The Maxima is one of our most popular Nissan vehicles, and one of the questions we frequently encounter regarding the Maxima is: “Does the 2016 Maxima need premium gas?” The answer is yes. To achieve the rated performance of your Maxima, you’ll need to fill ‘er up with premium. Read on to learn more about the fuel recommendations for the 2016 Maxima.
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2016 Maxima fuel recommendation
The official fuel recommendation for your Maxima can be found on page 9-5 of your owner’s manual in the “Technical and Consumer Information” section. Nissan recommends using premium gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 AKI. (That’s anti-knock index.) Usually 91 or 93 octane is available. If it’s not, you can actually go ahead and use regular gas with an octane of at least 87, but you won’t feel all 300 horses under the hood. Just be sure to top it off with premium at the next available opportunity.
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2016 Maxima 3.5-liter V6 engine
The engine in your Maxima is a high-performance machine precision engineered to consistently deliver 300 horsepower and 22 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway. But the only way to achieve those numbers is to make sure you always top off the tank with the right fuel. Even though the car will likely run just fine on regular gasoline, our advice is to follow Nissan’s recommendation and use premium every time.
There is a chance that using a fuel other than what is recommended in the owner’s manual could adversely affect the car’s emission control system, or even affect your warranty coverage. It’s just not worth the risk to save some pennies at the fuel pump.
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