I'm interested to understand what octane levels you guys get in your fuels over there. We max out at 98 RON.
Even we don't understand that over here lol. In most of the southern states, you can often find octane ratings of 87, 89, and 93 which are somewhere between 4 and 6 points lower than the equivalent RON as the method of averaging is different, so there isn't a 1:1 ratio. So I believe our 87 would be lower than the typical European gas, which I've heard often starts at 95 RON (closer to our 89-90).
Most pumps here tend to start at 87, offer a pointless 89 for an upcharge mostly just to attract people who think paying a bit more for a couple octane points does something when there are no cars here that need more than 87 but less than 91, and then you have the "premium" option for far higher price with cleansers and other goodies which will typically be 91 or 93. There are plenty of cars that require 91 but few that require 93, so some stations go straight to 93 if they only want three tanks in the ground, but others will offer lots of options, again, probably as an upsell strategy. Wawa for example, where I live, often offers 87, 89, 91, 93, and ethanol-free 89. In more northern states and out west, I often don't see 93, and sometimes have seen as low as 85.
If you know where to look here you can sometimes find a station that will carry ethanol-free gas in all octane ratings. Additionally, some stations sell "race gas" with octane ratings up to 99-103 range. Of course, people who have cars that don't need that will put it in anyway for 'more power', and proceed to overheat.
