Paying extra for premium gas? You should probably stop

You love your car. Many years of research at the American Automobile Assn.’s Los Angeles fuels laboratory has shown that if your car requires premium, you should keep using premium and suck up the cost. “Unless your vehicle manufacturer says premium is required — not recommended, but required — we’ve found no advantage to using premium fuel,” Shupe said. One thing all gasoline buyers should look for if they’re seeking performance and longer engine life, according to Shupe: an indication that a gas station is selling “Top Tier” fuel. Those fuels cost more than gas at deep-discount stations that don’t sell Top Tier gas, but the AAA suggests that the extra few cents are worth it.