Mobil 1 in it's current form.....

[buster]

For years Mobil 1 was one of, if not the best, synthetics on the market. I think in it's current form, Mobil 1 is a very average synthetic. PQIA and, FWIW, Amsoil's testing show it to be in the middle of the pack (on paper and ASTM testing). No better or worse than most, but not as good as Valvoline, Ultra and Amsoil.

I see little value in Redline. If it can barely meet the TEOST test, what good is it? Consistently shows low TBN and on a #'s basis, wear metals that are often above average. You want to like RL, but the reality seems to be it's really not that good of an oil. Maybe their low viscosity oils are great for very specific racing purposes, but generally speaking I see zero value in their oil. "Use Redline in a turbo!" Really? It barely passed the TEOST test.

The one strong point Mobil 1 has, is the Las Vegas study and some of the material they market on their website. The Vegas study was done with M1 SM though. The tests they show on their website are vague graphs, and one is using a Honda turbo test, not the TEOST.

There wasn't one category where Mobil 1 was #1 in the Amsoil study.

Does the 25,000 mile Camaro testing they talk about trump these bench tests? Are the Amsoil bench tests not indicative of real world performance?

It appears to me Mobil has gradually cheapened the product but still maintained it's competitiveness. It started with Visom and now it's just your average synthetic.

 

[tenderloin]

It seems like Amsoil's PR errr study did what it was intended to do.

 

[Clevy]

You've hit it bullseye as far as I'm concerned. M1 was THE STANDARD for synthetic lubricants however in today's form it is competitive,no longer above other,less expensive oils.
There are many who's brand loyalty clouds their vision when it comes to the reality than Mobil 1 is an average oil,at an above average cost. Kinda like the fram orange can.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
It seems like Amsoils PR errr study did what it was intended to do.


You're implying it's misleading me into thinking Amsoil is superior. I'm well aware of what they are trying to do and that is not the conclusion I've reached. I will say Amsoil may be the best balanced oil overall. My point was Mobil 1 is not the king anymore. It's middle of the pack.

 

[Gabe]

Originally Posted By: buster
There wasn't one category where Mobil 1 was #1 in the Amsoil study.


It wasn't the first in any Amsoil category, but it was in the top 1/3 in all the relevant categories except one. It looked good in the PQIA VOA as well. It doesn't do any one thing amazing, but it does everything very well. That is where the appeal is.

 

[NHGUY]

When Mobil 1 introduced all these other longer oil change interval Mobil 1s it ruined and tainted the heritage of the original.Living off the name all the while moving it downmarket to make room for the "premium" M1 lines.Like Oldsmobile,who once had the #1 spot for car sales with Cutlass...that led to Cutlass Ciera,Cutlass Cruiser,Cutlass Calais,Cutlass Classic....milk a name that once held high esteem and hope it rubs off on the newer products. I wonder if M1 could survive the frying pan test today,like back in the 1980s?

 

[JAG]

I agree, buster. Mobil 1 0W-40 is the only one of their oils that I still hold in high regard, mostly because of its long drain capability. Red Line has been showing some weak TBN retention in recent years and with the poor TEOST result in Amsoil's testing, there is another reason to look elsewhere for an oil to be used in high oil temperature applications.

 

[buster]

Quote:
When Mobil 1 introduced all these other longer oil change interval Mobil 1s it ruined and tainted the heritage of the original.Living off the name all the while moving it downmarket to make room for the "premium" M1 lines.Like Oldsmobile,who once had the #1 spot for car sales with Cutlass...that led to Cutlass Ciera,Cutlass Cruiser,Cutlass Calais,Cutlass Classic....milk a name that once held high esteem and hope it rubs off on the newer products. I wonder if M1 could survive the frying pan test today,like back in the 1980s?


LOL good points.

I don't know.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: JAG
I agree, buster. Mobil 1 0W-40 is the only one of their oils that I still hold in high regard, mostly because of its long drain capability. Red Line has been showing some weak TBN retention in recent years and with the poor TEOST result in Amsoil's testing, there is another reason to look elsewhere for an oil to be used in high oil temperature applications.


I agree.

 

[OVERKILL]

I'd argue the best overall oils may be some of the PU grades. A few tests certainly don't give us a clear picture. Going by the PQIA stuff as well as the limited range of tests AMSOIL performed, its exceptionally low NOACK certainly stands out as well as its cold temp performance. I would argue that they use VERY little polymer in these lubricants. The VI would tend to support that.

I am of the opinion that Mobil has some exceptional oils (Mobil 1 0w-40 for example, Delvac 1 5w-40.... the AFE grades and the ESP stuff) but their "middle of the road" basic "API" grades aren't showing to be all that impressive anymore. At least on paper

 

[dave123]

Are you getting SSO for five bucks a quart M1 every day for that price.

 

[tommygunn]

Still, M1, Castrol Edge, and PU are the only synthetics available in stores that meet ACEA A/B standards

M1 getting cheaper, and other synthetics catching up.

 

[tig1]

Well, I disagree with all of these remarks. My guess is most of you have not used Mobil 1 exclusively for very long periods of time. In 1979 I started using Mobil 1 oils(5-20) for 10K OCIs. 35 years later I have found todays Mobil 1 to be the best I have ever used. Actually my engines perform and stay as clean today as ever. It's amazing how many of you say all oils are far better now than ever with the exception of Mobil 1. In your views it has gone backwards in quality compared to all the others. Silly. Now, more than ever more engine builders are using XM to help with R&D. as new oil formulations come to pass all the time. Also the true quality of an oil is better known by what's not on paper than what is. Through engine testing and tear down, not foolish simple used oil analysis and such. Now, have a ball boys.

 

[nitehawk55]

TIG , you talking the Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy offerings ?

 

[vinu_neuro]

Some of you are looking at this wrong. M1 used to be significantly ahead of the competition. It isn't that M1 has slipped. It's that the others have caught up, especially with the improvement of industry and new OEM specifications.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: vinu_neuro
Some of you are looking at this wrong. M1 used to be significantly ahead of the competition. It isn't that M1 has slipped. It's that the others have caught up, especially with the improvement of industry and new OEM specifications.


They why aren't all their oils stand-outs like their 0w-40?

It isn't that Mobil doesn't have some exceptional lubricants. They do, I mentioned them in my previous post. It is that their "pedestrian grades" like 5w30, 10w30...etc appear to have been cheapened.... at least on paper.

 

[richport29]

When did mobil 1 change it's formula? It used to be a "true" Full synthetic (PAO) at one point.

 

[JAG]

Tig, your two Ford engines are very easy on oil so it's no surprise that you have clean engines with M1 using 10k mile OCIs. I'm in the opposite boat: my VW 1.8T starts to varnish most top notch oils in less than 4k miles, so I am always looking for oils that stand out above the rest.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: vinu_neuro
Some of you are looking at this wrong. M1 used to be significantly ahead of the competition. It isn't that M1 has slipped. It's that the others have caught up, especially with the improvement of industry and new OEM specifications.


They why aren't all their oils stand-outs like their 0w-40?

It isn't that Mobil doesn't have some exceptional lubricants. They do, I mentioned them in my previous post. It is that their "pedestrian grades" like 5w30, 10w30...etc appear to have been cheapened.... at least on paper.

Some anecdotal evidence to support this, is that I only saw the "pedestrian grades" on sale at canadian tire today, 5.4L for $30. No 0W40. I picked up some 5W20 for the Focus.

 

[spk2000]

After Castrol Syntec was allowed to be called Grade 3 synthetic then Mobil 1 followed suit to stay competitive. Still a great oil but the EP is much better.