'I Worked At Enterprise:' Man Rents Luxury Car. Then He Gets to Exxon and Realizes He's Supposed to Put In Premium

"And this is why you never buy rentals!"

Regular and Premium Gas

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Stacy Fernandez

By: Stacy Fernandez

Sep 19, 2025 at 1:00pm ET

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When it comes to rental cars, one question seems to pop up every time you fuel up: Should you spend extra on premium gas?

While viewers have strong opinions on this, it turns out that the answer is much more straightforward than you may think.

Would You Put Premium Gas In a Rental?

In a trending TikTok video with more than 38,000 views, creator HJ (@datdudejackson) shared his take on fueling rental cars while filling up at an Exxon station.

“Idc what the manufacturer says. Never put premium fuel in a rental,” HJ wrote in a text overlay.

“Rentals have the highest mileage,” he added in the caption.

Drivers often avoid putting premium gas in rental cars because of the added cost and the short-term nature of a rental. Premium can cost 50 cents to $1 more per gallon than regular fuel (which can add up when you’re putting in multiple gallons), and many believe there’s little benefit if they’re only driving the car for a few days.

Others argue that since rental cars are typically higher mileage and not maintained like a personal vehicle, using premium doesn’t make much difference in performance or longevity.

Is Premium Gas Worth It?

The main difference between premium and regular fuel is octane rating, which measures how well the gas resists engine knock (early combustion that can damage your engine over time), AAA reported. Higher octane (premium) reduces that risk, but most cars are designed to run just fine on regular fuel.

If your car requires premium, always use it. If it only recommends premium, regular gas is usually fine (though you may notice a small difference in performance or efficiency) and won’t harm your engine.

Most pumps label 87 as regular, 89 as mid-grade, and 91-93 as premium. Modern engines can usually handle mixing regular and premium without issue, unless the car specifically requires high octane.

Diesel engines, however, are a different system entirely and should never be mixed with gasoline.

For most drivers, if your car runs well on regular gas, premium is an unnecessary expense. Trying different fuels and brands over a few tanks can help you see what works best without overspending at the pump.

Commenters React

“I worked at Enterprise. Every car including luxury got regular lol,” a top comment read.

“And this is why you never buy rentals!” a person said.

What do you think?

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Comments

“I’ll put premium in a rental if it calls for it and if I’m going to use the gas myself. I might as well enjoy the full power if it’s a nice car. If I’m turning it back in, it’ll get regular though lol,” another shared.

Motor1 reached out to HJ for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Enterprise via email.

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