Originally Posted By: SkyActivG
No one talks about this oil anymore. I think the only product that is substantially cutting edge and innovative is their Sustina like of oils. I looked into a VOA of the Mazda High Moly oil and found it to have a better VI and better overall additive package.
Is Eneos a waste of $?
Here's my two cents on it.
First and foremost, it is not easy to obtain. This has changed recently now that Amazon stocks it and B&M stores seem to sporadically carry it. It just isn't the same as being able to go to Red Line's website and order any of their products in under a minute, or find a local distributor who probably has it ready to go.
Secondly, it's more expensive than most of the off-the-shelf stuff despite not being vastly better. Yes, the 0w20 is a solid buy, but with TGMO and other OEM-branded 0w20s having similar performance for the same or less money (and being easier to obtain), I don't see much reason to spend the additional money. The pricing puts it into the Red Line/RLI/Motul/etc range, where there are more compelling choices.
Lastly, the company's attitude is a turn-off. Their website is rather unreliable and devoid of certain important information, and any attempts to contact them go into a black hole. They push their stuff as a premium product but don't seem that interested in selling it within North America. They don't seem interested in formal approvals either, which would make it even more compelling as a service fluid. They push it as a premium product in some ways.
As an aside, or perhaps as an extension to my third point, is that their credibility is a bit "iffy". Their Sustina 0w50 product boasted some incredible specifications that would've made it a worthy competitor to the God-tier oil Mobil 1 0w40. After finally procuring a case of it at great expense and difficulty, I sent some of it off for a VOA. The results showed the datasheet is incorrect by a significant margin. Any attempts I made to reconcile this with Eneos USA were ignored. Whether it was simply a "bad batch" or a normal production variance is an unknown. When I shared my findings with the local distributor, they actually decided to drop Sustina!
So there you have it. I would re-consider Eneos stuff if one or more of the following were to happen. I don't see any of this actually occurring, so maybe they just need to withdraw from NAM since there's not much internal interest in selling anything here.
1. Reduce prices to match what's in the bottle
No way is this oil worth $10+/qt. At $6-7/qt, it would be an interesting competitor to Castrol Edge, Mobil 1, Valvoline SynPower, etc. Maybe offer a 4-quart or 5-quart jug.
2. Step up distribution & marketing
Win a big contract with a national parts chain, like Autozone. Or, allow me to easily order it directly from the Eneos USA website. Get some sponsorships and put your name out there. The question of "why should I use your oil, and pay a premium for it" is still unanswered. We (BITOG) understand that the Y-Base stuff is good, but the average consumer doesn't.
3. Adjust datasheets to be accurate, and pursue OEM approvals
The 0w50 is a 0w40, plain and simple. Get some OEM approvals, such as Dexos, VW 502, Chrysler, etc. This could be a great service fluid at $7/qt with formal approvals. It would go a long way towards proving they are a worthy competitor and taking the US market seriously.
