"Best" SP Oil These Days

I think it's funny how GTL was perceived as being the mark of a superior oil here at that time, and now it's just considered average.
 
Quite a stretch to label Hyundai/Kia as inferior based on isolated and specific issues. Toyota is not immune and has had arguably more issues.
Not a stretch. It's objective reality. Hyundai cars have improved leaps and bounds in recent years but the powertrains are still nowhere near as robust as Toyota's. Noone's immune to issues but per number of engines made, Toyota has the best record and whenever there is an issue they address it relatively quickly. The same cannot be said for the millions of ticking-time-bomb Theta, Gamma and Nu engines.

Toyota fixed their low-tension ring defect within a couple of years but Hyundai has been churning out DI only engines for 13 years, knowing full well that they are guaranteed to develop major issues just after warranty expires.
 
Just curious if you engine does not require Dexos 1 gen. 3 what advantage would PP have over PUP? Not a sharp guy but PUP has boron and PP does not.
 
GTL is an above average Group III base stock with relatively high VI and lower saturates.
It would be fun to see tests on which base oil / blend actually produces the least wear. I talked to a Chevron oil engineer back in the 1990s and he said PAO oils have more wear under extreme pressures over Chevrons Hydroisomerized base oils in the cam, valve train . What ever that actually means I do not know . But then todays oils are blends .
 
Thanks all. It seemed curious to me a few weeks ago (before knowing all this) why PUP and PP have consistently been on sale at what looked like really really low prices compared to others. At any rate I already purchased a couple jugs of PUP (before the fact). For now I'll just stick with the recommended OCI's and I'll do a UOA after my first interval and see what the results are after the first interval on PUP. My car is at 700 km odometer. I plan to do an early change at 1000km and will do a UOA at around 9000km (8000 km interval).
Pennzoil Platinum SP is still an excellent oil - citing Gokhan's recent analysis I would rate as follows : 1) Mobil 1 2a) Pennzoil Platinum SP 2b) Valvoline Advanced ... Using any of the above should serve you well !
 
And if the engine was in a Kia, they'd recommend "Total".

Dataless consensus is foolishness. So, I could care less about "what gains favor" on any forum. Lots of idiocratic fanboism and sponsorism on too many websites.

"Best" is an unknown and will always be.

Use any engine oil that meets/exceeds the recommendations. Or, being allegedly inferior HyundaiKia product, follow the HTHS scale and ignore the manufacturer's recommendations by going thicker.

My 2.4GDI theta-2, recommending 5w20 conventional 7500 mile intervals, if filled with 3.5+ hths 5w30, 0w30, 10w30, 0w40, or 5w40 synth oil, does not get an OE oil filter, and is on the ~3750 mile severe service interval for the oil filter and oil. I run toptier fuel often, and still use a bottle of quality fuel system cleaners at my interval. And, I run a spray can intake valve cleaner at least 2 out of 3 oil change intervals. The previous 2.0T had shorter intervals(3000 miles), 0w-15w 40 grades synthetic oils, and premium fuel always, and toptier very often.

Concerning brands, I alternate with whatever is in stock locally, on sale, rebated, or on the clearance aisle. Not brainwashed!

Use UOA data to see how your 'intervals' are holding up for your unknown location and driving style. Without knowing what is going on with your commute and how it tortures the oil, recommendations are a shot in the dark. You're looking at fuel dilution and ending viscosity for the oil, and particle counts if you care to learn about your filter.
'17 Sonata 2.4L GDI Theta - 2 owner here as well , I 2nd all that you stated ... After the original factory oil fill I ran a fill of QSUD 5W20 synthetic once before permanently switching over to 5W30 & 10W30 latest approval synthetic oils (fine to run per the owner's manual) run at the severe service schedule along with a Fram Ultra oil filter - (which I now debate running for 2 severe service OCI's) . For the OP , granted I do not know a lot about the newer 1.6L GDI Hyundai engines but I do know I would stay with the severe service schedule and use the thickest oil the owner's manual allows along with an oil filter that filters smaller particles than the OEM oil filter . Lastly , it appears Hyundai GDI engines do better on higher HTHS oils (3.0 ~ 3.2 HTHS) . Hyundai GDI (non-turbo) engines do not list 0W40 , 5W40 synthetic oils being approved in the owner's manual and not sure if there are any design / engineering issues that would prohibit the usage of 5W40 weight oils in Hyundai GDI - non turbo engines ?
 
I think it's funny how GTL was perceived as being the mark of a superior oil here at that time, and now it's just considered average.
That's my thoughts on synthetic oil generally, I think we often forget how good even basic synthetic oil is. 10-15 years ago, most people didn't use synthetic oil and anything synthetic was considered fancy. Nowadays, synthetic is just normal and we're splitting hairs over which one is "best" while pure conventional oil is getting harder and harder to even find.
 
That's my thoughts on synthetic oil generally, I think we often forget how good even basic synthetic oil is. 10-15 years ago, most people didn't use synthetic oil and anything synthetic was considered fancy. Nowadays, synthetic is just normal and we're splitting hairs over which one is "best" while pure conventional oil is getting harder and harder to even find.
GPIII is about as pure of a conventional oil as you can get.;)
 
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So I've had a closer look at some of the frontrunner specs and put together some numbers.

For my application as a 1.6T GDI, given potential fuel dilution issues from frequent short-trips, am I best going with an SP oil with the thinnest 40C viscosity and thickest 100C viscosity? Subjectively then, that would lead me to M1 EP 0W-20 > any of the PUPs > M1 AFE 0w-20. Is this a fair assessment?

PUP 0w-20PUP 5w-20M1 AFE 0w-20M1 EP 0W-20M1 EP 5W-20M1 EP 5W-30
Kinematic Viscosity @40C (cSt)46.34843.5444.644.258.7
Kinematic Viscosity @100C (cSt)8.88.88.198.8810.15
Flash (oC)208207229222235235
Pour Point (oC)-48-48-51-45-48-33
 
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Pennzoil and Quaker State are products of SOPUS: Shell Oil Products United States.

So, if manual says Shell, they just picked it up from other market where Shell is available.
The funny thing is that my manual recommends Shell Helix. But I believe Helix does not come in a 0W-20! 😂

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