- Premium gas cost $0.40 to $0.93 more per gallon than regular across 2015 to 2025, and $0.93 in 2025 ($4.03 vs $3.10).
- At 12,000 miles a year that is about $383 to $612 a year extra, depending on the vehicle's fuel economy.
- Among gasoline vehicle configurations in the EPA's model year 2024–2025 database, 54% specify premium fuel and 46% specify regular, a configuration-count split, not a sales-weighted one (see note below).
01 Price Difference Over Time
The EIA publishes annual average retail prices for regular, midgrade and premium gasoline. The price spread between regular and premium grew from $0.40 per gallon in 2015 to $0.89 in 2024 and $0.93 in 2025.
EIA, U.S. Regular and Premium All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices, annual averages, 2015–2025| Year | Regular | Premium | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $2.43 | $2.83 | $0.40 |
| 2018 | $2.72 | $3.29 | $0.58 |
| 2020 | $2.17 | $2.83 | $0.67 |
| 2022 | $3.95 | $4.74 | $0.79 |
| 2024 | $3.30 | $4.20 | $0.89 |
| 2025 | $3.10 | $4.03 | $0.93 |
Over the same period, gasoline turbocharged engines (including hybrids and plug-in hybrids) grew to more than 44% of all vehicle production in model year 2024.
EPA, The 2025 Automotive Trends Report (EPA-420-R-26-001), p. 59For the full regular-gas price history behind the "Regular" column above, see gas prices by year, 1950 to 2025.
02 Which Vehicles Need Premium
The EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide database labels each vehicle configuration's fuel type directly (Regular, Midgrade, or Premium Gasoline). Counting distinct gasoline-fueled configurations (including hybrids) for model years 2024–2025 gives a genuinely surprising split:
EPA/DOE, Fuel Economy Guide database, model years 2024–2025| Fuel Type | Share of Configurations | n |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | 45.9% | 877 |
| Midgrade | 0.5% | 9 |
| Premium | 53.7% | 1,026 |
Estimate your vehicle's driving cost using official EPA fuel economy data.
Use the Calculator03 Annual Cost Comparison
The cost of choosing premium over regular depends on how many gallons you burn per year. For a driver covering 12,000 miles annually with a 2025 price spread of $0.93 per gallon (regular $3.10 vs. premium $4.03):
Calculated using EIA average regular/premium prices and EPA/DOE Fuel Economy Guide class-average MPG values| Vehicle Type (MPG) | Annual Gallons | Regular Cost | Premium Cost | Extra for Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compact car (28.2 MPG) | 426 | $1,318 | $1,715 | $397 |
| Midsize car (29.2 MPG) | 411 | $1,273 | $1,656 | $383 |
| Midsize/Large SUV (19.6 MPG) | 612 | $1,896 | $2,467 | $571 |
| Standard/Full-Size Pickup (18.3 MPG) | 656 | $2,031 | $2,643 | $612 |
Switching from regular to premium adds $383–$612 per year in these classes. Over a typical 5-year ownership period, that adds up to $1,917–$3,059.
Calculated from annual premium cost difference × 5 years04 Data Sources
- EIA: Annual average retail gasoline prices by grade (regular and premium, all formulations). eia.gov
- EPA: The 2025 Automotive Trends Report (EPA-420-R-26-001). epa.gov
- EPA/DOE: Fuel Economy Guide database, model years 2024–2025. fueleconomy.gov