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DIY fuel consumption test procedure (octane)

Tags: #fuel · #octane · #diy

To compare fuel consumption between different octane ratings (e.g., 92 vs 95), the community-suggested DIY test procedure is: 1. Run the tank down close to empty and fully reset the trip odometer. 2. Fill with 30–40 L of a specific octane rating. 3. Drive exclusively in D mode for a measurable distance (avoid mixing driving modes that would skew the comparison). 4. Record fuel consumption (trip computer or manual calculation) over that tank. 5. Repeat the same process with the other octane rating for a fair back-to-back comparison.12

Reported result: the difference between octane grades can be marginal, up to about 1 L/100km — i.e., noticeable but not dramatic, so the decision of which octane to run may come down to cost and engine feel rather than a large fuel-economy gap.12

Community consensus (owner experience)

Beyond the DIY test above, a broad consensus emerged from a separate group discussion among several owners: 92 and 95 octane perform essentially identically on the FAW Besturn X80, with no meaningful difference in fuel consumption or day-to-day performance.

  • "I don't feel a difference between 92 and 95" — Jürgen@73.3
  • "92 and 95 — there's no difference at all, on this car" — ꧁乂꓄𝕖ŀ𝕖𝓰𝐫𝚊ṁ乂꧂.4
  • "Consumption isn't really noticeable between 92 and 95" — Миша.5
  • "Also don't see a difference" — Николай Цветков.6
  • "Tried many times over four years, 92 and 95 from different producers — saw no difference in anything" — Sershig.7

Minority/nuance view: a few owners perceive the engine as slightly livelier on 95, even though they agree the measurable consumption difference is negligible:

  • Миша noted that while consumption isn't really different, "in terms of responsiveness I've noticed that 95 feels punchier."5
  • One owner (Aleksei Riabov) reported the engine "seems to run better" on 95 and said they exclusively fill with 95 for that reason.8
  • Another owner (Егор), while mixing 92/95 during a long trip depending on what's available at the pump, said the car "feels livelier" on 95.9

Overall: this experience-based consensus is consistent with the DIY test's finding above — 92 is safe to use with no damage risk, and the fuel-economy/performance difference versus 95 is small enough that most owners can't detect it; any perceived extra "pep" on 95 is reported as a subjective impression by a minority rather than a measured effect.3456789

Sources

This page is compiled from 9 community messages. Every fact carries a numbered reference to its original author and message.

Last updated: 2026-09-10

  1. 🇯‌🇺‌🇱‌🇮‌🇦‌ (1707891432) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2024-10-22 · original message · ru ↩↩

  2. Unknown · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2024-10-22 · original message · ru ↩↩

  3. Jürgen@73 (8792535686) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-20 · original message · ru ↩↩

  4. ꧁乂꓄𝕖ŀ𝕖𝓰𝐫𝚊ṁ乂꧂ (7770281470) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-20 · original message · ru ↩↩

  5. Миша (442524084) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-20 · original message · ru ↩↩↩

  6. Николай Цветков (5536150360) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-20 · original message · ru ↩↩

  7. Sershig (5199970951) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-20 · original message · ru ↩↩

  8. Aleksei Riabov (778746899) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-22 · original message · ru ↩↩

  9. Егор (505427352) · FAW X80 🚘🛠🛞 · 2026-08-29 · original message · ru ↩↩