sraz786

Hi Folks,

I'm planning on moving to SoCal in a few months, and just realized that they only have 91 octane fuel due to emissions. I currently have a .2 RS. What are the long term implications of using 91 vs 93 in terms of overall engine reliability and power loss? I know many of you live in Cali, so I'm hoping it's negligible?

Secondly, wife and I are looking at either Orange County or San Diego. Which is better for scenic drives/ canyon carving?


Thanks in advance.

gtdoggie

Between these two cities counties I think San Diego

stujelly

san diego or north LA for canyon drives

as far as fuel goes I never had any issues 8,000 track miles on mine, no issues relating to fuel

usctrojanGT3

Orange County for the win! Irvine is the best city in Orange County. Let me know if you need any realtor service help.

Cuda911

San Diego, by far!!! San Diego's back country has fantastic drives. Check out Palomar Mountain. Or Julian, or many, many other places... I know 'em all.

Spyerx

No problem with 91.

Where are you moving from because San Diego and Orange County are very different. To me they are both suburban nightmares. Quiet, safe, and boring. I know a ton of people who have moved to SoCal from the Midwest and east coast. They all initially choose north San Diego county, Orange County, or the South Bay (hermosa/manhattan beach). The ones who didn't want the suburban lifestyle and didn't have kids moved to Laguna beach, west la, Hollywood hills, santa monica, Naples areas.

Choose the area for the lifestyle not the drives. None of the good drives are very far from most la spots.

For drives I prefer the Santa Monica mountains near Malibu, angeles crest, and Palomar mountains areas. All are nice.

Tacet-Conundrum

If LA area I say Belmont Shore/Naples-Island areas of Long Beach if you want to be central to just about everywhere. You can get your multi-million dollar homes if that is your thing. And you are in the tail end of LA County as the land turns into OC. And never ever call it "The OC", that was just a TV show. Everyone I knew back in the day just called it OC.

I grew up in North Long Beach.

There is also the Bixby Knolls area but you will be surrounded by common areas.

85Gold

[QUOTE=Tacet-Conundrum;10717953]If LA area I say Belmont Shore/Naples-Island areas of Long Beach if you want to be central to just about everywhere. You can get your multi-million dollar homes if that is your thing. And you are in the tail end of LA County as the land turns into OC. And never ever call it "The OC", that was just a TV show. Everyone I knew back in the day just called it OC.

I grew up in North Long Beach.

There is also the Bixby Knolls area but you will be surrounded by common areas.[/QUOTE

On no not common areas with common people.

Peter

Macster

271K miles on my 02 Boxster most of the miles accumulated burning 91 octane gasoline. No problems.

110K miles on my 03 Turbo all of the miles (save a couple of hundred in Wyoming during which time 93 octane gasoline was plentiful and cheap!) burning 91 octane gasoline. No problems.

If you DE or track your car fill up with no lead 100 octane racing gasoline to bring the fuel octane up to 93 or a bit higher. As engines age/wear their octane requirements can go up so a bit more than 93 is better than 93. I'd much rather err on the high side of too much octane vs. too little while on the track.

Otherwise, 91 it is. Buy a top tier gasoline and buy from a busy station.

Jamie_GT3

Car can adapt timing to the 91 octane, you'll lose a tiny bit of HP due to the timing retard. Nothing that you would feel...

dasams

The emissions standards are tightening up nation wide (google EPA Tier 3) so expect an octane drop nationwide. This occurs because the gasoline refining severity will have to be increased to meet the new, lower sulfur standards and this causes the octane drop. In CA, our gasoline pool is octane constrained and to balance sales between the grades, there's a significant spread in the costs.

Negligible on engine reliability and a small power loss.

Tacet-Conundrum

Well I didn't want.to straight up say Ghetto but that's what you have after about half a mile going North up Long Beach Blvd. But all the Bixby Knolls areas are patrolled by security and cops.

Spyerx

That's one way to call it. Bixby knolls and Virginia country club are beautiful neighborhoods. I love the classic ca architecture in these areas. A little way away... Not so much.

Cali = not what people from here call it
The oc = the tv show, we call it oc or people from la say the orange curtain
Most people from here refer to where they live as SoCal or NorCal.

sraz786

Thank you all for your responses. This will be a hard choice! Glad to hear that the 91 is negligible.

Grew up in Chicago and while I will miss it, I"m looking forward to the move.

csmarx

I'm in Santa Barbara north of LA. Stunning smallish town without all the craziness or attitude. Just in case you were casting a wider net, it's worth a look.

BTW, am I the only one who thinks you actually lose a bit of power with the higher octane, and that the main purpose of the higher octane is higher knock resistance?

-Christian