Fuel Grade?

[Don A]

As I have yet to pull the trigger on a Land Cruiser I have a question for those that have...
I was told that premium fuel is recommended for the new Land Cruiser but that the new 4Runner requires only regular fuel?
Are you guys using premium grade fuel?
These days paying extra for premium fuel bites!

 

[basicxj]

Search results for query: premium fuel

www.landcruiserforum.com

You may find a thread or two on the forum discussing the topic

I have used premium since first fill up. You'll find members who use all the available grades of fuel. If you think about it, the Land Cruiser is heavier than the 4Runner and Tacoma but promises the same horsepower & torque with the same 2.4T. I think one of the ways they can do so is to recommend premium fuel to pull that extra weight around. If you want full performance, I can't say using low octane is the way to unlock that but there are certainly a number of opinions to the contrary.

 

[wpage]

The TLC offers 3 performance modes, sport, normal and eco. Similar fuel grades run, prem, mid, and regular. Its a matter of preference. The fuel fill door states, Premium. Yet the manual does not state required. There are many searchable threads here on this topic. So maybe like poker its dealers choice how you move on selections.

 

[rick3242]

Yes if you search this topic it has been thoroughly discussed.

 

[Blue Bear]

The TLC offers 3 performance modes, sport, normal and eco. Similar fuel grades run, prem, mid, and regular. Its a matter of preference. The fuel fill door states, Premium. Yet the manual does not state required. There are many searchable threads here on this topic. So maybe like poker its dealers choice how you move on selections.

The manual does state that premium fuel is required. Having said that, the exact same engine with the exact same specs in the 4Runner makes one wonder, "What was Toyota thinking?"

 

[DubDub]

Here we go again… the subject that has never provided good information or concrete data, just opinion and speculation.

To the OP: you do you. I can tell you that my personal experience with 87 has only come from absolute necessity and my wife’s mistakes. I have 87 in my tank now and I 100% feel the “lugging” sensation at low speed acceleration. Others will claim that it is fine and that I am experiencing a placebo effect or confirmation bias. Others still will make claims of engine tuning differences between the 4R and LC. Then others will point to EPA claim differences. Some will talk about what “premium” means in international markets. Some will talk about altitudes. Some will talk about combustion temps and pressures as it relates to octane levels. Some will then talk about ethanol and ethanol-free applications…

This is a bag of worms. Not projecting or presuming, but if you are still in the consideration phase and premium prices are weighing heavily on your mind… well, maybe the 4R is a better fit?

 

[FarooqMCSE]

As I have yet to pull the trigger on a Land Cruiser I have a question for those that have...
I was told that premium fuel is recommended for the new Land Cruiser but that the new 4Runner requires only regular fuel?
Are you guys using premium grade fuel?
These days paying extra for premium fuel bites!

Dear Don, bought my LC LC with premium package in July 2024. Have never used premium so far.

 

[Sugarloafer80]

Horse for sale, well beaten but up for more.

Then we delve into how did they get IDENTICAL specs on one vehicle with Premium and the other with Regular....round we go.
I have used both. You will feel a difference. Now that she's well broken in, will see if my mileage is similar with regular.......was pretty darn close before.........

 

[Viktorv1961]

I buy about 500 gallons/year. Difference between 87 and 91-93 is less than a dollar. Buying 70K vehicle and then trying to save $400 a year does not make any sense to me...I pay more than that for garbage removal in my house.

 

[basicxj]

Since ethanol began appearing in local (to me) pump gas, I have felt a difference in performance when using them. Ethanol blend fuel carries less energy on combustion compared to pure gasoline, and coincidentally the only ethanol-free fuels available in my area are premium grade. Yes, modern vehicles are manufactured for their fuel systems to withstand ethanol blends, but that doesn't mean they will provide optimal performance when using them. The difference may be incremental to most people, but if you have been exclusively using premium without ethanol for a period and are forced to use a lower grade containing ethanol, it becomes more obvious.

One of my previous turbo vehicles got fed 94 octane Chevron without ethanol since new- I made a trip down into Oregon where all of the available fuels topped out at 91 octane with ethanol, and that vehicle ran like a dog for the duration of the trip with that fuel. Onboard computers can and will compensate for fuel differences by adjusting timing, and you'll feel it when they do. If fuel purchases vary based on what is available to you at a given time, you may not notice from one tank to the next. If all you have ever burned is lower grade with ethanol, that becomes the benchmark for "normal" performance. "No detonation? No problem." Unfortunately, not quite that simple.

 

[Calokie]

Nothing but the best
Premium 91 TopTier California price per gallon goodness

 

[Captain Trips]

 

[Calokie]

View attachment 76603

Among The Living

 

[Sugarloafer80]

I buy about 500 gallons/year. Difference between 87 and 91-93 is less than a dollar. Buying 70K vehicle and then trying to save $400 a year does not make any sense to me...I pay more than that for garbage removal in my house.

I think you mean a dollar per gallon so in your case that adds up to ~$500, just sayin........the sense to me will be when someone REALLY explains the identical specs on a motor on reg v premium ......guess all those 4runners will kill their engines early.......................................amazing how few question that!!!! Its not about the $500, its about the BS Toyota has fed us on this one.
I run el premo for the superior detergent levels and thus far, I feel a subtle difference.....some folks running dynos on premium suggest 325/465 are sand bad numbers on the LC....meaning more power in reality. BMW has sandbagged their motors for years!

 

[perigree]

Unlike others on the forum. I enjoy hearing this topic get beat to death with baseless speculation.

My conspiracy is that Toyota recommends 91 for the Land Cruiser to juice their EPA emissions numbers. I think Toyota believes that the Land Cruiser customer base is willing to bear the burden of the cost more so than their other offerings. The LC manages to match the 4runner and gets better EPA mpg estimates than the Tacoma all while providing Full Time 4WD.

 

[Synjar]

“Unlike others on the forum. I enjoy hearing this topic get beat to death with baseless speculation.

My conspiracy is that Toyota recommends 91 for the Land Cruiser to juice their EPA emissions numbers. I think Toyota believes that the Land Cruiser customer base is willing to bear the burden of the cost more so than their other offerings. The LC manages to match the 4runner and gets better EPA mpg estimates than the Tacoma all while providing Full Time 4WD.“


93 is required because the waste gates on the LC are slightly different on the LC than the 4Runners and therefore subject to increased carbon build up rendering them more restrictive at full boost.

I run 93 only.

 

[mitchr85]

I have always used 93 premium unless its 91 or 92 in some areas. I do know that in some higher compression engines not running high octane gas causes pinging which supposedly damage the engine eventually; I'm not sure if this is true but that is what I've heard. What seems strange is Toyota wants you to go 10,000 miles on oil changes (I always do 5000) but says only use 93 octane gas. It's kind of contradictory to act very conservative with the longer oil change interval but tell you to use more expensive gas. So, I feel there must be a legitimate reason for the higher octane requirement.

 

[D-mac]

Nothing but the best
Premium 91 TopTier California price per gallon goodness

CARB 91 octane is pretty low for "premium", that in most other states goes all the way up to 95. If you really want the good stuff at the pump in CA you have to fork out the big $$$ for 100 octane unleaded race gas .

 

[perigree]

“Unlike others on the forum. I enjoy hearing this topic get beat to death with baseless speculation.

My conspiracy is that Toyota recommends 91 for the Land Cruiser to juice their EPA emissions numbers. I think Toyota believes that the Land Cruiser customer base is willing to bear the burden of the cost more so than their other offerings. The LC manages to match the 4runner and gets better EPA mpg estimates than the Tacoma all while providing Full Time 4WD.“


93 is required because the waste gates on the LC are slightly different on the LC than the 4Runners and therefore subject to increased carbon build up rendering them more restrictive at full boost.

I run 93 only.

Hmm, a quick google search returns interchangeable part numbers for the turbo assemblies between 4Runners and LC250s? I'm probably missing a nuance to the parts system, but seems like they wouldn't be identical if that were the case?

I still run 91, best we can get in CA. I'm pretty sure it's been confirmed the tunings maps are different from the 4Runner and Tacomas which is enough of a reason for me.

 

[Calokie]

CARB 91 octane is pretty low for "premium", that in most other states goes all the way up to 95. If you really want the good stuff at the pump in CA you have to fork out the big $$$ for 100 octane unleaded race gas .Damn, now i have to drive to

Sonoco here i come!