Is RON97 Really Better Than RON95? We tested and tried!

When it comes to cars, everyone appears to be very concerned with fuel economy and performance. Recent fluctuations in petrol prices have further scintillated such conversations among Malaysian drivers.
So, which type of fuel offers the best mileage and performance? More importantly, how do we measure that and why does it matter?
Our recent article on RON97 versus RON95 has received overwhelming response from our readers. Majority of the feedback is against the article perpetuating that RON97 petrol does not actually give you more financial leverage than the cheaper RON95. We have dug deeper, and ran some tests with the help of automobile experts to measure the changes in horsepower and torque that entails the respective usage of the two fuel types.

How we did it: The “dyno” test

No Myvis were harmed in the making of our experiment

Here’s the dyno hooked to our car

For the purpose of this experiment, our experts used a dynamometer (dyno). A dynamometer is sort of like a treadmill for cars and is used to measure primarily horsepower and torque.
The reason why we use a dyno test is because it lets you test a vehicle in a controlled environment, limiting the number of variables in your test such as different road conditions, traffic or even driving styles.
To ensure our results were as consistent as possible we also used the same car and the same driver to conduct all the tests (no it wasn’t me).
Before we started, we drained a stock Myvi 1.5 completely off fuel, before filling it up with exactly one litre of RON97. Granted, you will definitely not drive like this most of the time on the streets, but again, we are trying to prove this test scientifically and therefore removing as many variables as possible.

 Everything about V-Power seems fast! it even looks fast

Is RON97 really better than RON95? We let the experts put it to the test

In this dyno test, the engine is revved to its maximum capacity repeatedly (for multiple tests) until the fuel tank is completely empty to calculate the amount of mileage*, horsepower and torque the engine can produce with one litre of RON97.
We repeated the exact same process with RON95 petrol afterwards. The output is measured and plotted on a graph. Our verdict?:

We came, we saw, we tested and here are the final test results! Read on for a more detailed explanation below.

1) RON95 gives you more mileage

Surprisingly, and contrary to popular belief, our dyno test revealed that RON95 actually gives you about 9.4% more mileage than RON97. While we drained the Myvi completely off fuel, there is  a possibility of “old” fuel left in the fuel lines, but this should not affect the test results significantly.
Our dyno was not set up to measure mileage and we used the in-car tripmeter to measure this and we will admit that it was not the most accurate way to measure mileage in this scenario.
We tried to be as consistent as we could with each test run. However, it is worth noting that variables in real-life such as the load on your car, road conditions and even air resistance will cause this particular result to differ even more.
Even with the different variables, taking everything into account and giving the test a 5% margin of error, RON95 still gives you quite a bit more in fuel economy (especially considering it’s quite a bit cheaper than RON97).

2) Less than 1% horsepower difference between the two fuels at their PEAKS

Many people believe that engine performance and horsepower can be improved by using fuel of higher octane than what is specified by the engine manufacturer. Some even claim they experience a faster and smoother ride with the more expensive RON97.
While our dyno test demonstrates that our Myvi’s engine does indeed produce more horsepower with RON97 than with RON95, the difference is less than 1% and only occurs at about 6.3k RPM. This means it is unlikely have a noticeable effect in your daily driving experience.
We maintain that switching to a higher octane fuel has no proven effect on your engine performance and cannot help your engine develop more horsepower. Yoda, your fuel is not.

3) RON95 gives you more torque

An interesting result that we were not expecting: Our dyno test results showed than RON95 petrol produced slightly more torque than RON97.
Though the difference is very minimal, a Myvi on RON 95 would beat one running RON 97 in a short sprint. However, the slight difference in torque is unlikely to bring about a noticeable impact on your daily driving experience.

Which fuel is better?

While our findings consistently indicate that using RON97 petrol does not give you better mileage or produce any performance-enhancing benefits, it is worth noting that the Myvi 1.5 we used has been optimised for RON 95 fuel usage.
Referring to the graph above, RON95 consistently produces higher horsepower from RPM 2 to 6.3, where RON97 picks up at a short interval. The net effect is that you’re actually getting less power from your car by running it on RON97 versus RON95.
Conversely, if you do drive a car that specifically requires you to use RON97 (like the Suzuki Swift Sport), NOT using this premium fuel would likely cause your car to perform less efficiently.
The key takeaway here is, unless your car’s engine specifically requires RON97, there is really no point in spending more on premium fuel as it does not really give you an added performance advantage.
As of January 2017, under the managed float system, the price difference between RON97 and RON95 is a mere 30 sens for every litre, or RM15 for every 50 litres. Though the prices were much cheaper in the month before, the price difference was 35 sens per litre, or RM20 for every 50 litres in December 2016, when prices of RON97 and RON95 were RM2.25 and RM1.90 respectively for the month.

The same amount of RON97 and RON95 petrol had cost just RM112.50 and RM95.00 respectively in December 2016 – about 6.7% and 1o.5% less than what we are paying in January 2017.
RON97 currently costs about 14.3% more than RON95, so it really does not make much financial sense for consumers to pay this premium if their car does not require it, and also given the fact that using RON95 for a RON95 engine will give you more horsepower, torque and mileage.

As the saying goes, “a penny saved, is a penny earned,” and saving a few bucks in fuel may just mean you will be able to have more on your plate of mixed “economy” rice (whose prices aren’t going down, by the way).

Reference
https://www.imoney.my/articles/is-ron97-really-better-than-ron95-part2-tried-and-tested
https://www.imoney.my/articles/is-ron97-really-better-than-ron95
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/petrol-stations-run-out-of-ron97
http://www.nst.com.my/node/58757
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/12/03/RON97-shortage-not-our-fault/
http://paultan.org/2014/12/02/shortage-ron-97-fuel-reported-first-time/
http://www.carreviewsncare.com/ron97-and-ron95-facts/
https://my.news.yahoo.com/dealers-dark-over-ron97-supply-225900323.html
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/the-real-difference-between-ron95-and-ron97-besides-the-price
http://www.auto.my/top-3-car-maintenance-myths/

April 2017 week five fuel price – petrol, diesel down

Another Wednesday, another weekly fuel price announcement – and this time motorists can breathe a sigh of relief as prices of fuels have gone down across the board.
Starting tomorrow, April 27, RON 95 will be priced at RM2.21 per litre (down six sen compared to the previous week), with RON 97 at RM2.49 per litre (down five sen). As for diesel, Euro 2M will be RM2.14 per litre (down seven sen), with Euro 5 diesel at RM2.24 per litre (down seven sen). These prices will last until May 3, when the next price adjustment will be announced.
This is the fifth update of the weekly price announcements since the new pricing system came into effect on March 30. Compared to March 2017 prices – before the system was implemented – RON 95 is down nine sen, RON 97 down 11 sen, and diesel is down eight sen.

Posted by https://paultan.org/2017/04/26/april-2017-week-five-fuel-price-petrol-diesel-down/
Dated :  2017/04/26

Petronas dealers free to offer discounts on fuel prices

According to a report by The Star, Petronas will allow its dealers to lower fuel prices at their pumps below the weekly ceiling price set by the government. However, it stressed that dealers looking to do so must seek the approval of the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry (KPDNKK), and discuss such a move with Petronas Dagangan (PetDag) beforehand.
“If dealers decide to sell at a lower price, they are responsible for their margins and not us. It is all tied up with sales volumes and margins,” said Mohd Ibrahimnuddin Mohd Yunus, PetDag managing director and CEO. He added that the price-setting mechanism does not impact PetDag’s earnings.
“Last year, we cut our inventory day to four to five days from six a year earlier. We are looking to cut our inventory days further, especially with higher volatility in world crude oil recently,” PetDag chairman Md Arif Mahmood chimed in.
“It is not a new mechanism that is giving us more money. It is still under the same managed float system. The only difference is that this is just a shorter timeline and is better when it comes to managing the volatility of global crude prices,” he explained.
The weekly fuel price announcements began three weeks ago, and fuel retailers are currently not allowed to offer discounts on fuel, and must follow the retail price set by KPDNKK. As of now, RON 95 is priced at RM 2.27 per litre; RON 97 at RM2.54 per litre; Euro 2M diesel at RM2.21 per litre; and Euro 5 diesel at RM2.31 per litre.

Posted by https://paultan.org/2017/04/21/petronas-dealers-free-to-offer-discounts-on-fuel-prices/
Dated:  2017/04/21

April 2017 week four fuel pricing – petrol, diesel all up!

It’s Wednesday and we’re coming into the fourth week of Malaysia’s new weekly fuel prices. Continuing the trend set last week, it’s all up across the board again.
Starting tomorrow, for the week April 20 to 26, RON 95 will be priced at RM2.27 per litre (up three sen compared to the previous week), with RON 97 at RM2.54 per litre (up two sen). As for diesel, Euro 2M will be RM2.21 per litre (up five sen), with Euro 5 diesel at RM2.31 per litre (up five sen).
This is the fourth update of the weekly price announcements. Compared to March 2017 prices – before the system was implemented – RON 95 is down three sen, RON 97 down six sen, while diesel is up one sen.

Posted by https://paultan.org/2017/04/19/april-2017-week-four-fuel-pricing-petrol-diesel-all-up/
Dated:  2017/04/19

Weekly fuel price adjustments appropriate for now – second finance minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani

According to second finance minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, the weekly fuel price adjustments (following the managed float system) currently in place is highly appropriate at this time. He said this is because fuel prices in Malaysia are affected by the global market rate of oil, which is constantly changing.
“If you looked at the beginning of the weekly flotation method basis, (the price of) RON 95 has been reduced by 17 sen; 19 sen for for RON 97; and nine sen for diesel … people still benefit because the price is still reasonable and managed. However, the government is ready to take proactive measures should global oil prices increase dramatically,” said Johari.
This comes in response to the issue to rising fuel prices for the second and third week of April, which has been deemed a burden to consumers. Currently, RON 95 is priced at RM2.24 per litre and RON 97 is RM2.52 per litre. As for diesel, Euro 2M is priced at RM2.16 per litre while Euro 5 diesel retails for RM2.26 per litre.
For now, the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry (KPDNKK) will not allow fuel retailers to offer discounts on fuel, although that could change in the future with proper guidelines in place.

Posted by https://paultan.org/2017/04/17/weekly-fuel-price-adjustments-appropriate-for-now-second-finance-minister/
Dated:  2017/04/17

April 2017 week two fuel price – RON 95 petrol three sen up to RM2.16, diesel three sen down to RM2.08

We’re into the second week of weekly fuel prices, as opposed to the previously monthly scheme, and there’s a three sen increase for petrol this coming week, with diesel prices going the other direction – three sen down.
As such, starting tomorrow, RON 95 will be priced at RM2.16 per litre (up three sen from this week’s price), RON 97 at RM2.43 per litre (up two sen) and diesel at RM2.08 per litre (down three sen). The first weekly price list, which is what we’ll be paying till midnight, saw RON 95 go down by 17 sen, RON 97 go down by 19 sen and diesel down by nine sen.
To recap, retail fuel prices remained mostly steady in March, with only diesel fuels being five sen more expensive per litre. RON 95 ended 2016 at RM1.90 per litre and climbed 20 sen in January to RM2.10. February brought another 20 sen increase to RM2.30 per litre.

Posted by https://paultan.org/2017/04/05/april-2017-week-2-fuel-price-ron9597-petrol-3-sen-up-to-rm2-16-diesel-3-sen-down-to-rm2-08/
Dated:  2017/04/05

Fuel discounts are not allowed for now

The domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry (KPDNKK) has confirmed that fuel retailers will not be allowed to offer discounts on fuel for now. In a report by The Star, the ministry’s corporate communications head Akhtar Sahari did say that fuel retailers would be allowed to do so in the future.
“For now, they must follow the retail price set by the ministry. Yes, we will allow them to give discounts but not right now. We are unsure when the new measures will kick in,” said Sahari. He added that the ministry would first need to prepare proper guidelines to ensure the concerns of low-volume fuel retailers are dealt with in light of such a move.
Petrol stations are only allowed to sell fuel at the retail prices set by the government for now, and rumours of a price war among retailers were shut down by the ministry. This comes after screenshots of a smartphone app’s listing of lower fuel prices went viral recently, to which Sahari reminded consumers to be wary of such apps as they could be inaccurate in their listings.
The switch to the new fuel ceiling price mechanism has already happened as of March 29, where fuel prices will be announced on a weekly basis instead of monthly. Fuel retailers will be able to follow the government-set ceiling prices or set them lower but it appears lower will have to wait for now. The ministry had previously stated that retailers looking to offer discounts on fuel prices would be required to submit a formal application before doing so.

Posted by https://paultan.org/2017/03/31/fuel-discounts-are-not-allowed-for-now-kpdnkk/
Dated:  2017/03/31

April 2017 week one fuel price – petrol and diesel down

Yes, it’s not quite the end of the month yet, but March 30 sees the introduction of weekly fuel price adjustments, with the latest prices lasting until April 5. Fortunately, it’s good news all around, with RON 95 petrol, RON 97 petrol and diesel all seeing price decreases.
As such, starting tomorrow, RON 95 will be priced at RM2.13 per litre (down 17 sen), RON 97 at RM2.41 per litre (down 19 sen), diesel at RM2.11 per litre (down 9 sen) and Euro 5 diesel at RM2.21 per litre (down 9 sen).
This comes after retail fuel prices remained mostly steady in March, with only diesel fuels being five sen more expensive per litre. RON 95 ended 2016 at RM1.90 per litre and climbed 20 sen in January to RM2.10. February brought another 20 sen increase to RM2.30 per litre.

Posted by  https://paultan.org/
Dated: 2017/03/29