Can Mercedes Run on Regular Gas?

As one of the top luxury car brands out there, Mercedes are greatly treasured and taken care of. 

Meaning, you want to do whatever you can to make sure your Mercedes stays as high-performing for as long as possible, including making sure it has the right fuel to function.

Can Mercedes Run On Regular Gas?

Mercedes can run on regular gas, but to run well they need to be fueled with premium gas with an octane level of 91 or more. Regular gas can damage the engine of a Mercedes over time. However, if regular gas is used once or twice, the Mercedes’ engine won’t sustain damage.

Let’s go more into detail about the mechanics behind the different octane levels of gas you can buy at a gas station, as well as what this does to your car.

What Happens if You Put Regular Gas in a Mercedes Once?

If you somehow accidentally used regular gas (usually 87 octane gas) to fill your Mercedes’ tank, don’t panic. You haven’t ruined your luxury car. 

In fact, you can usually fill your tank a couple of times with regular gas. 

But don’t make this a common practice—if you continue using cheaper gas, you risk the degradation of your Mercedes’ longevity, acceleration, and overall performance. 

Saving a couple of cents per gallon is not worth that, especially when you’ve already invested so much money into your Mercedes.

And, if you’re trying to get the best of both the cheaper option while still getting high-performance gas, there’s no such thing.

Even the mid-grade gas, usually 89 octane level, is not high enough for premium results. 

In order to be considered premium gas, it needs to have a 91 octane level or higher.

If you think using a blend of regular gas with premium gas is a good way to utilize both, you’re better off using mid-grade in that case. 

Or, if anything, alternate between filling with regular and then with premium gas on the next trip. 

Though it’s not the best option, it’s certainly healthier for your car than combining two types of gas.

Luckily, the computers in your car are smart enough to detect if there is regular gas in it, then ensure the car performances accordingly, making so the only difference you can detect when driving is a slight decrease in acceleration. 

And while this isn’t a big deal for a one-time mistake, it won’t last long if you continue using the cheaper gas option.

What Happens if You Put 87 Gas in a Mercedes?

The worst thing that could happen to your Mercedes if you filled it with 87 octane level gas is that it won’t perform as well as it normally would with premium gas. 

Thanks to the advanced technology included in most modern Mercedes, the car will detect the regular gas, and adjust accordingly to that level of octane.

The main difference between what defines a gas type is its level of octane (85, 87, 89, 91, 93, 100). 

The higher the octane, the more slowly it burns, making the tank last longer and be able to perform better—both of which are ideal for any car, but especially luxury cars.

Nicer cars need that extra boost to help with easier acceleration, as well as increasing the mileage, even if it’s just by a little bit.

Spending extra money on premium gas is certainly not ideal, but when you have an expensive car, it makes sense that it will cost more to take care of—not only in expenses taking it to a mechanic or car shop, but in how you fuel the car.

What if I Don’t Use Premium Gas?

If you decide to not use premium gas, it certainly isn’t the end of the world. In fact, not every Mercedes requires the same kind of gas. 

Some Mercedes trucks and cars require diesel, which burns at a slower pace, offering better power and more mileage.

In the case of diesel though, it’s highly recommended to avoid replacing it with regular gas, mid-grade gas, or premium gas. 

In doing so, you really could damage your car.

Another type of Mercedes to consider is those made before 1990. 

These older cars require gas with octane levels of 97 to 100, which is greater than what most gas stations provide. 

Since these don’t have the advanced computer systems that modern Mercedes have, it’s more of an issue if you fill the tank with an octane level lower than this amount. 

This is due to the fact that there won’t be a computer to detect the octane level to then adjust accordingly, which could mean there are more dire consequences to using the wrong type of gas.

When in doubt, make sure to check your car’s user manual to see what type of gas is required. 

There are all sorts of exceptions, such as the model of the car, the year of the car, what’s available, and what you can afford.

What Happens if You Put Premium Gas in a Car That Uses Regular Gas?

Luckily, only about 18 percent of cars need premium gas. 

So, unless you have one of those few-in-number, high-performing luxury cars, you won’t need to worry about it.

But what if your car is in that 82 percent of cars needing regular gas? Can you still use premium gas if you want to? Are there any benefits in doing so?

The answer is that you can, but there’s no reason to do so. 

In fact, it’s almost conversely related to putting regular gas in a premium car—you can if you want to, but there are no benefits, and it could even damage your car if you do it more than a few times.

You don’t get much better gas mileage, nor does it clean your engine as it used back in the day.

It’ll be more advantageous to simply take your car to a mechanic than to ride on the hope that a more expensive gas alternative will fix an issue with your car’s engine.