After breaking in my 06 GTI I did a blind test of 5 tanks of Regular, Mid-Grade, and Premium keeping track of MPG and general performance. I had a lot of funny looks when I pulled in to fill up and asked for help in selecting the type of gas.
Conditions of the test
- Tire pressure was checked weekly, and adjusted when needed.
- In diving to an from work I used ‘Cruise Control’ as much as I could to limit the human factor.
- My driving was to and from work which is 58 miles round trip.
After 15 tanks which took almost 4 months of driving here is what I found
- On regular I averaged 28.5 MPG and noted a slight drop in engine performance
- On Mid-Grade I averaged 31.1 and noted almost no difference engine performance
- On Premium I averaged 31.5 and the acceleration was spot on.
When I took into account the cost difference between Regular and Premium it was cheaper per mile driven using premium so long as the cost difference was not greater then 24 cents per gallon. When I include Mid-Grade the clear winner in the best cost per mile driven s this one.
VW tells me that Premium best for my car but at $3.59 and Mid-Grade at $3.49 well you can do the math.
My baby likes to run but having the very little extra in the wallet when you get there isn’t all that bad either.
