We have a Mazda 5 here in the U.S. which has a 2.3l engine using regular gasoline (87 AKI / 91 RON). We're moving to Germany end of the year and really would like to take our Mazda 5 with us. We got a great deal on the car, the shipping cost is reasonable ($1,500 to $2,000), and it's still alot cheaper all in all than selling ours and buying a new one over there (like $10k more).

Besides wondering if we can get it easily inspected / registered in Germany, my main concern is the gasoline. I know in Germany most gas stations don't carry "regular" fuel anymore but only premium (91 AKI / 95 RON). Can I use that with my U.S. Mazda 5? I don't see that 2.3l engine being sold in the German version. Will it hurt the engine?

Thanks for your help!

Greg

 

Nope, won't hurt the engine.

 

I run slightly higher octane in the summer months around here to help counteract the constant use of the A/C system and the summer heat. Currently averaging 100+*F.

 

Higher octane is never any problem! Lower might damage an engine. 91 RON is still widespread in Germany however currently the price is the same as for 95 RON so why even buy it? Currently approx. 1,35 Euro pr. liter.
Please make sure there are no import taxes etc. before you choose to bring your car.
The red sidemarkers in the US taillights might be an issue - in Europe sidemarkers, if present, have to be amber both front and rear. Amber clearance / parking lights are also illegal troughout the European Union. The european model has clear 5w bulbs inside the high beam reflectors.
Several german cities now require the car to carry an enviromental sticker. It might be an issue documenting your car's emission class (Euro1 thru Euro5 norm) since it's not sold in Europe. If you can't obtain this sticker you will be banned from driving in these cities. Probably Mazda can help you with this. Almost every gasoline powered car with a catalytic converter is able to obtain Euro4 level (5 is best/cleanest).
Otherwise I don't think there will be any problems. The 2,3 is known from Mazda 3 and 6 so serviceing shouldn't be a problem.
Tip: Read up on kilos, (kilo)meters, liters and so on. It will help your daily life!

Good luck, and welcome to Europe!

 

I disagree.
Higher octane slows the burn to reduce detonation in higher compression, higher output engines, which can cause higher emissions and your emissions system to work harder and (and sensors like the O2 sensor for example) "burn out" sooner in an engine designed to run on lower octane.

However, that said, I doubt you will experience any real trouble with the German 91 oct.
The hotter the climate, the better for increased octane in a low octane engine.

 

Greg,
When I was in the military a bunch of my friends got stationed in Germany and had their cars shipped over there and before they could get there cars released out of the port they had to comply with vehicle regulations. 1. Get a Euro license, and I heard the test isn't easy, the test is 100 questions. 2. Insurance, is quite expensive. Geico usually has pretty good rates for military personel so if your in the military check them out. 3. Euro lights, the car has to be out fitted before it can be registered. Fuel is VERY EXPENSIVE

 

That's a common myth if you ask me. Higher octane gas doesn't burn slower. It can withstand higher temperatures and pressure before it self-ignites, but once ignited the flamefront velocity is the same as for low octane gas. However race-fuel and leaded fuel burns slower due to different ingredients and/or the presence of lead.

Of course not... especially since 91RON is the equivalent of 87AKI which you consider to be better for the engine...
In fact neither 95RON=91AKI nor Shell V-power 100RON=95AKI will cause any problems to the cars engine or emission systems. But, on the other hand there's no benefit of using it either.
Last but not least, the car is japanese. In Japan they use the RON octane scale. So the engine in question is made for using 91RON gas - it just happens to be the equivalent of the North American 87 (R+M/2) gas.

Back to the topic: Greg, gasoline is the least of your worries regarding shipping your vehicle to Europe! Try figure out the other stuff "vlstellato" and I wrote before you decide to take the car with you! All things considered, maybe a slightly used diesel 5 in Germany isn't that expensive after all...

 

Virgin 1 is absolutely right: use of a higher than specified octane fuel gets you nothing from your engine (it will run marginally cooler), but the slower flame propagation rate means uncombusted fuel exits the engine only to be dealt with by the catalytic converter. This raises the cat temperature and will reduce the life of the cat and the downstream O2 sensor. Furthermore if you use this fuel to compensate for high summer temperatures, or high altitude issues, the reduced air density means that the convective cooling value of the airflow around your exhaust system will also be lower, making the cat run hotter anyway.
In bygone days, you could wring more out the engine using high octane fuel because it allowed you to advance the static ignition timing a few degrees without detonation, so you got higher peak stroke pressure plus a more prolonged "push" per stroke, yielding higher engine torque. This does not apply to fuel injected engines where the engine is running "closed loop" with fuel dose and timing determined by the ECU processing MAF, throttle position, temp., and upstream O2 data to maintain the magic 14.7:1 combustion ratio over the whole operating spectrum of the engine.
If you have temperature or altitude issues, a ram air intake to increase the number of air molecules per cubic foot per second of air "gulped" is a more effective approach.

 

The ignition timing on my car is advanced... one reason why I do this in summer months, but only about 4* and I only add enough higher octane to reduce pinging to a minimum not eliminate it altogether.
I am also running the MS CAI, but frankly wished it was more efficient than it seems to be.

 

Thanks for the help on the gasoline.

Regarding importing it. I won't have to pay any import taxes or dues, since I fulfill all the requirements for it to count as used personal property. (Ownership > 6 months, Lived outside Germany > 12 months and so on)

I already have a German/Euro driver's license. It seems like I have to worry about the lighting though. The sidemarkers / turn signals are amber, so no worries there. The high beam might be a problem I need to investigate if it's just a matter of changing bulbs, or getting new Euro lights. I mean the car was made for Euro / Asia, selling it in the U.S. was almost an afterthought as far as I know. It's can't be THAT different from the Euro version.

Some people tell me to sell it and buy a new one. That math doesn't really makes sense if I loose easily $10k in order to get something comparable. Even if I take into account the shipping ($1,500 - $2,000), potential retrofitting ($0 - $1000) and higher fuel cost per year compared to the 2.0 version sold over there ($1,000 a year on 20,000 KM a year), I still save over $5k .... I don't know you, but I am not gonna just give away such money without looking really hard if it's possible and explore my options. I just started talking to a company in Germany specializing in overseas car transports and importing/registering/retrofitting cars, so they will have some good info.

Greg