Should Regular Cars Use 92 or 95 Octane Gasoline?
2 Answers
Whether a regular car should use 92 or 95 octane gasoline depends on the engine's operating temperature and pressure. Generally, naturally aspirated engine cars require 92 octane gasoline, while turbocharged engine cars need 95 octane gasoline. Below is an introduction to gasoline octane ratings: 1. Definition of gasoline octane rating: The gasoline octane rating represents the fuel's octane number. For example, 95 octane gasoline consists of approximately 95% isooctane and about 5% n-heptane. 2. Gasoline's anti-knock properties: Since isooctane has good anti-knock properties while n-heptane has poor anti-knock properties, a higher octane rating indicates a higher octane number, meaning the gasoline has better anti-knock performance.
I've been driving regular family cars for over a decade, and there's actually some nuance to refueling. The octane rating determines gasoline's anti-knock capability - 92 octane suits engines with lower compression ratios, like most naturally aspirated engines. 95 octane is designed for high-compression ratio vehicles, better controlling engine knock. From my experience, consulting the owner's manual is most reliable; if it recommends 92 octane, use 92 to save money without waste. Using higher octane like 95 when unnecessary won't cause immediate damage but may lead to incomplete combustion and carbon buildup. Conversely, using lower octane (e.g., 92 instead of required 95) causes engine knocking and piston damage. Regular sedans or SUVs don't need 95 octane unless they're performance vehicles or turbocharged engines. For engine longevity, I always remind myself to follow the manual - don't chase cheap prices or follow trends blindly.
