[ksa]

Got to thinking from another thread and thought I'd start a poll and also get an idea of what other people that lease their BMW's are doing. I personally never leased before until now and always used premium (91) in my vehicles but they were also either AMG or M vehicles that asked for that. Now that I am leasing instead, I am curious.

So, let's have it guys. Do you put regular (87), mid-grade (89) or premium (91) in your leased BMW's? Also, in a post please clarify which BMW you lease along with the kind of gas you use and if you have had any issues or concerns.

[joec1101]

I don't know why anyone would even consider putting less than 91 in a BMW. Leasing has nothing to do with it. These are performance vehicles and should have the higher octane available, just as required by BMW.

If you're driving a BMW, the difference in gas price from 87 to 91 or better shouldn't even be a factor - If it is, then maybe you should be driving a Corolla. Just sayin'...

[ksa]

Just a FYI...my brand ne 17' 440i xDrive GC recommends 89 octane as the requirement and my 16' M3 stated 91. That being said, I am not interested in what someone should or shouldn't do but in fact the actual practice of people that specifically lease are doing.

[joec1101]

I always go with the manufacturer's minimum requirement to get the best performance and efficiency. Anything under that I never do; anything over that I have done in the past on other cars, but it's a waste of money if it's over the manufacturer's requirement.

I wasn't aware that BMW had lowered the minimum to 89 on that model. Maybe it's a spec for vehicles not in the U.S. (?). If I remember correctly, octane ratings have different specs in different countries, so maybe that's why it's 89...

[eddiehatchblack]

Originally Posted by joec1101

I always go with the manufacturer's minimum requirement to get the best performance and efficiency. Anything under that I never do; anything over that I have done in the past on other cars, but it's a waste of money if it's over the manufacturer's requirement.

I wasn't aware that BMW had lowered the minimum to 89 on that model. Maybe it's a spec for vehicles not in the U.S. (?). If I remember correctly, octane ratings have different specs in different countries, so maybe that's why it's 89...

Someone on the other thread mentioned that 89 was the minimum listed in the manual, but it also said 91 was recommended. I haven't confirmed myself.

[RoundelM3]

Why exactly would leasing versus purchasing a modern BMW determine what type of fuel you use? BMW turbocharged engines require premium fuel to prevent detonation under load. The DME can pull back the timing and fuel mappings just so far, but if detonation occurs, it can literally ruin the engine. When we leased my wife's previous 128i convertible, we never used anything but 93 octane, same as we've done on all of our purchased BMWs as well. It's what the manufacturer and common sense requires.

[anotheran]

I don't lease but answered on behalf of someone i know that leases and doesn't care to spend more on gas for a car they're not keeping long term.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by anotheran

I don't lease but answered on behalf of someone i know that leases and doesn't care to spend more on gas for a car they're not keeping long term.

"Spending more on gas for a car they're not keeping long term" - the logic escapes me. Whoever this is obviously knows zero about cars. Using the proper fuel is not only a requirement for a turbocharged engine, it's common sense. My 335i still gets 34-36 MPG on the highway and high-20's (US Gallons) around town running premium. To save $2-$3 USD per tank and have the performance cut back and occasional limp mode under high-load conditions just isn't worth it. When you consider what leasing a BMW costs these days, why would that small amount matter?

Your friend should just lease a Toyota if they're concerned about how much they will spend on gas. That, or lease a diesel model.

[anotheran]

Originally Posted by roundel335

"Spending more on gas for a car they're not keeping long term" - the logic escapes me. Whoever this is obviously knows zero about cars. He/she should just lease a Toyota if they're concerned about how much they pay for gas.

I don't disagree but they don't really care to know much about cars but liked the look of the car and the brand.

oh to add, they don't care about the gas affecting timing detonation, MPG, and long term engine damage

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by anotheran

I don't disagree but they don't really care to know much about cars but liked the look of the car and the brand.

Then they should understand that different cars have different fuel requirements. If engine damage occurs or they have any other engine-related issues and the dealership discovers that they're not meeting the fuel requirements, it could be an expensive lesson learned.

Using premium fuel in a Toyota would make zero sense, but using regular in a turbocharged BMW would not be a good idea.

[F31Bimmerman]

I put diesel in my car

[mfstrby]

I don't lease but would put V-power in it still. You gotta respect the engine or drive corolla like others mentioned.

[anotheran]

Originally Posted by roundel335

Then they should understand that different cars have different fuel requirements. If engine damage occurs or they have any other engine-related issues and the dealership discovers that they're not meeting the fuel requirements, it could be an expensive lesson learned.

Using premium fuel in a Toyota would make zero sense, but using regular in a turbocharged BMW would not be a good idea.

I think they're good enough not to put diesel in or maybe it's the luck of the draw that they don't accidentally pull up to a diesel pump or maybe it's cuz diesel is more expensive than 87 octane.

anyways, it's not my car and they're not fueling my car. for buyers of cpo, it's buyers beware is all i can say

[mfstrby]

Originally Posted by anotheran

I think they're good enough not to put diesel in or maybe it's the luck of the draw that they don't accidentally pull up to a diesel pump or maybe it's cuz diesel is more expensive than 87 octane.

anyways, it's not my car and they're not fueling my car. for buyers of cpo, it's buyers beware is all i can say

Good point for CPO buyers though, is there a test to run on the engine to find this type of damage before buying?

[Zentan]

Originally Posted by roundel335

Then they should understand that different cars have different fuel requirements. If engine damage occurs or they have any other engine-related issues and the dealership discovers that they're not meeting the fuel requirements, it could be an expensive lesson learned.

Using premium fuel in a Toyota would make zero sense, but using regular in a turbocharged BMW would not be a good idea.

OP understands the point you're making. What he's saying is that his friend gives ZERO ****s whether they use 87 or 93 octane because the car is being returned in the end anyway. I personally put 93 in my BMW all the time but I doubt putting 87 will have any short term consequences, at least in the 3 year lease term. However, I can definitely see the long term effects to the engine 6-7 years down the road.

[torkles]

Putting premium or regular gas in the car nothing to do with engine longevity. The thought process behind not spending more money on gas for a car that you aren't going to keep long term is just ignorant. The computer will pull timing to prevent detonation, so there's nothing that 87 octane is going to damage vs. 93 octane giving you long life. Even though the thought process behind it is flawed, it does show a willingness to fuck the next person that owns the car, so in that regard I would say people that do this for this reason are probably bad people and should be ashamed of themselves.

The question really comes down to this - do you want the car you're paying for (either on lease or purchase) to have the performance you're paying for or not? If you're fine with the engine not running at its peak potential, throw 87 in it and rejoice in the money you've saved. If you want the car you're spending hundreds of dollars a month on to have the performance you bought the car to have, then put the recommended octane in it.

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Originally Posted by torkles

Putting premium or regular gas in the car nothing to do with engine longevity. The thought process behind not spending more money on gas for a car that you aren't going to keep long term is just ignorant. The computer will pull timing to prevent detonation, so there's nothing that 87 octane is going to damage vs. 93 octane giving you long life. Even though the thought process behind it is flawed, it does show a willingness to fuck the next person that owns the car, so in that regard I would say people that do this for this reason are probably bad people and should be ashamed of themselves.

The question really comes down to this - do you want the car you're paying for (either on lease or purchase) to have the performance you're paying for or not? If you're fine with the engine not running at its peak potential, throw 87 in it and rejoice in the money you've saved. If you want the car you're spending hundreds of dollars a month on to have the performance you bought the car to have, then put the recommended octane in it.

I put premium in my 335i. My mother on the other hand has a leased 320i and she puts regular in it. The lease is only about ~$280 a month so theres not really a premium price there for driving a BMW and the thing doesn't have much "performance" to begin with.

[torkles]

Originally Posted by E90 LCI

I put premium in my 335i. My mother on the other hand has a leased 320i and she puts regular in it. The lease is only about ~$280 a month so theres not really a premium price there for driving a BMW and the thing doesn't have much "performance" to begin with.

Right. So then she falls in to the group that is fine with not having the engine run at it's peak potential (as low as that might be in a 320i) and prefers to save a few bucks at the pump. You fall in to the group that wants the performance they bought the car to have.

[Zentan]

Originally Posted by torkles

Right. So then she falls in to the group that is fine with not having the engine run at it's peak potential (as low as that might be in a 320i) and prefers to save a few bucks at the pump. You fall in to the group that wants the performance they bought the car to have.

Let's talk octane for a minute then. Any major differences in 91 vs 93?

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by eddiehatchblack

Someone on the other thread mentioned that 89 was the minimum listed in the manual, but it also said 91 was recommended. I haven't confirmed myself.

Yes it says on the fuel door that 91 is recommended, 89 is minimum required. You can probably get away even with 87 but it may cause some engine knocking though the electronics are supposed to compensate for it.

[torkles]

Originally Posted by Zentan

Let's talk octane for a minute then. Any major differences in 91 vs 93?

Yes. There's a difference of 2 octane.

Whether you'll notice the difference or not depends on whether you have a car that wants 93 octane.

[anotheran]

Originally Posted by Zentan

Let's talk octane for a minute then. Any major differences in 91 vs 93?

If 93 has ethanol, I'd stay away from it. There's a few threads about it