The Lexus sedans require either premium or regular gas. But, according to the Lexus customer service department, only the high-compression engines–such as the ES300’s 3.0 liter V6 engine that uses premium gas, require it. The 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine used in other sedans does not need premium fuel.
The reason is simple, High compression ratios put more stress on the combustion process, which calls for more detergent additives to cleanse away particulates. Cars with higher compression ratios require premium gas; those with lower ratios run fine on regular.
Why does lexus es300 need premium gas?
Lexus es300 needs premium gas because of its high compression ratio. High Compression Ratio engines require higher octane fuel for some level of performance protection. It’s also more efficient, cleaner burning and provides better engine life. If low octane fuel is used in a high compression engine, the increased combustion speed quickly raises the temperature inside the combustion chamber to the point where pre-ignition occurs. Pre-ignition destroys the piston crowns and cylinder walls, effectively turning your engine into scrap metal. You can prevent pre-ignition by using a high octane fuel that would allow you more ignition timing advance before pre-ignition occurs. This reduces the chance of pre-ignition before the spark timing can be increased. The high octane fuel is not used because it has extra cleaning additives or higher energy content. Those are just marketing gimmicks for selling higher octane fuels, but they’re expensive gimmicks that don’t offer anything in terms of performance benefits to the average driver.
What gas is recommended for lexus es300?
Lexus recommends the use of premium unleaded gasoline in vehicles with high compression ratios. Regular unleaded gasoline is recommended for all other Lexus vehicles. Using anything other than premium gasoline may cause performance problems and could void your warranty.
