Introduction
The designated fuel for Land Cruiser 70 (GRJ76K) is high-octane (unleaded premium).
On the other hand, the pamphlet (catalog) at the time of sale stated, “Unleaded gasoline can also be used. In that case, the engine performance will not be fully demonstrated.” The catalog also states, “In this case, the engine performance will not be fully demonstrated.
I did not find a similar description in the instruction manual. (Sorry if I missed it)
I have heard that the reason it is compatible with unleaded gasoline is that it takes into account the diverse environments in which the Land Cruiser 70 is used.
Since it is expected that inferior gasoline may be used, the engine is set up so that it can handle a certain range of quality.
I have read that modern premium gasoline vehicles are designed to be refueled by mistake or in emergency situations when it is not possible to refuel with premium gasoline, and when they determine that unleaded gasoline has been refueled, they automatically delay fuel injection and ignition timing to prevent knocking, which is probably more common than it seems.
So, whether I use unleaded or premium, I have been using premium for most of the time since I bought my LandCruiser 70 in 2014, following the instructions in the owner’s manual to the letter.
However, I have been using unleaded gasoline since February 2022, mainly because of the rising price of gasoline.
When I go to a gas station that is not self-service, the clerk will often ask, “Your car is designated for premium, are you sure you want unleaded?” Often, the clerk will ask me if I am sure I want to use unleaded.
To be honest, I don’t feel any difference from when I use premium gasoline.
However, I am not at all sure that it is OK. I have no intention of recommending it to those who use premium gasoline.
I don’t mind if the engine just can’t perform as it should. However, I have a vague concern that there might be some disadvantages to the engine or other parts in the long run.
The price difference between premium and unleaded gasoline in Japan is approximately 11 yen/L.
And if fuel economy is 6.6 km/L as shown in the catalog, the difference in annual gasoline cost between using premium and unleaded would be as follows.
| Mileage per year | Difference in fuel costs |
| 3,000km | approx.5,000yen |
| 5,000km | approx.8,000yen |
| 10,000km | approx.17,000yen |
| 30,000km | approx.50,000yen |
| 50,000km | approx.83,000yen |
Whether the difference shown in the table above is more or less depends on each person’s financial situation.
However, if the use of unleaded gasoline were to have some disadvantage to the car, it would make sense to compare this amount of money with that disadvantage.
I drive at most 10,000 km per year, so the annual difference is about 17,000 yen.
Once again, I think that if it is bad for the engine, I might not use it at all.
I’d like to take a moment to preface this by asking a questionnaire to find out what kind of choices Land Cruiser 70 owners are making.
Thank you for your cooperation. I will share the results of the survey with poop again.
Survey
Implementation period：10/29～11/12
SSubject：Land Cruiser 70 owner（GRJ76K・GRJ79K）