Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
Did you BOTHER looking at the "peer-Syn" cost comparison at the local store? You know, the stuff that is ACTUALLY on the shelf?
Dude are you serious? Try going back to page 7 of this ridiculous thread and see if "I" bothered to compare prices. Wow!
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
When did I compare Royal Purple to Pennzoil conventional? Royal Purple was the highest (by 7 percent of individual qts over the next highest Syn). Highest by 29% based on the "oil change special" cost (and RP was on special) vs Valvoline Syn and Castrol. I was not comparing RP to conventional. That is orange to clementine comparison (we can do that comparison if you like... since you assume it is my argument).
Your initial comments I responded to sure sounded like you were a conventional oil user and that is what you were talking about with the comments about cheapest oil that gets you to through the life of the vehicle. That is a conventional oil argument not a synthetic oil one. If I was mistaken fine. My error.
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
You can find RP for less than Walmart or Local AP stores... but you can ALSO find the other options (M1, Pennzoil Syn, Castrol, etc) for less. RP is constantly 5-30% higher. That is the trick. If you say I must "shop around" fine, but to "shop around" and then take the basic "not-shopped-around" price for other is the flaw in your argument.
There is no flaw in my argument at all. People ALWAYS use the full retail( no sales and no deals )cost of RP to justify saying it is overpriced. That is fact. People don't say I can get RP for $4.99 a qt but it is too much because I can get PP on sale for $3.99. No, they say RP cost $10 a qt and I can buy M1 for $5 in 5qt jugs at Wal-Mart or I can get it for $4.50 on sale. My comments are directed specifically at what others are saying. People say RP costs $10 period. They never allow for deals or even that there are places where it can be had cheap at normal costs. I simply point out that is untrue. On the shelf qt bottle to qt bottle RP is no more expensive than the name brand oils. Fact( with the exception of QS recently for some reason ). I also point out if you shop around you can find RP at prices that match or beat Wal-Mart 5qt jugs deals( and lets be fair those are basically everyday sales not what they would sell for anywhere else )that everyone uses in these arguments to say RP is too high. Fact. The traditional argument here against the cost of RP has always been, and is still in this thread, I can buy M1 for $5 a qt in the 5qt jugs at Wal-Mart so RP at $10 a qt is too high. Where is your concern over comparing 5qt jug deals that are heavily discounted everyday to qt bottle pricing that is full retail?
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
In the last 10 months, I could find 5qts of M1 for $21 ($4.20 per qt not including a rebate), I paid $3.60 for my nothing-fancy, plain-jane-who-knew-it-was-synthetic Havoline "Syn". Can you match that with RP?
As I have said repeatedly in this thread, within the last year or so, I have paid $4.80 p/qt and $5.66 p/qt for 5W20 RP API. You know what I have paid so why are you asking again? Those prices match up or beat Wal-Mart 5qt jug prices which again is what most people on here use to justify calling RP overpriced( at it's full retail cost ). Not sure what else to say. Ok, you got Havoline syn , clearly on sale, for $3.60 a qt. Good for you. It is not in the same class(IMO) as RP. If that is what you want to run though and it meets your needs great. Use it, what do I care? If I had to use an oil that would come near that price point I would buy Kendall GT! full synthetic which would cost me $3.96 a qt shipped to my home( as I also posted earlier )which would be a much better oil just as RP is vs. Havoline.
Most likely the best deal on RP I could get these days, without buying 2-3 cases + at one time, would be if PepBoys offered their great RP deal again( usually happens in February each year ). That would be 5qts + an RP filter @ $39.99. To figure the oil cost I would take away the RP filter cost( $14.99 )which then leaves $25.00. I would then use one of my $10 Rewards cards lowering it to $15.00. 5 / $15.00 = $3.00 a qt. Is that low enough for you? Am I allowed to use sale pricing and deals like everyone else does? If not then regular cost best deal I can do most likely is from a speed shop source of mine where I would have to buy 2-3 cases but the final qt cost would be somewhere around $4.50 a qt. Is that low enough for you? Am I allowed to use a purchase from a wholesaler like that or not? I am never sure of the rules here when it comes to BITOG pricing. Seems like the anti's can quote close outs, BOGO pricing, rebates, sales, etc... but RP folks can't and must go with full retail qt pricing at a parts store of $9-$10.
Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
How about the mid-level G3 "Syns"? I think enough folks have already pointed out some flaws with some of RP's claims about their base-stock (and base-stock is not everything... because how it performs is more important than the ingredients). Is RP API providing anything more than PP? That is $5.29 per individual quart here off-the-shelf at the local Napa. Is RP going to give you more than $3.50 Napa Syn for 99% applications? Because, dang, they look identical in everything but the price.
$5.29 a qt for PP and $3.50 a qt for house brand at Napa? Um, PP hasn't been at that price point regular retail since like 2008 or 2009? Those seem awfully low unless they are on clearance or a big sale. PP for $5.29 a qt regular retail is even cheaper p/qt bottle than Wal-Mart( may even be less than 5qt jug pricing ). When I look at Napa's website( using a Raleigh, NC zip code to check pricing as you are in NC )I don't see that pricing. I see Napa synthetic 5W20 at $5.49 p/qt and Pennzoil 5W20 synthetic( didn't see PP saw the new line PPU or whatever it is )for $9.99 p/qt. FWIW RP 5W20 API shows at $9.69p/qt so it is actually LESS than the Pennzoil(
). Whatever though.
EDIT - doing a search specifically for Pennzoil Platinum I get it to come up showing $5.29 p/qt for 5W20. Have to call store though to see if they have it which seems to indicate it is on clearance of being dq'd or the like? It does show $5.29 however.
So comments directly from an RP employee in tech support definitively stating they only use PAO/POE base stocks in their oils( couple exceptions that don't apply to this discussion )isn't enough. You instead want to believe some unknown person on this forum saying it isn't. Wow. Not sure how to respond to that?
I do agree that how an oil performs is probably the most important factor. For me it is. RP has always performed exemplary for me. It is why I continue to use it to this day. So when did you use it, and have it perform poorly, to justify claims that it is not worth it's cost, doesn't perform any better than mid level G3 synthetics, etc...? I mean you sure do have a strong opinion on it but it appears you have never used it. I don't understand how that can be? Seems odd. I don't give a hoot and a half about what PQIA says either. Their tests don't negate what I have seen in real world performance 1st hand( for decades with RP products and backed up by used oil analysis ).
I don't think we have anything left to say to each other. You clearly have your mind made up that RP is inferior and/or not worth any price. To you there will always be a way to find an oil that is cheaper to justify saying RP costs too much. That is fine. To each his or her own. I simply want to point out that these cost arguments used against RP are nothing but hogwash. There are some members here that should run political campaigns they are so adept at skewing reality to suit their argument.
I have shown RP can be had for "competitive" pricing vs. the name brand oils and that includes 5qt jugs at Wal-Mart. I can even beat those Wal-Mart deals at times with very little effort( quick check of the internet or just call one of my local sources - usually takes me all of 5-10 minutes to find RP at a good price ). You can almost always find something cheaper however if you look hard enough so the naysayers, like the one I am talking with here, can find something to come in lower such as his Havoline for $3.60. What can you do. I never sad RP was the cheapest oil out there just that it is not THE most expensive the way people make it out to be.
Let's move on. You had your say I have had mine enough. You definitely won't change my mind and I for darn sure won't change yours so what is the point?