Should the Civic use 92 or 95 octane gasoline?
2 Answers
The manufacturer recommends using 92 octane gasoline for the Civic, but 95 octane gasoline can also be used. In theory, 95 octane gasoline can better unleash the performance of the turbocharged engine, delivering superior results. The differences between 95 octane and 92 octane gasoline are as follows: 1. The ratio of n-heptane and isooctane differs: 95 octane gasoline contains 95% isooctane and 5% n-heptane, while 92 octane gasoline contains 92% isooctane and 8% n-heptane. 2. The anti-knock properties vary: 95 octane gasoline has higher anti-knock properties, whereas 92 octane gasoline has lower anti-knock properties.
As a long-time Civic owner, I clearly remember the manual stating in black and white that 92-octane fuel is perfectly fine. I've driven this car for over five years, always faithfully using 92-octane, and the engine has never given me any trouble. Once, a friend insisted I try 95-octane, claiming better performance. While I did notice a slight improvement in throttle response, actual acceleration remained unchanged, and the fuel consumption display still showed 7.2 liters per 100 km. However, during summer when climbing hills with the AC on, the engine did seem to run less strained with 95-octane. Crunching the numbers makes more sense: based on driving 1,500 km monthly, 92-octane saves over 0.3 yuan per liter compared to 95-octane, adding up to more than 400 yuan in annual savings—enough for two cabin air filter replacements. So my takeaway is simple: follow what the manual recommends; there's no need to spend extra.
