Hello Scotty. I love your channel and have found it very helpful. I have recently purchased a 2021 Acura ILX and with just under 650 miles on it and have two questions:
- The owner's maunal and the label on the fuel door say to use 91 octane gasoline or higher, however not to use below 87 octane. Will using 87 octane fuel in my car cause a break down? The car has a 201 HP four cylinder engine.
- I have heard mixed reviews over the cost of maintenance on an Acura. On one hand I have heard that they are expenseive to maintain since they are a luxury car, and on the other hand I have heard that their cost of ownership is lower than average since they are Honda products. What is the overall consensus over Acura dependability and cost of maintenance?
Thank you!
Well Acura is an upscale Honda product, and you got the 2.4 (non-turbo engine) and an automatic and not a CVT. So I'd say that's a hot ticket. Wish they (Honda) would do that with the Civic instead of the 1.5T engines. Since it says on the gas door to use 91 or higher that's what you want to use. I'd only use regular 87 or mid 89 if about to run out of gas and they're the only options. Only stations I know of around here on the east coast that have gas lower than 87 is Sunoco where one of their fuels is 86 octane.
Where any car gets expensive to maintain is when owners don't follow the scheduled maintenance schedule. Very dependable, rest easy.
If you use lower octane you will have reduced engine performance as well as engine knock. On Page 29 of your owner’s manual tells you what happens if you use lower octane than 91 (which is recommended by them): “Use of a lower octane gasoline [87 or lower] can cause occasional metallic knocking noise and will result in decreased engine performance. Use of a gasoline with a pump octane less than 87 can lead to engine damage.”
The engine in that particular vehicle was tuned to work optimally on 91+ octane, so I would stick to that for longevity.
Regarding cost of ownership, since it is a luxury vehicle Acura’s will generally tend to cost more to maintain/repair than a Honda product. Parts will cost more as well, think of it as an Acura (luxury) tax. But, compared to other luxury makes (Germans, Italians, even Americans) they are built for durability - especially with your powertrain (you have a good combo like Toyotagrl mentioned) - and cheaper to maintain.
Stick to 91 or higher as the manufacturer recommends.
