I've been reporting and working on cars, including building my own solar-equipped campervan, for 25 years. I've found one of the easiest ways to keep your car running for many, potentially trouble-free, years is regularly changing the oil. This is true for conventional vehicles and hybrids of all kinds. The best motor oil is the one that fits your budget, vehicle and driving style. There are lots of brands and types of oil to choose from, including conventional, synthetic or a blend of both, as well as different weights and additives that are better for certain situations and vehicles. There are even hybrid-specific oils that might be worth considering.
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Figuring out what's best for your car or truck is time well spent. It can, in the short term, possibly save you some money. In the long term, it might help prevent costly maintenance issues, including permanent damage to your engine. Here's what you need to know.
What's the best oil type for conventional and hybrid engines?
For modern cars, there are three types of motor oil: conventional, synthetic and blend (a mix of both). Each has its pros and cons.
Conventional motor oil
Good old-fashioned liquid dinosaurs, straight from the can.
- Pros: Low cost
- Cons: Often not as effective as blends or synthetics
- Best for: Saving money
Synthetic motor oil
Actually, still liquid dinos, but modified.
- Pros: Potentially better performance at a wider range of temperatures, potentially less frequent oil changes
- Cons: Expensive
- Best for: Longer engine life, lots of traffic driving, lots of big hills, vehicles that tow things, especially in really hot or cold climates.
Blend, or synthetic blend motor oil
Blended liquid dinos, specifically a blend of synthetic and conventional motor oil.
- Pros: Lower cost than full synthetic.
- Cons: Could be less effective than synthetic oils
- Best for: Someone who wants better performance than conventional oil without having to spend as much for "full synthetic."
The base of nearly all motor oils is refined crude oil. With conventional oil, that's what you get, sometimes with the addition of additives that potentially help your engine. Despite the name, synthetic still starts with a base of refined crude oil but with man-made, chemically altered components. These are designed to work better at keeping your engine lubricated, especially at higher or lower temperatures. Sometimes, manufacturers who require synthetic oil for their vehicles also recommend more miles between oil changes. Some brands of motor oil also promise more miles per oil change. Blends that mix conventional and synthetic oil can offer a better price while improving performance.
One exception is Shell's PurePlus Technology, which is a gas-to-liquid process that converts natural gas into a synthetic base oil. Marketing hype aside, this is slightly different from most other oils. If you're changing your oil regularly it shouldn't make much, if any, difference.
There are also some differences in what additives are included with each type. For instance, "high mileage" oil typically includes chemicals to help maintain the engine's seals and additional detergents to help keep it clean. Most name-brand oils will have some additives, with high mileage having more or slightly different chemicals. There are also hybrid-specific oils that claim to have additional, or at least different, additives for hybrid vehicles.
If you just want to save money, conventional motor oils have kept engines running for over a century. I mean, not continuously; you'd probably want a synthetic to try to do that. Conventional oil will be fine if you do not intend to keep your car into its high-mileage years. Changing your oil and filter regularly is still vital, however. Also, while the cost of each oil change will be higher with synthetic, you'll need fewer oil changes over the vehicle's life.
If you want to keep your car for a long time, a blend is a good idea. A full synthetic is likely a good way to help maintain your engine if the cost isn't an issue, if you drive in a lot of stop-and-go traffic, or if you live in a particularly cold or hot part of the country, Switching to high-mileage oils after your vehicle hits 75,000 miles should help maintain the engine even longer. If you have a hybrid the biggest downside to using oils marketed for hybrids is the cost. These are typically more expensive than other types.
It's worth repeating, but by far, the most important thing is changing your oil regularly. Do it as often as your owner's manual says, as long as you use the recommended oil. You might want to change it more often if you use conventional oil or drive in the above ways that tax your engine more; perhaps less if you use synthetic or a blend. Often, the brand will recommend how long you can drive before the next change.
The importance of oil weight/grade/viscosity
One of the biggest differences between different motor oils is their weight. This rating, 5W20, 10W30 and so on, describes the oil's viscosity, or how resistant it is to flow. Water has a low viscosity, while maple syrup, in comparison, has a high viscosity. Or, to oversimplify even more, higher numbers mean "thicker" oil. Most modern oils have two viscosity grades, indicating how they perform when cold (the "W" stands for "winter") and hot.
So, for example, a 5W20 oil will have the same viscosity as a 5-weight oil when cold and the same as a 20-weight oil when hot. You want oil to lubricate quickly but also effectively. It needs to work when the engine is cold (at start up at any time, especially in the winter) and when the engine is running, summer or otherwise. There's a relatively narrow window where oil works best; too thick or too thin won't work properly. This is the main benefit of multigrade oils: Being able to function well in various temperatures. You'll rarely see a single-grade oil recommended for automobile use.
Generally speaking, stick with what your owner's manual says. Higher-viscosity oil can reduce performance and gas mileage, while lower viscosity could cause premature wear. There can be valid reasons for getting a different grade, but it's best to stick with what the manufacturer recommends unless you're sure of those reasons.
What are API categories?
Most motor oils will have a stamp, often called the "donut," by the API, or American Petroleum Institute. These include the viscosity and a category that broadly describes what tests the oil passed. Every few years, the tests get stricter. For gasoline vehicles, this starts with an "S" followed by a letter that indicates the category. Here's how API explains them:
Your vehicle's owner's manual will list what category the manufacturer recommends, but you can use one newer than that. As the API states: "For automotive gasoline engines, the latest engine oil service category includes the performance properties of each earlier category. If an automotive owner's manual calls for an API SN oil, an API SP oil will provide full protection." It offers more detail in its Motor Oil Guide (PDF).
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Keep in mind that the certification is voluntary and costs money. While it does mean an oil has passed specific tests, that doesn't mean an oil without the seal wouldn't pass those same tests. It only indicates that the oil's manufacturer didn't want to pay for the seal for whatever reason.
Also, motor oil can degrade, even just sitting on a shelf. So if you find some high-end oil for a great price, but it has an older rating, proceed with caution.
How often should you change the oil? What experts say
The American Automobile Association, aka AAA, has this to say about oil: "How often you should change the oil depends on factors like your driving habits, the type of oil and the manufacturer's recommendations. Older cars typically need oil changes every 3,000 miles, but newer cars, especially those using synthetic oil, can go much longer." Also, "Regular oil changes offer many benefits, including improved engine performance, increased fuel efficiency and extended engine life. Clean oil reduces friction, helps prevent overheating and removes contaminants that could cause wear and tear."
Britain's RAC, or Royal Automotive Club, is similar to AAA. It says, "When it comes to changing your engine oil, the general rule of thumb is to do it every 6,000 miles. However, this can vary depending on your vehicle type, the type of oil you use, and how you drive. For example, if you have a newer car with synthetic oil, you may be able to go up to 7,500 miles before needing an oil change. On the other hand, if you have an older car with conventional oil, you may need to change it more often, such as every 3,000 miles. It's also important to consider how you drive. If you do a lot of stop-and-go driving, or if you drive in extreme temperatures, you may need to change your oil more often."
What is the best engine oil brand?
Name-brand motor oils like Mobil 1, Valvoline, Castrol and Pennzoil all have their fans. They're more similar than they are different. The specific brand won't matter as long as you're regularly changing your oil (and filter). That's far more important. Less famous, no-name or budget motor oils may be fine but sometimes lack the additives that the big names have. In other cases, they're great; they just lack the marketing budget.
There are two easy ways to narrow down a specific brand to purchase. One is what your mechanic recommends. Though keep in mind this is likely biased toward whatever they've for a bulk deal. Another option is what your manufacturer recommends, as found in your owner's manual. You likely can't go wrong with this option, but also keep in mind that this too has likely been influenced by corporate factors well outside the oil's actual performance.
As long as the oil you choose meets or exceeds what your vehicle's manufacturer recommends, it won't void your warranty.
Picking the best synthetic engine oil for your conventional or hybrid vehicle
There aren't many places that review motor oil, and the predominant sentiment online is, "I like this oil because I use it," with no additional infomation. CNET hasn't reviewed motor oils, but a few options have more concrete recommendations.
Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy is one of the best-selling options on Amazon. Mobil 1 is also one of, if not the most famous synthetic motor oils. While you can't fully trust Amazon reviews, there are over 45,000 of them; the average rating is 4.8. Anecdotally, Mobil 1 is the most common motor oil I've been recommended for my vehicles for many years. There's also a High Mileage version. Make sure you get the correct weight. The range is 0W-20 through 10W-40.
Pennzoil Platinum is recommended by The Drive as having the best value.
Amsoil Signature Series performed well in Project Farm's testing and was its overall synthetic oil winner against multiple brands. Project Farm is one of the few places that does extensive scientific testing of motor oils. He has tested a variety of synthetic motor oils, and while his delivery is a bit shouty, his videos are extremely informative. The runner-up was Pennzoil Ultra Platinum. Another brand that did well in Project Farm's testing is the budget-friendly SuperTech.
Amazon Basics High Mileage Motor Oil is surprisingly good, according to Project Farm's testing. It also performed well in comparison with conventional motor oil in Motor Oil Geek's testing.
Valvoline Full Synthetic High Mileage is recommended by Car & Driver for older American cars.
Top engine oil comparison
Below is a selection of the top motor oils. Most are sold in either five-quart jugs or smaller one-quart bottles. The latter are typically sold in boxes of six online, and the price listed is per quart in that case.
Other things to keep in mind
Change your oil filter at the same time you change your oil. There is no reason not to, and it helps keep pieces of metal that wear off during normal engine use from being recirculated into the engine and causing additional wear or other damage.
Changing your oil regularly is at least as important as what type of oil you use. Every manufacturer recommends a different oil change interval, sometimes also depending on the vehicle and engine type. The old benchmark was 3,000 miles, but newer cars can typically go longer -- in some cases, 5,000 miles or more.
This amount can vary, however, depending on how you drive and your area's climate. City driving is harder on an engine than highway driving, and towing can be harder than both. Extremely hot or cold temperatures can also cause strain. Some vehicles come with oil monitoring sensors and will warn you when an oil change is needed. You can certainly change it more often. If you plan on keeping your car for a long time, more frequent oil changes are better than less.
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