Good oil for 5k

[fisher83]

I am new here to BITOG. We have two vehicles in my family. One is a 2004 Hyundai Elantra (96k miles) and the second is a 2005 Dodge Caravan (88k miles). I have always changed oil every 3 mos/3k miles with whatever cheap conventional Wal Mart had. Usually Super Tech 5w30 and a Super Tech filter on my other vehicles. I got both of these cars in the past 6 months. I don't have easy access to a garage at our apartment complex and have to drive 20 miles to a relative's house to change oil. I am thinking of using OEM filters and an inexpensive synthetic like Quaker State Ultimate Durability. Would this be a good combo for 5k on these cars? They are driven about 50/50 city highway.

 

[ahoier]

Thumbs up for QSUD....no problems there....could easily go 5k. BTW, kind of curious what the manual(s) and/or oil cap(s) spec as the proper oil weight....?

 

[bepperb]

Most oils could take you 5000 miles. I don't know enough about your cars to say, but I would think the Elantra could do 7500 on a off the shelf synthetic and the Caravan 5000 on most any name brand conventional oil.

 

[Artem]

Yea you shouldn't have any problems with the QSUD doing 5k.

 

[Fredbear]

As you don't have easy access to a garage why not consider using a top quality synthetic and change every 10000 miles? My Toyota has had oil changes every 10000 miles for the last 9 years and is now on over 150000 and is running great and this has been only using a semi synthetic oil during this time. To answer your original question I would say any API SL upwards oil in the correct grade for your vehicle.

 

[lexus114]

Pretty highly rated oil on here. I`d say your good to go.

 

[bepperb]

To be honest if your plan is to run a synthetic to 5000 miles on both cars I would buy Pennzoil Platinum because it's a bit cheaper than QSUD at walmart. I'd probably buy whatever's cheapest of Pennzoil Platinum, QSUD, Valvoline Synpower or Castrol Syntec. It won't make a difference. I think whatever oil you use you'll be leaving a lot of miles left in the oil when you change it at 5000. I just don't have much knowledge of those cars to give long OCI advice.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I do 6 month changes on my 2006 Elantra with the least expensive brand name conventional I can find (Quaker State, Pennzoil, etc.). It usually works out to between 6,000 and 7,500 miles for each OCI. For just 5,000 mile changes I think any conventional would do fine. I currently have approximately 108,000 miles on my Elantra and have no issues at all.

 

[chubbs1]

Shoot, use Mobil 5k, "Guaranteed for 5000 miles or 6 months". Any Auto store or name brand conventional could make it 5k. I prefer to use "synthetic" but that is just preference and probably a waste of money. Your choice.

 

[chainblu]

Originally Posted By: bepperb

I would buy Pennzoil Platinum because it's a bit cheaper than QSUD at walmart.

Funny how prices differ at different Walmarts. Right now QSUD is cheaper than SuperTech Synthetic at my WM.

 

[fisher83]

The Elantra says 5w30 or 10w30 and the Caravan says 5w20. The Elantra gives choices based on temperature but the Caravan says 5w20 on the cap and only mentions 5w20 in the manual without a temp chart at all. It seems unusual being that the Hyundai has CVVT and is DOHC. I would think that is the higher tech of the two motors since my Dodge is just a 3.3 pushrod engine. I was surprised to see they recommended the 5w20. The newer Elantras take 5w20 too but I emailed Hyundai about using it in my 2004 and they said not to.

 

[fisher83]

Thanks so much for all of the replies. Lots of good info on here. I've always been under the assumption that if I didn't change oil at 3k my car wouldn't survive long but after reading up the info on here it sounds like there are lots of people that go 5-6k or longer and have great success. The Mobil 5000 is a good suggestion as well as all the others. Now the hardest thing to decide is to stick with conventional or go synthetic. I think I'm a little too conservative to go past 5k and I'm easy on my cars. Do I really stand to gain anything if I switch to synthetic? It never gets terribly hot around here but it can get pretty cold in the winter. We usually have a few days when it's below 0 F when I leave for work.

 

[fisher83]

QSUD at the local wal mart here is about $19. Less than a dollar more than Super Tech Synthetic. Our Pennzoil Platinum here is about $25 or so and Mobil One is a little higher than that, I think closer to $30.

 

[fxrider]

QSUD is hard to beat, great oil @ a Great price.. i run it in my 2010 Avalanche. its only a couple dollars more than dino nodays,, (unles you got the k-mart deal)

 

[bepperb]

"Do I really stand to gain anything if I switch to synthetic?" At 5000 mile oil change interval in a relatively mild climate on pretty standard engines probably not.