Car Payment

[MrsMcDreamy]

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Hey all...

This might be a stupid question as everyone has a different financial situation, but I was wondering if there are any current students that are paying a car payment with their loan money (maybe somewhere around $280/month...I don't really know what the average car payment is)? In particular, do the budgets at NYCOM or PCOM offer enough extra money to afford such an expense? I have a car that is about to die and I really need to a) sink in about $1500 into a car that is 7 years old or b) trade in my car now while it is still worth something to get a used vehicle that has a warranty. I am at a loss because I don't have the financial aid package worked out yet and my car is in need of repairs now. Any info or insight into this matter would be VERY much appreciated. Thanks in advance! 🙂

 

[Punchap]

I'm not sure if this will help...

I recently bought a new car and have an expensive car payment to go along with it. I know that many schools budget a couple grand a year into the budget for travel expenses. I would say it's probably ok to get a car (used or new) as long as you can juggle your finances alright. For example, I bought a new car knowing that I would have to make cuts elsewhere (I will probably get a roomate instead of living alone). But it also gave me comfort knowing that I have a warranty on my car that will last me through residency. I have had many car troubles in the past and do not want to deal with more in the near future.

By no means do I want to encourage you to buy a new car, it was probably foolish of me to do so. But, just know that there are ways to work it out if you do take on a car payment.

 

[aliDO]

Federal loans say specifically that you cannot use your money for things like car payments. Of course, they won't know if you do, so you can if you want. However, they will not consider that in the budget. "Travel expenses" will be covered, but that will mostly be eaten up by gas alone. You can always take out private loans for whatever you want. If your car payment is 280/month you can probably swing it if you live cheaply in other ways.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I have a car payment that is certain to suck balls. I'm going to pay as much of it down as I can.

 

[KateGia]

Hey all...

This might be a stupid question as everyone has a different financial situation, but I was wondering if there are any current students that are paying a car payment with their loan money (maybe somewhere around $280/month...I don't really know what the average car payment is)? In particular, do the budgets at NYCOM or PCOM offer enough extra money to afford such an expense? I have a car that is about to die and I really need to a) sink in about $1500 into a car that is 7 years old or b) trade in my car now while it is still worth something to get a used vehicle that has a warranty. I am at a loss because I don't have the financial aid package worked out yet and my car is in need of repairs now. Any info or insight into this matter would be VERY much appreciated. Thanks in advance! 🙂

I go to NYCOM... I use my grad plus to pay: Rent, Bills, Car, Car insurance, Groceries, and living expenses. So yes, you can definitely do it. If you are supporting yourself completely (as I am) I recommend getting a certified used car, so it's a little less expensive, but still has a warranty. My payment was $150 a month, but I think $250 is not unreasonable if you know how to budget.

 

[prionsRbad]

I go to NYCOM... I use my grad plus to pay: Rent, Bills, Car, Car insurance, Groceries, and living expenses. So yes, you can definitely do it. If you are supporting yourself completely (as I am) I recommend getting a certified used car, so it's a little less expensive, but still has a warranty. My payment was $150 a month, but I think $250 is not unreasonable if you know how to budget.

That's what I plan on doing. 👍

 

[MaximusD]

I have a car and pay car insurance but sometimes I wonder if its worth it since most of my driving is in a 4-block radius around PCOM. 🙁

 

[t-funk]

One of my bigger fears about med school is how I'm going to make my car payment as well as if I will be able to sell my house. If I do, then I will be able to pay the car off. If I don't sell my house, I may have to take on a part time job in order to pay the payment which I really don't want to do. Once I get it paid off, I will be happy though bc it will probably last me through residency. If I can't pay it off before school starts, I will do everything I can to get it paid off before clinicals.

 

[MrsMcDreamy]

Thanks for the input so far. I still have no idea what to do 🙁 I am terrified that I won't be able to afford living expenses and a $280 car payment. I also have a 1.5 year old dog that I have raised since a puppy that I care for. When I think about all of this, I can't breathe but I need transportation. I have looked into certified used Hondas (good MPG) and I am right thinking around $250 a month. I am not a big spender at all, but I guess I am just scared about unforeseen circumstances and not being able to cover necessary expenses (ex. vet bills). Are there loan options above the cost of attendance just in case? I would feel better if I knew I had a safety net should I need it (hopefully I wouldn't).

 

[MaximusD]

280 is a bit high. Do you go out often? Do you have a problem with packing your lunch daily? If you do a lot of driving, does your car get good gas mileage?

The small thigns will begin to add up. In particular, a 7 dollar lunch daily will make a quick dent in your loan money. By comparison, packing lunch costs 2-3 dollars daily, if not less.

 

[MrsMcDreamy]

280 is a bit high. Do you go out often? Do you have a problem with packing your lunch daily? If you do a lot of driving, does your car get good gas mileage?

The small thigns will begin to add up. In particular, a 7 dollar lunch daily will make a quick dent in your loan money. By comparison, packing lunch costs 2-3 dollars daily, if not less.

The car I would get has 26/34 MPG when the car I have now gets 23 MPG no matter what. Also, the new used car takes regular gas while I have to put in premium with my current car . I don't like to go out too often, maybe like once every two weeks or once a month. I usually relax by playing with my dog, watching movies, or playing wii 😳 I do also pack my lunch everyday because it's how I stay thin (I have no will power when I go out to eat and am being stared in the face by a bacon cheeseburger). I have an interview this week at PCOM, will they give us a sheet on their cost of attendance?

 

[f_w]

When you buy a used car, consider NOT getting the used car warranty through the dealer. These warranties are a big moneymaker for the used car dealers, it is possible to get better coverage after-market (e.g. warrantydirect.com). Do some research, make sure the insurance co is allowed to do business in your state and and is a highly rated company. Some people have gotten burned by unscrupulous insurers/car dealers that sold worthless used car warranties.

Don't go overboard with your vehicle expenses. If you have a $280 car payment, make sure you budget for the amount of insurance you will need to cover that car.

With the exception of one vehicle, I have owned all my cars free and clear. I saved up money and bought my first car, a 10 year old volvo station wagon, for $4500. Rather than making a car payment, I used to put away money every month for its eventual replacement and to cover for the inevitable repairs an older car will have along the way. Most of those repairs will still be cheaper than 2 months of new-car payments. When it came time to get another car, I had the money to spend on it. (funny enough, I still have that volvo in the back of the garage. It never died, the body is in great shape and I keep it around for the days that I need to haul lots of people or bags of leaves).

As for used cars, nothing beats something like an older 4-cylinder Camry or Accord when it comes to low maintenance cost. Particularly the older Camrys will last forever on a minimal repair budget.

 

[EEL08]

What kind of car do you have that has to take premium gas? I have a friend who has a 10 year old car and still puts premium in it. I don't get it to be honest.

 

[prionsRbad]

What kind of car do you have that has to take premium gas? I have a friend who has a 10 year old car and still puts premium in it. I don't get it to be honest.

Some people swear by it.

I've never put anything but regular unleaded in my car and she's 13 years old with 200,000 miles and running like a champ. 😉

 

[EEL08]

Some people swear by it.

I've never put anything but regular unleaded in my car and she's 13 years old with 200,000 miles and running like a champ. 😉

It's just that everything I've read suggests you generally don't need to pay that extra money just to have premium in your car. My friend got this car brand new so she started using premium and just hasn't stopped. I hate that she's wasting so much money on it.

 

[prionsRbad]

It's just that everything I've read suggests you generally don't need to pay that extra money just to have premium in your car. My friend got this car brand new so she started using premium and just hasn't stopped. I hate that she's wasting so much money on it.

My grandpa does the same thing. I don't have the heart to tell him it doesn't matter!

 

[Concubine]

It's just that everything I've read suggests you generally don't need to pay that extra money just to have premium in your car. My friend got this car brand new so she started using premium and just hasn't stopped. I hate that she's wasting so much money on it.

Yes, that is ridiculous. Your required octane level is usually dependent on elevation, but usually lies in an 85-88 range. Anything above this is most often a waste of money. If your car clicks or "pings" when you drive, you should increase your octane level.

 

[f_w]

Most cars that 'require' premium which where built since the 80s have a 'knock sensor' (typically one per cylinder bank). It will adjust the ignition timing to keep the engine allways right at the verge of knocking (premature detonation). If you put in lower octane fuel than the car is rated for, it will just ****** ignition timing enough to keep it from knocking. It will cost you some top-end power and increase your consumption minimally, but it won't hurt the engine.

Check your cars manual or talk to a mechanic knowledgeable with this car on whether you can use regular unleaded instead of premium.

In the olden days (the days of those grandpas that still put premium into their regular rated car), premium contained special additives that reduced depositions in the fuel system and regular didn't. Back then, it did make some sense to run a tank of premium once in a while. Nowadays, the detergent additives are at the same level in RUG and premium (btw. the increased octane rating in premium is achieved by adding ethanol. ethanol has a lower energy content than gasoline. as a result, a regular rated engine run on premium may consume more fuel to achieve the same performance).

 

[MaximusD]

That said, performance engines often run at a higher compression ratio, which means that it is unwise to use the lower octane rated fuels.

For instance, I have a VW GTI with a turbo and will never put anything under 91 octane into it.

It is unwise to make blanket statements about being able to use regular. Check the owner's manual or the gas hatch on your car for its manufacturer-suggested octane. The manufacturer knows more about what the car needs than your standard-issue SDNer.

Then there's my dad who insists that he has to put premium into his 87-octane-requiring-gas-guzzling Yukon. Ugh, a waste of money on SO many levels!!!!

 

[f_w]

That said, performance engines often run at a higher compression ratio, which means that it is unwise to use the lower octane rated fuels.

Right. And all of the newer ones will have a engine control system that is able to adjust to sub-par fuel.

For instance, I have a VW GTI with a turbo and will never put anything under 91 octane into it.

The turbo doesn't care what type of fuel you put in it, it only cares that you use the proper VAG 502.00 rated semi-synthetic of full-synthetic oil 😉
Btw. in the country of origin for this car, regular unleaded has 92 octane, premium (or 'super' as it is called) has 95.

It is unwise to make blanket statements about being able to use regular. Check the owner's manual or the gas hatch on your car for its manufacturer-suggested octane. The manufacturer knows more about what the car needs than your standard-issue SDNer.

ok, I repeat:
Check your cars manual or talk to a mechanic knowledgeable with this car on whether you can use regular unleaded instead of premium.

 

[MrsMcDreamy]

What kind of car do you have that has to take premium gas? I have a friend who has a 10 year old car and still puts premium in it. I don't get it to be honest.

The only reason I do it is because it says it on the gas cap. Sometimes, I put in 89 as a compromise. My car is definitely not anything special. It is a V6 so maybe that is why. I know VERY little about cars except how much each problem costs to fix since I have had to repair my cars so often in the past. I seem to have bad luck with cars and that is why I definitely don't question the gas cap.

 

[EEL08]

The only reason I do it is because it says it on the gas cap. Sometimes, I put in 89 as a compromise. My car is definitely not anything special. It is a V6 so maybe that is why. I know VERY little about cars except how much each problem costs to fix since I have had to repair my cars so often in the past. I seem to have bad luck with cars and that is why I definitely don't question the gas cap.

That is one of the funniest things I've ever heard! Honestly I have to say I don't know all that much about cars. I have vehicles that are V6 and we just put regular unleaded so I don't know if it has anything to do with that or not. My friend has a Nissan Maxima and I just don't think it's the type of car that warrants premium gas.

 

[MaximusD]

Right. And all of the newer ones will have a engine control system that is able to adjust to sub-par fuel.



The turbo doesn't care what type of fuel you put in it, it only cares that you use the proper VAG 505.00 rated semy-synthetic of full-synthetic oil 😉
Btw. in the country of origin for this car, regular unleaded has 92 octane, premium (or 'super' as it is called) has 95.



ok, I repeat:
Check your cars manual or talk to a mechanic knowledgeable with this car on whether you can use regular unleaded instead of premium.

I never said that the car will not run on lower octane fuel. However, it won't run as it should. Why would I drive a GTI if I didn't want to get its maximal performance or shorten the longevity of my turbocharged engine by ****ing around and not listening to the people who engineered the car?

 

[MaximusD]

The turbo doesn't care what type of fuel you put in it, it only cares that you use the proper VAG 505.00 rated semy-synthetic of full-synthetic oil 😉
Btw. in the country of origin for this car, regular unleaded has 92 octane, premium (or 'super' as it is called) has 95.

Right, and just bc the standards of our octane levels are lower on average than our european counterparts doesn't change the fact that the engine is designed to run on 91+ octane fuel. We can go around like this all day. In fact, I COULD begin jumping back and forth between SDN and VW Vortex, however I have to study about the kinin cascade at present.

Show me your credentials as something more than an amateur car mechanic (engineer, etc) and I will be more inclined to believe your suggestions.

 

[prionsRbad]

Wow! I just learned a lot about cars after reading all that! 😉

 

[IDBasco]

We can go around like this all day. In fact, I COULD begin jumping back and forth between SDN and VW Vortex, however I have to study about the kinin cascade at present.

Show me your credentials as something more than an amateur car mechanic (engineer, etc) and I will be more inclined to believe your suggestions.

What does vwvortex have to do with the topic at hand? Why don't you go ahead and post up your credentials? I hate to jump into the middle of other people's arguements, but I just can't resist on this one. I believe that both of you are right. You can run a car on lower octane than it was designed for, provided it has a knock sensor, its just kind of pointless to do so if it was tuned for higher octane fuel. As long as it doesn't detonate, it won't hurt anything internally.

For the OP, read the owners manual and go with whatever octane number it suggests. Names like premium and plus, etc. are meaningless because they are different at every fuel brand. Regular gas here is 85-87 depending on where you go and premium is 91-93.

 

[Cpt Starbuck]

My car runs better on premium and that's what it says to put in it. Since its 10 years old ... I have just learned better and sucked up to just paying for premium. 🙁 Oh and I just had to replace my knock sensor ... $500 I will never get back for the 4-5 hour job.

 

[f_w]

I never said that the car will not run on lower octane fuel. However, it won't run as it should. Why would I drive a GTI if I didn't want to get its maximal performance or shorten the longevity of my turbocharged engine by ****ing around and not listening to the people who engineered the car?

And I never told you to run your GTI on RUG.

The OP and another poster along the line where concerned about the expense of operating a basic transport. And if maximum performance is not your primary goal in this setting, most modern premium rated engines will do perfectly fine on RUG. Again, check with a knowledgeable mechanic or your cars manufacturer whether this applies to your car (older high-compression cars that required premium and have simple ignition systems e.g. anything american from the 70s won't tolerate this and self-destruct over time).

 

[f_w]

Oh, and I can drive circles around your GTI with my V6 accord. And that on 85octane RUG with child seats and tool-boxes in the back 😛....

(should have known you are one of those VWvortex kids)

correction:
I checked in my trusty Bentley manual: The 2.0 FSI engine is designed to run on 94 octane but may be operated on 91octane at reduced performance😉 So by driving this car in the US, you already take a hit on your performance.

 

[Doctor McDreamy]

Oh wow, theres my wife! Where have you been all this time??? hahaha....

 

[myr11]

some of you people can't figure out the right type of gas to put in your car, but one day might have to figure out the right dosage of medicine to a critically ill person. a maxima doesn't seem like a car that warrants premium fuel. thats a good skill you have. one day you can look at your patient and judge that he or she does not warrant medication, i mean the person looks fine. maybe some of you should start to learn to open your minds and research things before you start blabbing about what the right thing to do about anything is.

 

[EEL08]

some of you people can't figure out the right type of gas to put in your car, but one day might have to figure out the right dosage of medicine to a critically ill person. a maxima doesn't seem like a car that warrants premium fuel. thats a good skill you have. one day you can look at your patient and judge that he or she does not warrant medication, i mean the person looks fine. maybe some of you should start to learn to open your minds and research things before you start blabbing about what the right thing to do about anything is.

Wow dude(ette) you really need to step off. It's extremely obnoxious the way you're coming across. Us discussing what kind of gas certain cars should or should not get does not mean we will be horrible doctors. If I wanted to be all knowing about cars I would become a mechanic. That's not an area I'm skilled in. You're right, I am just making a guess (at least somewhat educated). But you know I am all about deciding if a person is ill just by looking at them. I think as a doctor I will ignore any possible internal injuries, MIs, etc. because you can't always see the outward signs. This is a good way to approach treating patients because choosing gas for a car and medical care is exactly the same. 🙄

 

[gasapple]

some of you people can't figure out the right type of gas to put in your car, but one day might have to figure out the right dosage of medicine to a critically ill person. a maxima doesn't seem like a car that warrants premium fuel. thats a good skill you have. one day you can look at your patient and judge that he or she does not warrant medication, i mean the person looks fine. maybe some of you should start to learn to open your minds and research things before you start blabbing about what the right thing to do about anything is.

If the patient requires high-octane scripts, so be it... 👍

 

[MaximusD]

What does vwvortex have to do with the topic at hand? Why don't you go ahead and post up your credentials? I hate to jump into the middle of other people's arguements, but I just can't resist on this one. I believe that both of you are right. You can run a car on lower octane than it was designed for, provided it has a knock sensor, its just kind of pointless to do so if it was tuned for higher octane fuel. As long as it doesn't detonate, it won't hurt anything internally.

For the OP, read the owners manual and go with whatever octane number it suggests. Names like premium and plus, etc. are meaningless because they are different at every fuel brand. Regular gas here is 85-87 depending on where you go and premium is 91-93.

IDBasco, take a long walk off a short pier 👎 😀

My credentials are nothing except that I'm a medical student. However, my information comes from the manufacturer, an independent website, and the dealer -- none of which stand to profit from me adding premium fuel to my car. The car WILL run on lower octane-rated fuel (87, 89), but a person WILL live eating cookies and cake with milk for a really long time. Will the person be lethargic between insulin surges... probably. Will they be predisposed to Type 2 diabetes... probably. My point is that the mfg set standards for a reason, and for the full performance and longevity of my higher compression, turbocharged engine it's important to follow those guidelines. There is a reason why the EXPERTS at Road & Track, Car & Driver, and Automobile fill up as directed by the manufacturer...

I don't have the 2.0FSI as much as I would love to 🙁 1.8T here, going strong.

And do you really think your V6 accord would eat my car? How about in the twisties? Sounds like an SDN challenge!! f_w and MaximusD, head to head!

------------------------------------------------------------

Monday January 21, 2008
9:30 AM

BREAKING NEWS: Philadelphia, PA

Two SDNers killed while traveling upward of 35 miles per hour on the Schuylkill Expressway. Officials are unsure of how the motorists died seeing as they were moving at a relatively low rate of speed. The motorists reportedly were driving a Honda Accord and a Volkswagen GTI.

"It's baffling. It seems as though they were trying to race," a police officer commented. "But the fact is that these cars are both slow as hell!"

Officials at Volkswagen of America were quick to denounce the incident.

"These vehicles simply aren't designed for quick acceleration. We design them to be heavy and slow while accruing high maintenance costs."

A spokesperson at Honda was perplexed to find out that the race began as an argument about octane rating.

"I just don't understand the suggestion that our cars can run on Regular Unleaded Gasoline," he stated while scratching his head. "Everyone knows our cars burn rice!"

 

[myr11]

Wow dude(ette) you really need to step off. It's extremely obnoxious the way you're coming across. Us discussing what kind of gas certain cars should or should not get does not mean we will be horrible doctors. If I wanted to be all knowing about cars I would become a mechanic. That's not an area I'm skilled in. You're right, I am just making a guess (at least somewhat educated). But you know I am all about deciding if a person is ill just by looking at them. I think as a doctor I will ignore any possible internal injuries, MIs, etc. because you can't always see the outward signs. This is a good way to approach treating patients because choosing gas for a car and medical care is exactly the same. 🙄

I am just tired of people posting answers to questions when they know that they really don't have any idea of what they are typing. It creates a lot of confusion for people. If you are going to be a caring person and post an answer or comment it is my opinion you should either have an idea of what you are typing, or try and find out the answer first from a good source. Any my point was that you should just think before you say or do anything...Being a physician means paying attention to detail, and having integrity. Base things on facts and not on hearsay or opinions. Putting the right gas into a car shows integrity and the ability to pay attention to detail. Oh, and refer to the right person when you don't have the answer. I don't maybe you want to be a generalist. You want to answer all questions, and suck at all of them. ok, now im just kidding. I am sure you will be a good doctor, I was just tryin to make a point, didn't mean to call you out.

 

[toothsome]

Hahah! (Thats all I got)

 

[DadAndPreDOinMO]

I am just tired of people posting answers to questions when they know that they really don't have any idea of what they are typing. It creates a lot of confusion for people. If you are going to be a caring person and post an answer or comment it is my opinion you should either have an idea of what you are typing, or try and find out the answer first from a good source. Any my point was that you should just think before you say or do anything...Being a physician means paying attention to detail, and having integrity. Base things on facts and not on hearsay or opinions. Putting the right gas into a car shows integrity and the ability to pay attention to detail. Oh, and refer to the right person when you don't have the answer. I don't maybe you want to be a generalist. You want to answer all questions, and suck at all of them. ok, now im just kidding. I am sure you will be a good doctor, I was just tryin to make a point, didn't mean to call you out.

WOW. Some people!!
I think a thread should be started and anytime someone says something that is completely off the wall they should only be allowed to post in that thread (It could be called the "I like to say things that don't make any sense at all so now I'm only allowed to post in this thread")

 

[ShyRem]

Folks, let's stop with the nastiness and get back to the topic at hand or this thread will be closed.

 

[f_w]

And do you really think your V6 accord would eat my car? How about in the twisties?

Straight-line 0-60 or quarter mile both come up with about the same numbers. The twisties, I could probably outrun my Accord with my Jetta.

Sounds like an SDN challenge!! f_w and MaximusD, head to head!

------------------------------------------------------------

Monday January 21, 2008
9:30 AM

BREAKING NEWS: Philadelphia, PA

Two SDNers killed while traveling upward of 35 miles per hour on the Schuylkill Expressway. Officials are unsure of how the motorists died seeing as they were moving at a relatively low rate of speed. The motorists reportedly were driving a Honda Accord and a Volkswagen GTI.

"It's baffling. It seems as though they were trying to race," a police officer commented. "But the fact is that these cars are both slow as hell!"

Officials at Volkswagen of America were quick to denounce the incident.

"These vehicles simply aren't designed for quick acceleration. We design them to be heavy and slow while accruing high maintenance costs."

A spokesperson at Honda was perplexed to find out that the race began as an argument about octane rating.

"I just don't understand the suggestion that our cars can run on Regular Unleaded Gasoline," he stated while scratching his head. "Everyone knows our cars burn rice!"

*wiping coffee of keyboard that was ejected through nasal passage*

 

[toothsome]

OH yea! My dad can beat up your dad!

 

[MaximusD]

Straight-line 0-60 or quarter mile both come up with about the same numbers. The twisties, I could probably outrun my Accord with my Jetta.



*wiping coffee of keyboard that was ejected through nasal passage*

Haha glad you liked that it was about all the creativity I could come up with in the midst of all this immuno and bacteria BS.

 

[f_w]

Haha glad you liked that it was about all the creativity I could come up with in the midst of all this immuno and bacteria BS.

"These vehicles simply aren't designed for quick acceleration. We design them to be heavy and slow while accruing high maintenance costs."

That certainly applies for anything VW. On the honda, I haven't changed a lightbulb, the VW has eaten a transmission and is leaking oil and coolant from various places.

 

[KateGia]

The car I would get has 26/34 MPG when the car I have now gets 23 MPG no matter what. Also, the new used car takes regular gas while I have to put in premium with my current car . I don't like to go out too often, maybe like once every two weeks or once a month. I usually relax by playing with my dog, watching movies, or playing wii 😳 I do also pack my lunch everyday because it's how I stay thin (I have no will power when I go out to eat and am being stared in the face by a bacon cheeseburger). I have an interview this week at PCOM, will they give us a sheet on their cost of attendance?

To answer your questions: Yes they will give you a sheet on cost of attendence. Also, the way loans work, you take out stafford, which should pretty much cover tuition and maybe insurance. Then you take out Grad Plus, which is a loan to cover your living expenses. The max you can take out depends on the cost of living in the area, and is determined by the school. At NYCOM it's ~$25,000/yr. Beyond that, you can take out private loans if you really need them, but the $25,000 should be MORE than enough if you make a budget. Like someone else said, making your own meals, not going out too often (which you won't have time for anyway) and things like that really help. I personally keep my loan check in a high interest savings account, then i "pay" myself every 2 weeks enough to cover bills/rent/food and a little left over for my necessary starbucks and bottle of wine or something 🙂 I hope this helps, unlike the conversation about which type of gas to use (i say go with regular, it's really more important that you use the right type of oil than the right type of gas)

 

[toothsome]

Get a Moped or a motorcycle.

 

[IDBasco]

My credentials are nothing...

At least you're honest.

 

[osli]

Not all new vehicles with highish compression engines are able to suitably compensate for lower octane fuel. Most are, but it always remains a possibility that you are increasing the risk of predetonation and excessive engine wear and damage by not using premium. However, there are really only a handful of production cars with a stock compression ratio that makes this a realistic concern. The vast majority of turbo/super charged vehicles have adequate engine management to deal with whatever you put in, so you're really just talking about a few naturally aspirated engines out there.

On the flip side, it is much more common that people do harm by running premium in an engine they shouldn't. With a lower compression ratio (whether by design or due to age) higher octane fuel may not burn completely, leading to increased emissions, soot deposits, catalytic converter degradation, exhaust damage, etc., not to mention a potential loss of power. Rule of thumb... if you car is ten years old, you should run regular regardless of what the cap says. If it is five years old, you should run midgrade at the highest regardless of what the cap says. If it is pretty new, ask someone who really knows, not the gas cap.

 

[DadAndPreDOinMO]

I use lawn-boy gas and drive my riding lawn mower everywhere!😀

 

[f_w]

Rule of thumb... if you car is ten years old, you should run regular regardless of what the cap says. If it is five years old, you should run midgrade at the highest regardless of what the cap says. If it is pretty new, ask someone who really knows, not the gas cap.

This is imho one of the generalizations that are not particularly helpful here. A 10 year old high-compression engine with some carbon buildup but no advanced engine management software wouldn't tolerate running on regular for example.

For every car, there is documentation such as a manual or shop manual available. Also, sources like alldata or the respective dealers information system will be able to give an answer whether the engine will be fine with RUG.

 

[prionsRbad]

I use lawn-boy gas and drive my riding lawn mower everywhere!😀

👍

 

[UCDavisdude]

honda civics r cool. for gas.