If you had to choose only one...?

[LouDawg]

I was just thinking...just for "spits" and giggles...

If you were forced to choose only one motor oil for all of your gasoline automobile engines to use for the rest of your life, what would it be?

The following are the rules of the "game":

• Your primary concern is engine life/protection
• The price of the oil is only a secondary concern
• No additives allowed
  
  , just the oil
• All of your cars start with 75K miles or less
• You have a variety of gasoline engine makes, models, types, sizes, etc., e.g. Ford, Honda, Toyota, Chevy, BMW, Dodge, 2.x L, 3.x L, 4.x L, 5.x L, etc...you get the idea

I know...not realistic...but just for the heck of it...humor me?

 

[Triple_Se7en]

There are no bad GF-4 SM oils. Even dino Super Tech will get you to 300K with proper engine tooling & oil change maintanence.

 

[C.O. Jones]

Delo 400. Cheap too.

 

[hominid7]

For gas powered passenger cars and trucks, something like Motorcraft semi-synthetic 5w30 or castrol semi-synthetic 5w30 would be my top choices.

If price WAS a factor (which you said it wasn't) i've had very good luck with the ultra inexpensive exxon superflo 10w30. It seems to protect well and also acts more like a 5w30 when cold.

If i had to choose just ONE dino, i might have to pay respect by choosing my old favorite dino, Valvoline AC. It's taken me lots and lots of trouble free miles.

Man, you cant choose just one!

 

[TR3-2001SE]

Mobil 1. Its all I use even in my lawn mower.

 

[blupupher]

Either GC or Maxlife Syn. These both meet many differnt "specialty" ratings, and if only one weight, well, 0w-30 for the GC (duh) and 5w-30 for the Maxlife.

 

[addyguy]

One dino for all applications? Pennzoil. Seen too many UOA's of this oil showing fantastic wear in all sorts of applications. Like hominid said, it has taken me many trouble-free miles in my cars over the years....

 

[pastmaster]

Re-refined 15w40 in bulk, from the lowest bidder.

Whatever is on SALE, that will fit my needs at that time.

 

[Schmoe]

Mobil 1 5W-30 forever.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Just what I figured -- a 100 different answers are coming.

A discussion as futile as this one would be asking which (1) oil brand you would never buy.

Again... that one would see the same 100 oil brands as the "good oil" thread being discussed right here.

If its SM GF-4, it's not the brand that matters -- it's how you use that oil that matters-most.

 

[z917990]

One oil that will fit every make and model no matter what? I'm sure you know that there is no such thing, but if the world came to an end, I'd run GC in everything. And if GC were not available because every Autozone had been flattened by the bad guys, I'd use Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30.

 

[AndyH]

Easy answer..."German" Castrol Syntec 0W-30

 

[williar]

If just one viscosity is allowed, then GC, of course.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

quote:

---

Originally posted by AndyH:
Easy answer..."German" Castrol Syntec 0W-30

---

You cannot use GC in a variety of vehicles... as suggested above. What happens if you are the average mature household where you drive - the wife drives & the kid? One may need 5W-20 - the other 5W-30 -- the last one may be a hybrid that needs 0w-20.

Poster LouDawg used the word "variety" of vehicles. GC won't work in this discussion. Had you said "Castrol" ... then it would of applied here.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Redline 5W40!!

 

[LouDawg]

I was surprised by the conspicuous absence of Amsoil...

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

For my fleet, RTS 5W40 will work just fine, and would be ok for Michigan in winter and Florida in summer.

 

[BigAl]

Phillips TropArtic 5W-30 Synthetic Blend. It is still under $1.50 at WalMart and because it has the word "synthetic" on the bottle, I can pretend it's better for my car and snowblower than the similarly priced oils that don't contain that word.

The only problem is that I don't think I can find it in straight 30 for my 25 year-old lawn mower. . . . but at my current usage of 20 ounces per year, the $.69 per quart case of 30 weight Citgo oil I bought should last me well into retirement . . . and I'll bet the mower will still run.

Small yards rule!

[ April 11, 2006, 04:59 PM: Message edited by: BigAl ]

 

[z917990]

Actually, GC will work in just about any car if necessary. You're right, though. Some cars do not react well to the heavier oil. However, I think the spirit of the question was to choose only one oil that will work in any car. I think GC comes pretty close to that.

 

[Woody]

Ditto on the Havoline dino. Both our vehicles take 5w20 and last time Advance Auto ran a sale on Havoline ($1.58/qt) I stocked up and bought what I projected to be a years worth, or 4 cases.