A hypothetical question about buying a used car...

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pbm

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The recent threads on Walmart's new 5k, 10k and 20k ST oils got me thinking. If you were in middleee market for a new (used) car...let's say a typical family/commuter car like a 5 to 7 year old Camry, Accord, Fusion etc...with about 100k....would you be more interested in one that had 5k dino OC's...10k regular synthetic OC's or 15k+ OC's on 'Advanced Synthetic' like Mobil AP/EP, Castrol Gold Edge EP, etc. We'll assume it had about 20k a year with 75% highway driving and filters suited to the oil used? (in other words everything else being equal except for the oil and filter being used...ie: a Fram orange with the dino...a TG with the synthetic...an Ultra with the EP/AP)
 
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I would definitely go for the one with 5K miles changes. It would be awesome if Mobil 1 EP was used and the grade of oil used was the same as written on the oil cap. But that is just me. To each their own.
 
I would also choose the one with 5k OCI‘a on regular oil....second choice would be the one with 10k on synthetic....I don’t think I could buy a car that had 15k OC’s regardless of oil/filter used....but that’s just me.
 
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when I car shop*, my sweet spot (hasn't done me wrong yet) is ~5yrs old, ~ 60k mi, ~$10k
using that formula got me a
2009 Sable, with 69,999mi in Jan 2014( middle of the coldest polar vortex we've had here in decades)
2013 C-max, with ~64k mi in Feb 2019 (Sable was paid off, 115k mi or so, but trans was slipping, the water pump was a ticking timebomb, AC Evaporator was freezing over anytime the ambient was over 80, couple rust holes in the rear wheel wells...etc. it was almost time for the repairs to get expensive)
and yes, I am the 3rd owner of both.

I assume the worst, hope they've stayed some what close to the schedule,
but as long as a carfax or some sort of records shows semi regular changes, I don't get too worried about what was used.
once it's mine, I just run Full Syn (store brand is fine) for 5k mi/6 mos/or the OLM comes on. in the C-max, I wait for the OLM.

*can't include my first 3 cars, they were outliers...can't include them in the formula.
1) 1987 Olds 98, inherited when grandpa passed in 1998.
2) 2000 Hyundai Sonata - Former rental,(later discovered it had a significant frontal collision) bought from local dealer summer 2001 with 16k mi, for $10k.
3) 2005 Dodge Neon SXT - bought from the original owner (my Brother) in Feb 2010 for $4k, with 54k mi.
 
ANY stack of receipts would impress me. Especially the sort of person that has the dealer change wiper blades. I don't really care about oil change "philosophy." In Maine using synthetic means M1 10w30 from Walmart with a Fram OCOD.

If they did the other stuff, they did the oil changes. ATF and coolant would be a nice bonus. People that spring for new struts and name brand tires would also get extra credit.
 
earlyre said:
when I car shop*, my sweet spot (hasn't done me wrong yet) is ~5yrs old, ~ 60k mi, ~$10k
using that formula got me a
2009 Sable, with 69,999mi in Jan 2014( middle of the coldest polar vortex we've had here in decades)
2013 C-max, with ~64k mi in Feb 2019 (Sable was paid off, 115k mi or so, but trans was slipping, the water pump was a ticking timebomb, AC Evaporator was freezing over anytime the ambient was over 80, couple rust holes in the rear wheel wells...etc. it was almost time for the repairs to get expensive)
and yes, I am the 3rd owner of both.

I assume the worst, hope they've stayed some what close to the schedule,
but as long as a carfax or some sort of records shows semi regular changes, I don't get too worried about what was used.
once it's mine, I just run Full Syn (store brand is fine) for 5k mi/6 mos/or the OLM comes on. in the C-max, I wait for the OLM.

*can't include my first 3 cars, they were outliers...can't include them in the formula.
1) 1987 Olds 98, inherited when grandpa passed in 1998.
2) 2000 Hyundai Sonata - Former rental,(later discovered it had a significant frontal collision) bought from local dealer summer 2001 with 16k mi, for $10k.
3) 2005 Dodge Neon SXT - bought from the original owner (my Brother) in Feb 2010 for $4k, with 54k mi.
Click to expand...
This technique got my aunt a 2010 Camry in 2013 for 13k with 66k miles and it is at almost 210k now without any mechanical problems. Original coolant, atf and power steering fluid up until 200k. Pretty sweet spot to buy.
 
earlyre said:
when I car shop*, my sweet spot (hasn't done me wrong yet) is ~5yrs old, ~ 60k mi, ~$10k.l
Click to expand...

I like your ‘sweet spot’ idea....I may use it in the future if used car prices ever come back to normal. My ‘hypothetical’ scenario wouldn’t require receipts etc...I’ll adjust the scenario to buying it from my brother so I can guarantee the OC regimen as listed. I’m more interested in whether dino @5k, synthetic @10k, or EP syn. @15+k would leave the engine in better shape?
 
Rand said:
it only works on some cars. I wouldnt want a 5 year old out of warranty car with some of these new engines and cvts
Click to expand...

Both of which you can have inspected before buying. Also on a modern vehicle 60,000 miles is nothing in MOST CASES.
 
CKN said:
Nobody paid 30grand for a Sable new.
Click to expand...
They could have gone for that though. I had a 2001 Ford Taurus SEL that was about 24k new, paid 10k for it after it was 3 years old. The Sable had a few more options than the Ford and I suppose the later years could have been more money. But yeah, everyone knows that no one pays list, but you can always say what they listed for when new.

Oh yeah, you could be right, last year was the 2005, with all the options, you come up to a tad over 28k, even with delivery, it's a rounding error to say it's 30k unless you include all dealer fees plus taxes and no discounts.

www.motortrend.com

2005 Mercury Sable Buyer's Guide: Reviews, Specs, Comparisons

Interested in the 2005 Mercury Sable? Get the details right here, from the comprehensive MotorTrend buyer's guide.
www.motortrend.com www.motortrend.com
 
I will admit that there are guys on here that run 10k on synthetic (Tig being one of them)....I'd buy one of his cars with 100k in a heartbeat...
 
CKN said:
Nobody paid 30grand for a Sable new.
Click to expand...
once upon a time, i found the original Moroney label online, and i swear the MSRP was like $34k., but of course, no one did pay that, it was originally a lease,
...but since I Sold that car 2 years a go, I don't have any of the associated paperwork anymore...
I do have it's Vin still, but looks like ford clamped down on access to the moroney's and Etis a few years ago..

I do have a copy of my C-Max's Moroney:
cmax window sticker.jpg
 
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