test on my 25 4R, idling is smoother and throttle response is better too.

 

[HVLA]

The decision to recommend 87 in the 4runner is 100% dictated by the marketing team. Requiring 91 in a vehicle kills a segment of consumers. Land Cruiser consumers are considered upmarket and are not generally deterred by the Premium fuel requirement.

The high compression ratio of this engine will absolutely benefit from a higher octane. Whether that additiona cost is worth it to you would be a personal choice.

For me I dont care about fuel cost as it is a significantly tiny part of my budget. I care about performance and longevity so any small thing I can do to improve those I will do.

Plus my other vehicles "require" premium so it simplifies fueling up.

Ultimately I think oil change interval will matter a lot more than fuel grade though. I plan on doing 3k mile intervals simply for peace of mind that the turbo will benefit from them. Plus oil and filters are cheap.

 

[Lamuncha]

Usually the higher octane fuel allows for greater compression ratio - which may be buried somewhere in the engine specs. That in turn results in greater power.
The pinging sound is preignition (the lower grade fuel igniting before the plug fires). Newer engines can sense this and detune to prevent damage. Higher compression engines run much higher pressure and temperature causing the lower octane fuel to go off early in the cycle.
Higher compression ratio is achieved with a longer piston travel or slightly different head clearance.
Basically the higher octane rating just prevents preignition and is not an indicator of the chemical potential energy of the fuel. 87 octane and 93 bought at the gas station have just about the same potential.
Claims of greater efficiency or power etc by using higher octane isn't quit realistic.
Now if you get some of the fuelie stuff at the track we are talking about a much different chemical, which would probably launch the engine heads through the hood.

 

[Nodak]

The decision to recommend 87 in the 4runner is 100% dictated by the marketing team. Requiring 91 in a vehicle kills a segment of consumers. Land Cruiser consumers are considered upmarket and are not generally deterred by the Premium fuel requirement.

The high compression ratio of this engine will absolutely benefit from a higher octane. Whether that additiona cost is worth it to you would be a personal choice.

For me I dont care about fuel cost as it is a significantly tiny part of my budget. I care about performance and longevity so any small thing I can do to improve those I will do.

Plus my other vehicles "require" premium so it simplifies fueling up.

Ultimately I think oil change interval will matter a lot more than fuel grade though. I plan on doing 3k mile intervals simply for peace of mind that the turbo will benefit from them. Plus oil and filters are cheap.

oil changes (5k max and 3k for those die hards) and spark plug replacement. the owner manual states 40k spark plug replacements if i remember correctly for the new turbo engines. my 2014 n/a engine i went like 106k on the oem spark plugs and i could have gone longer when i had them pulled.

also to add, that was 106k of 87 octane with ethanol

 

[drNick]

It looks like the Toyota fuel rating (87) for the 4Runner is a marketing move to appeal to more cost conscious customers. This engine is apparently originally designed to use premium gas. All Lexus and Toyota models equipped with the 2.4 Turbo four so far, recommend premium. As far as the oil changes, if one drives mostly on the highway - 5000 miles. City, stop and go, cold engine runs and frequent towing - 3000 miles. Synthetic oil. This is if one wants to own the truck for a long time.

 

[talmadge]

Getting 91 at Costco, with what I've experienced to be a slight bonus in efficiency running 91 vs 87/88, gives me the same price per mile (or slightly better depending on pricing) as 87/88 at normal gas stations. So I've started trying to only fill up at Costco with 91 except for when circumstances require me to fill up elsewhere.

 

[HVLA]

Usually the higher octane fuel allows for greater compression ratio - which may be buried somewhere in the engine specs. That in turn results in greater power.
The pinging sound is preignition (the lower grade fuel igniting before the plug fires). Newer engines can sense this and detune to prevent damage. Higher compression engines run much higher pressure and temperature causing the lower octane fuel to go off early in the cycle.
Higher compression ratio is achieved with a longer piston travel or slightly different head clearance.
Basically the higher octane rating just prevents preignition and is not an indicator of the chemical potential energy of the fuel. 87 octane and 93 bought at the gas station have just about the same potential.
Claims of greater efficiency or power etc by using higher octane isn't quit realistic.
Now if you get some of the fuelie stuff at the track we are talking about a much different chemical, which would probably launch the engine heads through the hood.

This literally isnt true. Multiple dynos prove this engine gets 20 more hp using 91 octane.

 

[Nodak]

compression ratio is 11:1 in the 4R and the LC250 hybrid

 

[drNick]

This is the same engine. The hybrid part has nothing to do with it, being just an addition.

 

[DangItsDen]

The Land Cruiser is awd. It has to power 4 wheels all of the time, the 4runner is rwd in most trims. They likely tuned it differently to account for that.

 

[Nodak]

The Land Cruiser is awd. It has to power 4 wheels all of the time, the 4runner is rwd in most trims. They likely tuned it differently to account for that.

the limited hybrid (lc250 1958) and platinum hybrid (lc250) are equivalent to each other, so its pretty much and apples to apples comparison

and technically its not awd, its ft4wd.

awd usually employs a computer to apply the brakes to simulate a typical 4wd system that uses a mechanical setup to drive 4 wheels.

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