According to AAA's Fuel Gauge Report, premium gas can cost about $.30 a gallon more than regular. But, will using a lower-grade gasoline hurt your car's engine?
The answer -- according to a new survey by Edmunds.com -- is "no."
Kelly Grego of Edmunds explains, "Don't worry about cheap gas. it will not effect your car. Because of today's advance technology, a car's engine is able to adjust to the variations of fuel. And the EPA also says that it's also safe for your car."
Edmunds also found no difference in the way your car performs when you buy name-brand gas versus that from no-name service station, though the branded gasolines may have more detergents and other additives. Click here for that survey.
"There's more additives in the branded gas, which means that there's more protection in the fuel, which means you're going to pay more at the gas pump," Grego explains.
And if you're trying to figure out your car's MPG, Edmund's found it's best not to rely on the car's built-in fuel-economy gauge. Some models over-estimated the fuel efficiency by 19 percent -- which could really wreak havoc on your budget. Click here for that survey.
Instead, do the math yourself -- note how many gallons of gas you're buying to fill your tank and divide by the miles traveled between times you hit "E."
