This should help.
"There are 2 widely used rating systems used in the world of fuel. Around the world the most common is RON (Research Octane Number), which is found by utilizing a knock engine. Here in the US we use AKI (Anti-Knock Index), while AKI is determined by taking the average of MON (Motor Octane Number) and RON."

 

Good info! I thought the manual meant they were researching with higher octane fuel for this car like an idiot.
So regular 87 gas it is!

 

FWIW, It's a common question.

 

We use 87 octane in our '98, '10 Corollas and '07Camry. Once I accidently put 85 in my '98 Corolla and it bareley got up to freeway speed, also the the mpg dropped from 33 to 24. When we take long trips, like 2-3 days freeway driving I like to begin with a fill up of 91 octane.

 

Octane (87) isn't the only consideration as I believe top tier gas is imperative in any cars that utilize some form of GDI even when it's a duel injector system like the Camry. Fortunately, Costco is not only the cheapest by 30¢ in our area but is top tier gas so it's what we use exclusively.

 

To follow Tom's reference - you can find top tier gas at this website. Mechanic once told me never get gas when the truck is refilling the tanks due to sediment. Oh and Costco has been a great stock for me. =)

TOP TIER - High-quality Fuel Performance Standard - TOP TIER™

TOP TIER is developed and enforced by some of the leading automotive manufacturers and supplied by participating fuel retailers.

www.toptiergas.com

 

I have to imagine they use a robust filtration system at the pump? Maybe I’m naive. Lol

 

The gas cap says 85 which is different from the manuals 87 also.

Can you attach the picture of the cap please?

 

It is currently storming but I'll get one when it clears up.

 

Just as a side note, at altitude, regular grade goes from 87 to 85 octane and 89 becomes premium. I made the mistake once of filling my other car with 85 octane at 7,000 feet and then immediately traveled down to the desert floor where the elevation was 2200 feet and the car did not like it - retarded the timing noticeably for anti-knock reasons until I was able to dilute the tank with 93 octane premium so be aware the altitude can change both what's available and what your car actually needs.

 

Regular grade Costco Top Tier.

https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-gasoline.html

 

I currently have one notch gone from my original gas that the dealer put in the tank. I have to drive an hour to work and an hour home on the interstate the next 3 days. With my civic I had to get gas Monday mornings and then Wednesday night and I'm very curious to see where I'm at when I get home Wednesday.

 

87 AKI is regular in most states.

85 AKI is regular in the high elevation states.

 

I use 91. It only cost me $38 to fill in California. It cost me 3X that much for my Honda Pilot. I’m happy to have switched to the Camry.

 

You can save even more money by using regular gasoline. The higher octane provides no benefit in the Camry and is more expensive to purchase. The Camry engine is designed for regular grade fuel.

 

As to the brand, I like Shell or BP.

 

If I were a Costco member & had a store nearby, that would likely be the cheapest top tier gas. i use Exxon because the nearby station explicitly only has 10% ethanol. Others, that may have 15% ethanol kill some fuel efficiency.

 

Unleaded 87, as specified in the user manual. Top tier gas stations are preferred but I've had zero issues filling up at Sams/BJs/Costco or whatever the cheapest gas around here is at the time of refueling.

 

FYI, Costco is top tier gas. The other 2 are not.

 

I use 91 octane from Costco.

 

On my 2023 Camry XSE Hybrid, I use what the owner's manual recommends: 87 Octane but Top Tier.
So for anyone in my neck of the woods, that's 3 major players: Kirkland / Costco, Shell, and Coop gas stations.
Gas is CDN $1.26 per litre here in my town. We are the cheapest in all of Canada AFAIK.

 

On my 2023 Camry XSE Hybrid, I use what the owner's manual recommends: 87 Octane but Top Tier.
So for anyone in my neck of the woods, that's 3 major players: Kirkland / Costco, Shell, and Coop gas stations.
Gas is CDN $1.26 per litre here in my town. We are the cheapest in all of Canada AFAIK.

I addition, when given a choice, I try to use 10% ethanol instead of unknown, up to 15% now permitted.

 

I use Top Tier gas, usually Marathon 87 octane as that's competitively priced. If I'm at Costco and need gas, I use their 87 octane.

More performance from the Camry ICE engine on high octane gas is a myth, but if it makes you feel better to spend more money, I'm all for people helping the economy.

 

While I don’t advocate the extra spending ….post #21 has different information. The more you know.

 

I get some really good gas from Taco Bell.

 

"Bottom Tier" gas that used to be 99 cents before inflation killed fast food prices haha

 

Which gas stations in Michigan only use 10 percent ethanol? They like to hide how much corn they sell. Not required to disclose it.... so consumers are left in the dark. The 15 percent corn is probably worse for the engine than having less detergents in the fuel. And it lowers the fuel economy... costs MORE.

 

In my area in Virginia, the pumps either state that the fuel contains ethanol or some say up to 10% ethanol. that is how i figured it out. I do not know if all Exxon stations are 10% ethanol in my area.

 

Thanks. Between the winter blend - whatever that is - and the 15% ethanol, and the winter temps, it's no wonder MPG's drop. I just got 44 mpg on a 200-mile highway roundtrip, in 34-degree temps with rain and a little wind. 2025 Camry LE FWD with 2000 miles on it, Stock Goodyear Assurance Rangemax ECO tires, using SHELL 87 gas.... I'll have to check Exxon to see if they only do 10 percent. Probably will be impossible to know for sure.

 

Why would winter temps drop mileage? The colder the air, the denser it is and the more power it can make - it's why turbo's have intercoolers. Cars generally run stronger in colder weather, requiring less throttle to achieve the same results as the middle of summer. Now, the BS with winter blended gas is something I've never understood, ethanol is a boondoggle propagated by big agriculture to sell corn at a premium price and their lobbyist do a wonderful job of getting the votes in Congress. I've lost enough chain saws and other landscaping two-cycle tools to ethanol gas so that now I only buy cordless since I have very little yard to upkeep. But as to MPG, I know that here in Tucson, winter temps are in the 40's in the morning, rising into the mid-70's during the day and my mileage has gone from a steady 51.8 to 54.3 on Costco gas which I don't believe is winter blended for us in the desert Southwest. Now, I'm sure if I was trying to drive through a foot of snow, mileage would plummet just because of the added resistance of the white stuff.

 

Why would winter temps drop mileage?

Because you're on a Hybrid forum. The ICE engine literally runs to warm up the coolant to heat the HVAC. And then there's those heated seats and steering wheel and mirrors.

Fact is, Winter kills the fuel economy. Just like needing A/C in the Summer. Unless it's a perfect 20 C where you live, climate does affect L/100 km (or your MPG)

 

I just replaced the electric water pump in my 2013 Prius C. Dealership quoted close to $1k. I would trade that for the single fan belt on my old Echo and a $40 water pump. The original Echo pump was hanging in there at 205k miles while the Prius lasted 188k miles. but it spent the first 135k miles crawling through LA traffic.
My left knee joint however decided that a manual transmission is no longer an option, especially crawling 6 miles in an hour getting on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.
That happened driving the Prius back from where I bought it and it got 60MPG. I could have covered the distance faster on a bicycle.