Best filter for Lexus ls400

[cjgreenberg]

Hi Folks, I decided on PU for the 98 Lexus ls400 I just bought. $28 at Walmart is pretty good. I won't do extended OCIs. I bought a Mobil One filter, which is what I've been using for more than 10 years on previous cars. But I noticed all kinds of other alternatives now. Bosch ( about half the price), K&N (same price). Even a "high end" Fram.

What's the thoughts on filters these days? I'm not really looking to buy an inferior filter to save a few bucks. BUT if I can get the same quality for less, I'm there!

Chip

 

[wiswind]

All the different choices can be overwelming.....and each company wants to convince you that THEIR filter is the best.

In the Fram lineup, I like the XG filter ONLY.....it seems to be a quality product.
I see that the XG3614 is listed for your 1UZFE engine.
That same filter is called for on my 1MZFE engine.......and I found that the filter that my Ford Windstar used, which would be the XG3600, is identical in every way....except that it is longer.

I have the WIX 51516 on my 1MZFE in my 2003 Sienna......lots of room to spare......for a longer filter.
In place of the WIX 51348 that WIX lists for both of our motors.
Of course, you would need to verify that you have the space for the longer filter in your LS400.


Folks also seem to respect the DENSO filter that the dealerships sell.....often at a very reasonable price.

I don't think you will go wrong with the Mobil One or any of the other filters that you mention.
Particularly if you are not going with extended OCI......which I don't either.

 

[cjgreenberg]

Thx wiswind! I'll se if I have room for a longer filter

 

[nthach]

I'm running the new FL400s on mine. It's a little bigger than the OEM Toyota filter but I felt more comfortable with the shorter than longer FL400.

 

[mechanicx]

The Bosch premium and Purolator Pureone are good filters for the price and have the highest efficiency.

 

[dnewton3]

The 51516 is a great "upgrade" for a 51348 as it is longer, but all else essentially the same. You'll get a better beta with the 51516, and it fits just about anywhere a 51348 goes. These cost about the same, so here, going a bit larger for "better" filtration efficiency makes sense.

Now, prepare yourself for an onslaught of challenge, as I simply cannot help myself from commenting, so feel free to ingore me from this point forward.

You're using PU, but going to do "normal" OCIs? For what purpose? To multiply your waste?

Yet again we are into the realm of what "best" means to people. If you believe you're somehow going to get a significant reduction in wear by using PU over a quality dino for normal OCIs, then you're mistaken. You will NEVER get wear reduction = the cost ratio differential for short-to-moderate OCIs. You indicated you'll run "normal" OCIs, right? And you'll likely spend at least 3x $$$ for the PU versus a quality dino. Do you actually think you'll get 3x less wear from that OCI duration? Will you get less wear using PU? Possibly so, but nowhere even removely close to the cost ratio. You'll spend 300% more money, and maybe get 3% less wear (an aribitrary nubmer I picked)? Does that seem like a good investment to you? Now, you might be able to get 300% more lifecycle from the oil; that is where synthetics can pay off, IF you extend out that far.

I don't know about you, but I want value for my money. I don't mind spending big $$$, but I darn well expect something on a equal ratio for it! If I spend 3x more money, I better get either 3x less wear (simply won't happen) or 3x more "life" (possible, if you can keep your hands off the wrenches).

You're seeking a "best" oil filter, and you are ignoring the huge waste of oil capability. If you're sticking with "normal" OFCIs, the filter you choose will probably make zero difference in the overall engine lifecycle, comparing a 51348 to a 51516. Heck, my car uses a 51348 filter and dino oil, and the factory OCI is 7.5k miles. Are you even going that far with yours? And yet you seek an upsized filter to pair with PU?

It's your car, do what you want. But I find it perplexing that people seek out fluids and filters with some mis-directed sense of what's "best", and yet have no idea how to find it because they either don't know how, or refuse, to define what "best" means.

 

[Newtonville]

My vote is for a Japanese Denso, possibly available at the Lexus dealer. That's what came originally on the engine. The regular Denso 150-1003 is also good and about $4. To stay with USA made I would say PureOne or Bosch Distance, or other of the many suggestions as to best filter on here.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
The Bosch premium and Purolator Pureone are good filters for the price and have the highest efficiency.


According to all the posts and research...it seems the Purolator PureOnes and Bosch and the best buy for the money (about 1/2 the price of a Mobil 1 filter)...and have the highest efficiency.
_______________________________________
2003 Ford Focus SE (2.3L) / 84K
Valvoline MaxLife SYN 5w30 / OCI 7,000 +/-
Purolator PureOne PA 10241 / Redline SL-1

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
It's your car, do what you want. But I find it perplexing that people seek out fluids and filters with some mis-directed sense of what's "best", and yet have no idea how to find it because they either don't know how, or refuse, to define what "best" means.



They don't define best as necessarily cost effective. When you're not buying furniture or a house, distinctive appointments kinda get lost in where they make sense.

I think it just feels too strange to put a $3 filter on a Lexus

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
They don't define best as necessarily cost effective. When you're not buying furniture or a house, distinctive appointments kinda get lost in where they make sense.

I think it just feels too strange to put a $3 filter on a Lexus

That may be true, but one does need to be realistic. I dislike Frams, yet I do know that for 3,000 mi/3 mo OCIs, it's not going to perform markedly poorer than most other similarly priced filters. If one talks about "better" or "best," there certainly are filters out there that are better constructed, have better filtration, have a longer lifespan, or simply are prettier.

I do agree that it would feel strange putting a cheapo filter on a Lexus. That being said, there are all kinds of reasonable choices out there. He's used Mobil 1, and if that's been good for him, nothing wrong with that. There's always the Amsoil filters and PureOnes. Best bang for his buck is probably the PureOne, Bosch, Denso, or Wix. They'll all do the job admirably and at a good price, and with any of them, he shouldn't be ashamed of opening his hood in front of others. Personally, one can rarely go wrong by using the OEM filter. If I were driving a Lexus, my first choices would be the filter from the dealer or the Denso First Time Fit.

Of course, this is all academic, since we're deprived of filter choices in Canada, and OEM or Fram are basically the default choices for most.

 

[dnewton3]

I agree with Gary many times, and this is no different.

What I am trying to get people to understand is that "best" is only in the eye of the beholder. For me, it's typically "value" driven. I don't mind spending big money, but I still want a sense of ROI to go with that expenditure.

What someone asks "what's the best ...", they need to help us help them!
They need to define what "best" they are searching for. If the topic is a filter, do the want the "best" efficiency, regardless of cost? Do the want the "best" value (defined as output/input). Do they want the "best" cost (i.e. the least expensive?)?

The point is that one needs to define the criteria one is using for the parameters of judgement, and not just leave some word like "best" hanging out there for open interpretation. Because someone like me will come along an muck it up in a hurry!

Would I put the OCOD on a Lexus for a 10k mile OCI when I intend to own it for the next 12 years? No.
Would I put the OCOD on my neighbors Lexus when he intends to trade it in next month? Yup.
Would the next owner of that Lexus view the OCOD the same way I do. Don't know. She might be a BITOGer; he may be maintenace nuetral. Who really knows?

We have no idea what "best" means to this guy, because he hasn't defined it for us!
"I'm not really looking to buy an inferior filter to save a few bucks. BUT if I can get the same quality for less, I'm there!"
In other words, he wants to have his cake and eat it too! (BTW - Don't we all?!?)
He's been using M1 filters for 10 years, but now seeks a filter that performs as well, for less money. Frankly, I don't know that one exists. If M1 efficiency is the "baseline" of judgement, there really isn't much available that filters as well, but costs less. But what he can find is a filter that will perform more than adequately for his OCI, and cost less; it just won't perform as well as the M1.

For his intended OCIs (let's just put a guestimated 5k mile limit on it; he hasn't defined it, but stated he won't do "extended" OCIs, so I'm taking a swag) I think any brand name filter will more than suffice. So, anything past a "normal" filter for his "normal" OCI is simply overkill. He could use PureOnes, Bosch, Wix, and even the premium Frams. They would all do a fine job. Not all will perform as well as a M1, but they will all perform well enough to surpass a minimum safe level of filtration. Some will save him money; some will not.

IMO, he's wasting a lot of money on premium oil (PU) and a premium filter (M1), but he somehow now wants to find the economy version of chic ... Well, you can't get there from here.

His intended OCI can be suitably sustained for a long healthy vehicle lifecycle with dino oils and normal filters. He is more than welcome to "upgrade" at his descretion, but it will cost him, regardless of his intent, and the ROI will be nowhere near the cost.

I don't know what filter is "best" for him in his situation. I do know that he'll not likely find a "better" filter for less cost that performs to the same level in his OCI plan.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: dnewton3
What I am trying to get people to understand is that "best" is only in the eye of the beholder. For me, it's typically "value" driven. I don't mind spending big money, but I still want a sense of ROI to go with that expenditure.


That's quite right. I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't skimp (at least when I'm reasonably confident that buying the best will pay off). That said, considering I don't run overly long OCIs, I don't see a lot of benefit for a high end filter. I do think that the Fram Extended Guard, the Amsoil, and the K&N filters are among the best products out there - the best of the best, perhaps.

For my relatively conservative OCIs, it's not worth it. Up here, all those filters run in the neighbourhood of $15, give or take. When I can get a Bosch (German ones are sold here in Canada for some reason, rather than Purolators, I don't know why) or a Wix for a third the cost, it's really not a tough decision.

By the same rationale, considering an orange can is about the same price as a Bosch or Wix, I have no incentive to go to the orange can, either.

If the OP is looking for cost versus quality, at least from what I've read here, his best bet might be the PureOnes. Their prices are really competetive. It may not be an Amsoil, Mobil 1, K&N, or Extended Guard, but it is a step up from lots of filters out there that are only marginally cheaper.

I have noticed that Densos are available online in the US at a very competitive price. I suppose if one wants something chic, or that at least matches the application nicely from an aesthetic standpoint, that's an option. Their craftsmanship appears rather good, too.

 

[river_rat]

Any filter the right size/specs will work.
I look for reasonably good efficiency,
(I doubt there is any marked difference in particulate wear once you get to about ~95 to 98% efficiency @ 20 microns)
Solid construction,
and price in that order.
A filter is not bling to me, as I never see it anyway.

 

[Gary Allan]

Yeah, I tend to discount fine filtration for construction and holding capacity. I look at particles like (something like) the rings around Saturn. They weren't always there and they bang around and do all kinds of nasty stuff to each other and anything in their way.

Fortunately... we start over fresh every so often. The more often you sweep up, the less you have to worry about the lint trap. The less frequent, the more you may take advantage of the ultra small particles that are the most numerous in number.

If you're dumping a sump at a given rate, there's a corresponding sensible functionality/requirement/etc for filtration.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Quote:
It's your car, do what you want. But I find it perplexing that people seek out fluids and filters with some mis-directed sense of what's "best", and yet have no idea how to find it because they either don't know how, or refuse, to define what "best" means.



They don't define best as necessarily cost effective. When you're not buying furniture or a house, distinctive appointments kinda get lost in where they make sense.

I think it just feels too strange to put a $3 filter on a Lexus

At one of the online discount dealerships, a genuine filter costs $3.79, so it's not too far off of your discomfort mark for cheap filtration

 

[Gary Allan]

Ah, but that may or may not satisfy the end user's craving for "best". The OEM may just be adequate from their POV.

We like distinction from/above the rest...no matter how little or much sense it makes in the final analysis.

 

[dnewton3]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
We like distinction from/above the rest...no matter how little or much sense it makes in the final analysis.

From one Bitog'er to another:
No truer words were spoken.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
We like distinction from/above the rest...no matter how little or much sense it makes in the final analysis.


That's true; we all have our snobbish tendencies. If I open someone's hood, and I see a filter that isn't either OEM or Wix, I tend to give them a funny look.

 

[Gary Allan]

I wouldn't necessarily call it being a snob. We're just a society that likes to be different. Even the guy buying OEM is a lone ranger (among lone rangers). The dealer was never a place to buy parts unless you had to. Now they're not so bad. That's why we get oversize, over spec'd ..over whatever.

Just following the instructions (only reading them when all else fails) just isn't in our DNA. Even when we do, we've got to improve on it ...customize it.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
I wouldn't necessarily call it being a snob. We're just a society that likes to be different. Even the guy buying OEM is a lone ranger (among lone rangers). The dealer was never a place to buy parts unless you had to. Now they're not so bad. That's why we get oversize, over spec'd ..over whatever.


By the way, an EaO probably wouldn't cause me to give someone a strange look. I just never come across them.

The Ford dealer, and only the Ford dealer, has always been good to me. I've gotten FL1As for years at a good price. Thermostats are half the cost of what I pay at a parts store. Premium wipers are cheaper, too.