4x4ord wrote:
Ethanol has about 2/3 the energy content of gasoline. If your comparing 93 octane ethanol free to 93 octane E10 you'd expect the ethanol free gasoline to perform about 3% better. A 3% increase in fuel economy could maybe be measured but I don't believe any of us could "feel" a 3% gain in power or fuel economy. Any actual studies that I have read have found more like a 1% reduction in fuel economy and no change in power when using E10 fuel vs ethanol free gasoline. Some engines have been measured to perform slightly better on gasoline with ethanol.
I believe the perception the op had with regard to how his engine performs on one fuel vs another is about like someone saying he finds it easier to walk up a flight of stairs when he has waffles for breakfast vs pancakes.
You would be correct if only the fuel was considered and there was total disregard to engine design and computer mapping.