I have an '07 SE, not Off-Road. I am ordering the skids (or trying to) and am waiting for Bilsten to come out with replacement shocks, but that is all I miss versus the Off-Road.

I've never used anything but 87-octane regular in the NY/NJ/PA area, and I've towed a 5,000+ loaded travel trailer at highway speeds, in stop-and-go traffic, and up-and-down some relatively steep inclines, and I've never had a knock or ping. I might try Premium when I go out the Rocky Mountains in a few weeks to see if I get better performance and/or fuel economy going uphill. My guess is yes, but not much, to both.

I used to do a lot of consulting work for a regional gasoline/oil distributor. If it makes you feel good to buy mid-grade gas, than by all means spend the extra money. But mid-grade is a marketing tool designed to appeal to folks who think they are doing something good for their car (better than regular) without "wasting" money on premium.

Vehicles are designed to run on regular or premium. There is not enough of a difference between regular and mid-grade to make any noticeable difference in engine performance or fuel economy, particularly in light of the extra cost. If your vehicle pings, knocks or hesitates with regular gas, you are better off spending the money on a tune-up than paying the extra $.10-15/gallon on mid-grade.

Gas prices just went over $4.00/gal for regular in NJ. I'm now researching propane conversion kits.

blink32 wrote:I would be interested to see how the front seat folds down and it's accessibility from the rear.

Okay, I know this is a bit late, but I was out with the camera and remembered this request. Yes, it's dirty. It will be another couple of weeks before I no longer have to haul stuff this summer.

The front seat folds down a bit lower than the seat cushion that folds up directly behind it. It really makes a difference having all that extra length:

NVSteve wrote:Okay, I know this is a bit late, but I was out with the camera and remembered this request.

Cool, thanks. I wasn't sure if the other models folded differently to give a completely flat surface all the way through or not. But I can still see the benefits of having that extra space for sure for long items.

It could prove to be interesting as I might be picking up some 12' composite decking in the next week or so. If I do & I can remember, I'll take some photos of that stuffed in the PF. Trying to get all the stupid projects out of the way so my summer is clear for hiking, biking, kites, etc.