Dumb Question? M1 5W-30 AP vs M1 5W-30 EP - Why chose one over the other?

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Mobil 1 Annual Protection 5W-30: 20,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Both Dexos 1 Gen 2 certified. Still being sold, it appears no longer at Walmart.com.
Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5W-30: 20,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Both Dexos 1 Gen 2 certified. $24.37 per 5 quart jug at Walmart.com.

The specs appear the same. They're both 20k/1 year oils now.

Is there any technical reason to prefer one over the other? Or has Mobil effectively thrown in the towel on Annual Protection and promoted Extended Performance by 5,000 miles and put a 1 year limit on it?
 
Mobil 1 Annual Protection 5W-30: 20,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Both Dexos 1 Gen 2 certified. Still being sold, it appears no longer at Walmart.com.
Mobil 1 Extended Performance 5W-30: 20,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. Both Dexos 1 Gen 2 certified. $24.37 per 5 quart jug at Walmart.com.

The specs appear the same. They're both 20k/1 year oils now.

Is there any technical reason to prefer one over the other? Or has Mobil effectively thrown in the towel on Annual Protection and promoted Extended Performance by 5,000 miles and put a 1 year limit on it?
You can find EP easily … AP has been discontinued …
 
You can find EP easily … AP has been discontinued …
Pep Boys still has AP. More pricey than EP. However, I'm looking for technical differences (or confirmation that they're insignificant).

I'm quite aware of the AP availability issues.
 
Pep Boys still has AP. More pricey than EP. However, I'm looking for technical differences (or confirmation that they're insignificant).

I'm quite aware of the AP availability issues.
This has been covered over and over … Good luck.🍀
 
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It's like choosing between Coke Zero and Diet Coke...
 
@kohnen for what vehicle/engine?
2015 Chevy Volt. I'd guess the engine in it runs maybe 5000 miles over the 2 years the oil life monitor gives the oil.

But, I'm asking the more general question: Mobil's own specifications say they're 20k mile, 1 year oils. So, what's the technical difference in the oils?
 
2015 Chevy Volt. I'd guess the engine in it runs maybe 5000 miles over the 2 years the oil life monitor gives the oil.

But, I'm asking the more general question: Mobil's own specifications say they're 20k mile, 1 year oils. So, what's the technical difference in the oils?


As was already told, the EP was a 15k oil and AP was a 20k oil. Mobil consolidated product lines and eliminated AP. EP can now run 20k

Now, just because a oil can run 20,000 miles doesn’t mean your engine will let it.
 
2015 Chevy Volt. I'd guess the engine in it runs maybe 5000 miles over the 2 years the oil life monitor gives the oil.

But, I'm asking the more general question: Mobil's own specifications say they're 20k mile, 1 year oils. So, what's the technical difference in the oils?

IIRC Mobil 1 put a hair more dispersants in the AP oil, however, the real difference was their marketing department trying to push a new product that no one asked for, along with a stupid price hike. From all the tests I've seen, including Eric the Car Guy's YouTube video that was sponsored by Mobil 1, it wasn't materially better than any other oil or anything else in the Mobil 1 lineup. Even the differentiation between Vanilla Mobil 1 and Extended Performance is not clear, and no, saying that this oil can go for 10,000 miles and the one that's $2 more can go for 20,000 is utter BS.

Anyway, for your application even Vanilla Mobil 1 5W-30 will be okay. It is totally up to you if you want to continue beating yourself up over this or not ;)
 
IIRC Mobil 1 put a hair more dispersants in the AP oil, however, the real difference was their marketing department trying to push a new product that no one asked for, along with a stupid price hike. From all the tests I've seen, including Eric the Car Guy's YouTube video that was sponsored by Mobil 1, it wasn't materially better than any other oil or anything else in the Mobil 1 lineup. Even the differentiation between Vanilla Mobil 1 and Extended Performance is not clear, and no, saying that this oil can go for 10,000 miles and the one that's $2 more can go for 20,000 is utter BS.

Anyway, for your application even Vanilla Mobil 1 5W-30 will be okay. It is totally up to you if you want to continue beating yourself up over this or not ;)
How about 70% PAO in the AP 0w20 and propriety anti oxidation agents.
Selling well and being of advanced quality don’t always correlate in the US …
Why do people try to tie those things together? You really think this was stickers on a bottle ?
How about you go 20k on ”any other oil” … report back
 
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