Lexus NX 350h 2.5 E-CVT 4WD Fuel Query

[Euroskank]

Morning, 

 

Does this car take regular or premium petrol please? 

[ColinBarber]

Regular 95 RON petrol. You can use premium if you want but it isn't a requirement.

[Euroskank]

4 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Regular 95 RON petrol. You can use premium if you want but it isn't a requirement.

Thanks, it's just in the following full tutorial at 02:54 from Northside Lexus, it says it takes premium fuel...

 

 

[ColinBarber]

The US has a different grading system for their petrol. Their premium is roughly the same as our standard, and Ultra is our premium.

 

From the UK manual:

[Euroskank]

Great, thanks for that! 

[WhiteHart]

I do believe it depends on how much fuel you use from the tank and how long it stays in the tank. E5 goes off faster than E10 as E5 is more organic in make up.

Also I am lead to think E10 is fuel efficient so maybe use it for longer journeys. All this applies to me more as my car is a plug in hybrid and therefore when in town I run a very low fuel tank. At the end of the day it is also cost. 

[The Swedish Guy]

5 hours ago, WhiteHart said:

I do believe it depends on how much fuel you use from the tank and how long it stays in the tank. E5 goes off faster than E10 as E5 is more organic in make up.

Also I am lead to think E10 is fuel efficient so maybe use it for longer journeys. All this applies to me more as my car is a plug in hybrid and therefore when in town I run a very low fuel tank. At the end of the day it is also cost. 

E5 and E10 is simply how much Ethanol has been added in % and since Ethanol contain LESS energy then gasoline you will most likely get a HIGHER fuel consumption with E10....

Positive side effect is the ethanol takes up the condensated water in your fueltank removing a typical winter problem..

 

[Harrier Man]

Interesting positive spin The Swedish Guy has put on E10. I go the other way, I don't want my fuel absorbing more water because of the corrosive effect water has on components. In my 450, a tank full of petrol can sit for weeks before being used so I would rather have the higher quality E5 that has less ethanol sitting in my tank for these prolonged periods. I only put in E10 (and quite happy to do so, when I am embarking on a long journey and I know I will get through the fuel before it has chance to absorb any moisture. I have never had a problem with condensated water in winter, perhaps because our temperatures don't get as low as they do in Sweden. The only winter fuel issue I've had is with diesel, which can go thick and waxy in very cold temperatures. I believe the companies use to put an anti-waxing agent in the fuel in winter; not sure if they still do.

[Euroskank]

Hmm, I'd have thought the internal linings on any components would be constructed of a non-corrosive material, certainly the petrol tank will. 

[ColinBarber]

10 hours ago, WhiteHart said:

Also I am lead to think E10 is fuel efficient so maybe use it for longer journeys.

The opposite. E10 is less efficient than E5, all other things being equal because Ethanol has less energy density compared to gasoline as The Swedish Guy has stated. In addition, here in the UK E5 is only available as 97+ RON which itself is more efficient than 95 RON in our vehicles, so E10 actually has two strikes against it. Whether the extra efficiency you get with E5 overcomes the price premium depends on the vehicle and the difference in cost between the two which will vary considerable depending where you live in the UK.

 

3 hours ago, Harrier Man said:

In my 450, a tank full of petrol can sit for weeks before being used so I would rather have the higher quality E5 that has less ethanol sitting in my tank for these prolonged periods.

This thread isn't about the 450h+ but it is a good point - if you have a plug-in hybrid you want to be using your petrol at least every 6 months, and if you are going months not weeks without using it then E5 is certainly a better option.

[The Swedish Guy]

On 2/14/2024 at 6:16 PM, Harrier Man said:

Interesting positive spin The Swedish Guy has put on E10. I go the other way, I don't want my fuel absorbing more water because of the corrosive effect water has on components. In my 450, a tank full of petrol can sit for weeks before being used so I would rather have the higher quality E5 that has less ethanol sitting in my tank for these prolonged periods. I only put in E10 (and quite happy to do so, when I am embarking on a long journey and I know I will get through the fuel before it has chance to absorb any moisture. I have never had a problem with condensated water in winter, perhaps because our temperatures don't get as low as they do in Sweden. The only winter fuel issue I've had is with diesel, which can go thick and waxy in very cold temperatures. I believe the companies use to put an anti-waxing agent in the fuel in winter; not sure if they still do.

Well the added Ethanol (E5 or E10) mixes/absorbs the water condensation you have in a fueltank ( thus the old winter trickto keep it full to minimize the build up of water) and then its combusted with the fuel so the water evaporates and no risk of frozen fuel lines/injectors etc etc. With a tank full of pure petrol you get  water in the bottom and the gasoline on top so...not a good idea at all.

 

I'd say the risk of condensation would be BIGGER in a UK climate with temp around 0 and very humid rather then a -20C dry inland climate in northern Sweden, since the fuel tank is ventilated to the open air humidity find its way in and then add the hot/cold changes driving/ parking ( then maybe the freezing situation i less common in UKs climate).

In fact there are in Scandinavian summer and winter Petrol; the variable being how "easily" it evaporates for starting up your engine, and as you point out; Plug-In drivers need to make sure they fuel up at least once a months to be sure they have the proper season petrol.

Diesel is a different story; it comes in summer/winter/artic mixes ( a phenomen often discovered by cheap mid-european lorrydrivers in northern Scandinavia as the their Romain diesel turns into parafine..)

With Diesel you have CFPP (Cloud Filter Plugging Point); Typical -20C with Summer diesel, -26C in soutern Scandinavia and -32C in the sub-artic area

  

[Al D-Much]

I have a 2020, so the ancient previous version. My observations are as follows:
Car can use E10 (regular unleaded 95RON, UK) or E5 (super unleaded 99RON, UK) from my local petrol station.

Tried both.
E10, cheaper, but lower performance feel (could all be in my head though) and lower MPG
E5, currently 7p more per litre. Better performance feel, higher MPG.

The higher MPG (anecdotal, not measured) is actually cheaper overall, I certainly refill to full tank far less often.
Price difference on a full 56 litre tank is only £3.92, with my usual driving (heavy footed) that gives me 50 miles for every £10, or 20p a mile in fuel.  
And I'm OK with that!