With fuel prices soaring to new heights over the last few months, motorists are doing their best to mitigate the effects of the record-high fuel prices. You may have found yourself debating which octane of petrol to use at the pumps. Let’s talk about the differences and which would be better for you.

 

Is there a difference between 93 and 95-octane fuel?

 

The short answer is, yes. Despite the fuel grades both being petrol in their chemistry, they do vary in more ways than one. Firstly - price. There is a price difference between the two octanes and 93 generally costs less if you're comparing the two on a Rand per litre scale.

 

93 or 95 refers to the fuel’s octane rating, and according to Sasol, the lower octane fuel (93) will give you more mileage in your vehicle as opposed to 95-octane. This is contrary to what many motorists and experts who have dabbled in both fuel grades have found. Most people who have used both grades in their vehicles have reported paying less for 93-octane and proportionally yielding fewer kilometres. If your vehicle can run on both fuels, we'd encourage you to do some experimenting of your own and see which fuel performs better and yields more range.

 

Which octane grade should I use in my vehicle?

 

Before you panic, you should know that using either 93 or 95-octane fuel in your petrol vehicle by accident is not going to destroy the engine. Both grades of fuel are still petrol and it would be a different story if you poured diesel into a petrol car. Performance cars generally run better on 95 and this is normally the recommended fuel for such cars. Experts say it's with these types of vehicles that you may notice the performance difference offered by 95 vs 93 octanes. However, we would encourage you to follow your car manufacturer's recommendation when it comes to which fuel grade you should use in your petrol-powered vehicle, but you'll be glad to know that most petrol cars can run on both grades of fuel without hassle.

 

Lastly, despite 93-octane petrol being marginally more affordable than its 95 alternative. Should you crunch the figures and compare the two pound for pound, you’ll discover that the savings made from using the less expensive fuel are minimal. For instance, filling up a 50-litre tank using 93-octane vs 95 will cost you R15 less.

 

Gugu Masuku - CHANGECARS