How much does premium RON 98 petrol cost in Romania?

Premium petrol (RON 98) in Romania averages 0.30-0.50 RON/L more than standard 95. At a standard 95 price of ~7.80 RON/L, premium runs ~8.15-8.30 RON/L. The gap varies by brand: OMV MaxxMotion and Lukoil ECTO are the most expensive.

What's the difference between RON 95 and 98?

Octane rating is the main difference: 95 vs 98. Octane indicates resistance to auto-ignition — higher = more stable in high-compression engines. RON 98 also includes proprietary additive packages (typically detergents and anti-oxidants) to clean injectors.

Can I use RON 95 in a car that requires RON 98?

All modern cars (2000+) have a knock sensor that adjusts ignition automatically if you use lower-octane fuel than recommended. You'll lose ~3-5% power and ~3-5% fuel economy. Long-term, high-performance engines (Porsche, BMW M, AMG) may experience accelerated wear.

Can I use RON 98 in a car that wants RON 95?

Yes, no problem. The car gets no significant benefit (the engine can't exploit higher octane unless designed for it), but no harm either. Financial loss: roughly 0.40 RON/L for nothing extra.

What's the difference between MaxxMotion, Top Premium, ECTO?

All are premium petrols with 98-100 octane + proprietary additive packages. OMV MaxxMotion (98) — best known, marketed for injector cleaning. Petrom Top Premium 99 — focus on anti-wear protection. Rompetrol Efix 100 — highest octane in Romanian networks. Lukoil ECTO 100 — formulated to Lukoil global standards. MOL Evo Plus — emphasis on reduced consumption.

Is premium petrol worth the extra cost?

Short answer: only if your manual recommends RON 98+ or you have a turbo with >11:1 compression. For a Logan, Sandero, Polo TSI without high-perf, the difference is negligible. For BMW M, AMG, Porsche, RS — mandatory. For anything in between, test 2-3 fillups and see if you notice a difference in consumption/response.

Premium petrol price (RON 98) in Romania

Complete guide to premium petrol in Romania: 98-100 octane rating, proprietary additive packages, price gap vs standard 95, when it's actually worth it. Indicative data updated 2026-05-11.

Today's premium petrol price

Romanian premium petrol averages 0.30–0.50 RON/L higher than standard 95. With current standard 95 at 9.17 RON/L, premium sells around 9.57 RON/L.

PretCarburant.ro doesn't aggregate per-station premium prices in the daily pipeline (variations are too high for consistent aggregated data). For exact prices, check the station board or network app.

Premium petrol brands in Romania

Premium variants by major network — 2026
Network	Premium brand	Octane	Distinguishing feature
OMV	OMV MaxxMotion 98	98	Additive package for injector cleaning; most prevalent EU premium brand.
Petrom	Petrom Top Premium 99	99	Anti-wear additives + cleaning; octane slightly above standard threshold.
Rompetrol	Rompetrol Efix 100	100	Highest octane in Romanian networks; recommended for all turbo engines.
MOL	MOL Evo Plus 98	98	Focus on reduced consumption and emissions; proprietary MOL additives.
Lukoil	Lukoil ECTO 100	100	Lukoil global standard; long-term engine protection additives.
SOCAR	SOCAR Premium 98	98	Standard premium variant; less prominent brand storytelling.
Gazprom	—	—	Standard 95 and LPG only at most stations.

RON 95 vs 98 — what it means in practice

Octane rating indicates fuel resistance to premature auto-ignition (knocking). Higher = more stable at high cylinder pressures, mattering for high-compression engines (turbo + direct injection) and high operating temperatures.

Cars that strictly require RON 98 or RON 100

BMW M3, M4, M5, the M-series in general
Mercedes-AMG (all models)
Audi RS3, RS4, RS6, RS Q3
Porsche 911, Panamera GTS, Cayenne Turbo
Honda Civic Type R, NSX
Volkswagen Golf R, Arteon R, Touareg R

The owner's manual is the oracle. Look for "min. RON 98" or "min. ROZ 95 (95 RON accepted, 98 RON recommended)".

Cars that run perfectly on RON 95

All Dacia (Logan, Sandero, Duster, Spring)
Skoda Octavia, Fabia, Karoq, Kodiaq (non-RS)
VW Golf, Polo, Passat, Tiguan (non-R)
Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel — standard models
Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Kia — standard models
Ford Focus, Mondeo (non-ST/RS)

Is the price difference worth it?

Quick calculation: at a 50 L fillup once a month, the 0.40 RON/L difference means 20 RON/month or 240 RON/year. For:

Logan, Sandero, Polo, Octavia (1.0-2.0 non-high-perf): NOT worth it. The engine can't exploit higher octane. All those 240 RON are wasted.
VW Golf GTI, Tiguan R-Line, Skoda Superb 2.0 TSI: marginal — engine slightly benefits, but pump price difference (~3% consumption savings) doesn't offset 5-7% higher price.
BMW M, AMG, Porsche, Audi RS, Honda Civic Type R: MANDATORY. Engine designed for high octane; on RON 95 you lose power and risk accelerated wear long-term.

For cars between these extremes, recommendation: do a 3-fillup test on RON 98, measure average consumption, compare to 3 fillups on RON 95. If the difference isn't > 5% consumption savings, RON 95 stays the rational choice.