Premium vs. Regular Gas: What’s the Difference?

We hope that you’ve never been tempted to put regular gasoline in your Maserati, but we’d certainly understand if you’d wondered about the difference between premium and regular gas, or mused on why it’s so important to use premium fuel in your Maserati!

Comparing premium vs. regular gas, the first thing you’ll notice is that premium fuel has a higher octane rating. This means that it’s harder to ignite by accident, and safer to use in a precisely engineered high-performance engine. Now take a closer look at what sets these two products apart with Maserati of Central New Jersey.

What is Premium Gasoline?

Both premium gas and regular gas are products derived from crude oil, but premium gasoline goes through additional processes of refinement. The result of these extra steps is a fuel with a higher octane rating, which burns more cleanly while reducing the risk of what’s known as ‘engine knocking’: accidental ignition which throws off the normal operation of your engine.

Using premium gasoline when it isn’t required won’t help your car go faster when you’re cruising on the highways near Rumson. However, it may help you reduce your carbon footprint over time. But also keep in mind that all Maserati models require premium fuel.

What is Regular Unleaded Gasoline?

Regular gasoline is simply a lower-grade version of premium gasoline. Although it works fine for most vehicles on the roads near Red Bank and Colts Neck, the fact that it has a lower octane rating means that it ignites under less pressure, meaning it is at a higher risk of pre-ignition in turbocharged and high-performance engines. Today, both regular gasoline and premium gasoline are required to be unleaded.

Some vehicles which don’t normally use premium gasoline may require it when equipped with a turbocharger.

Premium vs. Regular Gas: In-Depth

Relationship to Compression: The risks of engine knocking increase in vehicles with higher compression ratios, which is why most vehicles with high compression ratios require the best fuel!
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• Octane Rating: We’ve already mentioned that premium fuel has a higher octane rating. More precisely, the octane rating on premium fuel is generally 90 or above, while regular fuel generally has an octane rating of 87.
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• Price: Saving fuel dollars on fuel isn’t worth the risk of damaging the engine in your Maserati. However, since premium fuel can run 20 to 40 cents over the cost of regular fuel, it may be a better option for other drivers.
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Contact the Maserati of Central New Jersey Service Center Today

While you’re here, learn a little bit more about the Maserati brand or explore a few of our service tips and tricks! If you recently used regular fuel by mistake, and are worried about the impact of engine knocking, schedule service at our Maserati service center in Edison today.