Gas - Cheap or name brand? Octane - 87 or 92?  

My husband knows a thing or two or three about cars, plus we keep our cars for a very long time, and we always use "regular" gas, usually from Murphy's (read Wal-Mart). I listen to Car Talk (Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers) along with my husband and I've learned, probably from them, that if you use a higher grade gas that your car gets used to it and the car's computer adjusts the oxygen mixture to compensate, so if you go back to regular you will likely have some performance problems with your car, at least until the computer re-compensates, which takes some lengthy period of time. So, unless you have a high-falutin' car that suggests higher grade gasoline to begin with, just use regular and never go up on the grade so you don't confuse your car's computer because, heaven knows, we don't like to do anything to confuse computers, even the ones in our cars.

It drives me nuts when people think there is a difference between the expensive gas and the cheap stuff. It is the same, it all comes from the same place and serves the same purpose. The stations that charge more are counting on the fact that people will think it's better if it costs more, and they will pay it. Good idea to post this to help out some people.

I really don't think it matters which gas you use. But this is only my opinion. I use the cehapest gas I can get, since it is so expensive. I don't understand why it is so expensive when it is distilled right here in Canada. I used to live in Alberta where it is drilled and we paid even higher prices that other provinces. It just doesn't make any sense to me. So I just use the cehapest. I don't think I have had any trouble with my car because of the gas I use. But like I said, this in only my opinion.