Does Acura Require Premium Gas? (All Models)

We’ve written multiple in-depth articles about the fuel requirements that involve different Acura models. In this blog, we’ve compiled this information to answer once and for all if Acuras require premium gasoline or whether this is a myth. Here’s a quick summary:

All current Acura models sold in the North American market require premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher. In some cases, gasoline with an octane rating of 87 – 90 can be used temporarily if premium gasoline is unavailable. However, this depends on the model.

However, that certainly doesn’t tell the full story. Below, we’ll first dive deeper into why one would need to use premium instead of regular gasoline for their Acura. After that, we’ll give you a complete rundown of all the Acura models sold in the USA in the past decade or so, and their fuel requirements. Read on!

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Why Should I Use Premium Gasoline For My Acura?

Acura recommends using premium gasoline for their models because their engines were designed to take a minimum of 91-octane. Not using premium gasoline is possible sometimes, but this depends on the model (more on that in a second).

Not using premium gasoline will result in a decrease in performance and possible engine damage. The performance decrease will come from the fact that the engine can’t handle the lower octane grade and, therefore, can’t perform as it’s designed to do.

Using premium gasoline is also especially important in cases where the vehicle is performing, such as when towing or driving uphill.

Lower-octane gasoline doesn’t deliver as much power as higher-octane gasoline. Furthermore, the engine and the computers are designed to use higher-octane gasoline, whereas lower-octane gasoline messes up the combustion configuration.

Furthermore, lower-octane gasoline (87 octane or less) will result in severe engine damage and severe engine knocking. Therefore, stick with Acuras’ recommendations.

Fuel Recommendations For Each Acura Model

It goes without saying that each Acura model, and each generation, has different gasoline requirements. Luckily, we have written articles on this already. You can find extensive articles for each model by clicking on “Read more here” after each model.

Below, you’ll find a quick summary for each model regarding octane recommendations. This list only includes models sold in the United States.

Acura ILX

All generations of the Acura ILX manufactured from 2012 onwards take premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher. Gasoline with an octane rating of 87 – 90 may be used temporarily when 91 octane is unavailable, resulting in decreased engine performance.

Furthermore, Acura ILX made between 2012 – 2014 can take gasoline with a maximum of 10% ethanol (E10), whereas models from 2015 onwards can take gasoline with 15% ethanol as well (E15). Read more here about its fuel requirements.

Acura Integra

The current generation of the Acura Integra, sold from 2023 onwards, takes premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91. Using gasoline with an octane rating between 87 – 90 will lead to decreased performance and engine knock, whereas gasoline with an octane lower than 87 will lead to engine damage.

Acura MDX

All model years of the Acura MDX manufactured from 2001 onwards require 91-octane gasoline or higher for optimum performance, except for the first-generation models, which can run on regular 87-octane.

Also, Acura MDX made between 2001 – 2013 can take gasoline with a maximum ethanol percentage of 10 (E10), whereas models from 2014 onwards can take gasoline with an ethanol percentage of 15 (E15). Read more here about its fuel requirements.

Acura NSX

The Acura NSX, made between 2016 – 2021, takes premium gasoline with an octane rating of 93 for optimum engine performance. Acura recommends not going lower than 91 octane since this will result in severe engine damage.

Furthermore, all model years within this generation can take gasoline with a maximum of 15% ethanol. E10 and E15 are, therefore, safe to use.

Acura RDX

All generations of the Acura RDX manufactured since 2006 take premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91. Regular gasoline with an octane of 87 or higher may be used temporarily but will cause decreased performance. Using fuel with an octane lower than 87 is strictly forbidden and will result in engine damage.

Also, Acura RDX made between 2009 – 2011 can take gasoline with a maximum ethanol percentage of 10 (E10), whereas models from 2014 onwards can take gasoline with an ethanol percentage of 15 (E15). Read more here about its fuel requirements.

Acura RLX

Acura RLX, sold between 2014 – 2020, take premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91. Using gasoline with an octane rating between 87 – 90 will lead to decreased performance and engine knock, whereas gasoline with an octane lower than 87 will lead to engine damage.

All model years of the Acura RLX can take gasoline with a maximum of 15% ethanol, however, there’s some unclarity surrounding the earlier model years. Please check your owner’s manuals to confirm.

Acura TLX

All generations of the Acura TLX manufactured from 2015 onwards take premium unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher. Gasoline with an octane rating of 87 – 90 may be used temporarily when 91 octane is unavailable, resulting in decreased engine performance.

Also, all model years of the TLX can take gasoline with a maximum of 15% ethanol; E10 and E15 are, therefore, completely safe to use. Read more here about its fuel requirements.

Acura TL

Acura TLs built between 1996-2014 with a 3.5L V6 engine are designed to use premium unleaded gasoline with an octane of 91 or higher. They can also use unleaded gasoline with an octane of 87, but the TL can only use this for a short period of time. 2000-2003 models with a 3.2L V6 engine also use premium unleaded gasoline with the same octane of 91 or higher.

Furthermore, all model years and generations of the Acura TL can only take a maximum of 10% ethanol. Using E15 or higher is therefore advised against. Read more here about its fuel requirements.

Acura TSX

Acura TSX, sold between 2005 – 2014, take premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91. Using gasoline with an octane rating between 87 – 90 is temporarily possible for the 4-cylinder models; however, the 6-cylinder models can already be damaged. Using gasoline with an octane rating lower than 87 will result in severe engine damage for all engine types.

All model years of the Acura TSX can take gasoline with a maximum of 10% ethanol. E10 is, therefore, safe to use, whereas E15 or higher is not.

What Other Things To Consider When Refueling Your Acura?

Besides the octane and ethanol levels, there are other things to consider when refueling. Two of the most common things that should be taken into account are the use of additives and where you get your gasoline from (yes, there are differences between retailers).

Aftermarket additives are available in places like Amazon and are marketed as either being performance-enhancing or as a helpful substance that cleans the internals of your engine. However, Acura strictly recommends against the use of aftermarket additives.

This is because these additives may contain silicon or metallic pieces that actually harm your engine more than they clean it. This is damage that’s not covered by any warranty. Furthermore, using gasoline from the correct retailer will provide your engine with all the fuel additives it needs.

For this reason, Acura recommends using gasoline from TOP TIER retailers. You can find a retailer like this at toptiergas.com. TOP TIER is an initiative that several large carmakers in the United States support. Gasoline from these retailers has a higher amount of additives that have proven to keep your engine much cleaner in the long run. Below, you can see the difference between TOP TIER and non-TOP TIER gasoline.

What If I Hear A Knocking Sound From The Engine?

Furthermore, using fuels with an octane rating lower than 87 in any Acura will result in severe damage to the engine, which is indicated by a symptom referred to as engine knock.

Engine knock means that the fuel can’t be adequately burned, resulting in a heavy knocking sound of the engine. A slight knocking sound is never a problem, but heavy knocking should be dealt with immediately.

Please stop the vehicle and contact your dealers if this heavy knocking occurs. You’re likely using fuel with a lower-than-recommended octane rating. The car needs to be drained, the fuel filter will need to be replaced, and the battery will need to be disconnected and reconnected to reset the car’s memory.