[Rascey]

I had a 2012 Mini Cooper S prior to my last car, I replaced with the CX-30. Some people say the ride in the CX-30 can be rough but it's leaps and bounds smoother than a mini with run flats. Congrats!

Only been in a Mini a few times, the first time a 4hr drive in country Australian Roads, won't forget that in a hurry I must say. Was so sore that night.

I have been reading this with interest as the is also my first Auto and I do miss my manual gear shift (after 41yrs). They are fantastic cars.

 

[kefkafloyd]

Sp[ort mode won't hurt the car, but its effect on fuel economy might hurt your wallet. Won't hurt your smile, though.

 

[kelzipan]

Hi Kelzipan - welcome to the forum! I am still waitong for my CX30 ( told April 5 now)...tick, tock. Enjoy your new car!

Hooray! That's so exciting less than a month away. So far I'm loving reading the threads about what people are doing to their cars and also the analysis threads. I hope you enjoy yours too. Tick, tock! Come on April 5!

 

[kelzipan]

Only been in a Mini a few times, the first time a 4hr drive in country Australian Roads, won't forget that in a hurry I must say. Was so sore that night.

I have been reading this with interest as the is also my first Auto and I do miss my manual gear shift (after 41yrs). They are fantastic cars.

You'll know the clutch stomp then, right? Was so funny when I got in a rental decades ago with a coworker. Start driving down the road and I stomped my left foot into the floor. She was like "what are you doing?" I was like "trying to press the non-existent clutch in this automatic car." Hahaha. I'll be making a long drive later this year and looking forward to not being in the Mini. Still loved that little car. It also zoomed.

 

[kelzipan]

Sp[ort mode won't hurt the car, but its effect on fuel economy might hurt your wallet. Won't hurt your smile, though.

Interestingly enough, the Mini Cooper S required premium fuel. I also don't drive a ton like I used to when I was younger so I'm okay with the dent in my wallet occasionally. It is going to hurt making a long drive later this year though, ouch lol. Apparently with the premium fuel the HP goes up. I'm going to try a few fill-ups on premium to see if I notice a difference or not. I'll give my wallet a little hug and tell him he'll be okay hahaha. You're right - I'm still smiling lol. I love this car!

 

[kefkafloyd]

That's correct. The turbo can run on 87, but if you put 93 octane in you'll get the full 256HP (and better fuel economy, though it won't overcome the price difference).

Generally the difference is noticed above 4K RPM.

That said, I've been averaging 28MPG with premium on my turbo, albeit my city/highway balance is very much in the 30/70 range.

 

[kelzipan]

That's correct. The turbo can run on 87, but if you put 93 octane in you'll get the full 256HP (and better fuel economy, though it won't overcome the price difference).

Generally the difference is noticed above 4K RPM.

View attachment 6850

That said, I've been averaging 28MPG with premium on my turbo, albeit my city/highway balance is very much in the 30/70 range.

Ahh thank you so much for this information. I used to live in California many years ago and I think premium was getting close to $5 a gallon back then. Crazy times. If I had to drive daily I might not use premium but since I drive more infrequently now (a few times a week and weekends), I think I'll use premium. Appreciate the post. Thanks again!

 

[Rascey]

Apparently with the premium fuel the HP goes up. I'm going to try a few fill-ups on premium to see if I notice a difference or not. I'll give my wallet a little hug and tell him he'll be okay hahaha. You're right - I'm still smiling lol. I love this car!

Not sure what you guys in the states are paying but just our 91 fuel is $1.79 litre (think its 4.5ltrs to the gallon)

At the moment I am happy to get there in my own sweet time. Bank acc doesn't scream at me that way

Glad you are enjoying the car

 

[kefkafloyd]

I believe in Australia you guys use RON, while in the US we use AKI. Your 91 is equal to our 87 (regular). Our 93 would be equivalent to your 97. Many places in the US don't have 93, and their premium fuel is rated for 91, which would be 96 for you.

In my area (Massachusetts) 93 octane is currently around $3.99/gal, while 87 is in the 3.09/gal range.

 

[kelzipan]

Not sure whay you guys in the states are paying but just our 91 fuel is $1.79 litre (think its 4.5ltrs to the gallon)

At the moment I am happy to get there in my own sweet time. Bank acc doesn't scream at me that way

Glad you are enjoying the car

I'm not sure if it will be super noticeable. I'm still at the end of the regular they added and will probably fill up tomorrow on premium (93). Apparently Costco has premium at $3.29 and most near me have it around $3.70 - $3.99 per gallon in Texas. It was moving pretty well today on the highway in sport mode on regular. Looking forward to testing it later this weekend. Definitely enjoying it, thank you! If I start driving a lot more I may not always use premium. To be continued..

 

[kelzipan]

I believe in Australia you guys use RON, while in the US we use AKI. Your 91 is equal to our 87 (regular). Our 93 would be equivalent to your 97. Many places in the US don't have 93, and their premium fuel is rated for 91, which would be 96 for you.

In my area (Massachusetts) 93 octane is currently around $3.99/gal, while 87 is in the 3.09/gal range.

Interesting info on the different gas ratings, thanks for including that. Looks like our 93 octane prices are similar. I'm in Texas.

 

[kefkafloyd]

Also, if it's colder out in the wintertime, you can unlock the premium tune on 87 according to Dave Coleman. But that's northeast cold, not Texas cold. It's just pulling back timing/spark to adjust for knock, and colder air/higher octane means less knock.

It usually takes some time after switching octane for the ECU to have enough data to adjust though.

 

[Rascey]

I believe in Australia you guys use RON, while in the US we use AKI. Your 91 is equal to our 87 (regular). Our 93 would be equivalent to your 97. Many places in the US don't have 93, and their premium fuel is rated for 91, which would be 96 for you.
In my area (Massachusetts) 93 octane is currently around $3.99/gal, while 87 is in the 3.09/gal range.

$4.00 a gal???? While we pay approx $8.00. Excuse the language but Bloody Hell.

 

[conwelpic]

$4.00 a gal???? While we pay approx $8.00. Excuse the language but Bloody Hell.

don't get too upset it's not double as you seem to think 😄
$4 US = nearly $6 Australian, also the US gallon is smaller (3.8L) than an Australian imperial gallon (4.5L), you still pay more but not that much .

Here in Canada we buy fuel by the litre not gallons (but our gallon is 4.5L), currently in my area it is $1.40 a litre, or say roughly $6.30 to the imperial gallon, this equals to about $6.85 to the Australian dollar or about $4.60 to the US dollar. But if you convert our gallon to the US gallon it's equal to $5.35 per gal or $3.90 US 😊

 

[Trickster]

I can’t say I noticed much difference running premium vs regular.
There may have been a mild increase in fuel economy but I don’t analyze those figures because it’s not something I ever do. It is what it is and having those stats mean little in terms of my ownership of a vehicle.