New Vehicle Oil Choice

I vote Valvoline Restore and Protect at 5k changes from the beginning. Pick your viscosity that makes you feel good. After break in do a used oil analysis or two to see if you can longer than 5k based on your motor in your use conditions.

I also vote to get a Filtermag, toss it on the filter ASAP before 1st change and then give us a filter C&P so we can see what it caught. You need the SS250 is what fits the Honda sized filters.
 
Hello all!

I recently purchased a 2026 Honda HR-V. I am going to change the oil at 500 miles for break in, and I’m trying to make the VERY important life or death decision on which oil to use 😂.

I have decided to use either Honda Ultimate Full Synthetic 0W20, or Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0W20. Grok says that the Mobil 1 edges out on top due to lower Noack 10% V Honda’s 12%.

let me have your input!
I wouldn’t change it early
 
I think I'd opt for an oil that starts with a V. 🤭 Mobil 1 too. Latest Noack of Mobil 1 0w20 I saw was 11.5%. I'd opt for Mobil 1 Extended Performance or ESP X2.
 
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Honda actually doesn't want you to change the factory oil early. They want you to wait until the minder to do the first oil change. They use a special break-in additive from the factory.


Can we please stop repeating this as if its proven fact? If someone proved this, I'd love to see the evidence, because last time I looked into it, the only "evidence" was a bit of moly in the used oil analysis of the factory fill, which of course is just assembly lube.
 
I've also read that Honda uses high moly 'assembly lube' and recommends going the full OCI on the factory oil.
I've done an early OCI on every new vehicle I've ever bought although I have gone from doing one at 800 miles to now going about 2500 miles. Since I don't see many Honda's with engine issues at low miles I'd tend to believe the Honda engineers and I'd probably go about 4K on the factory fill if I bought a new Honda (split the difference).
The moly has done its job within the first several engine revolutions. You're not gaining anything leaving it in longer.


But you're also not hurting anything leaving it in. Hondas are lower risk for internal debris because they use so many die cast (vs sand cast) parts. Heck, the BLOCKS are die cast!

New engines die of infant mortality from casting sand and machining swarf that was left behind and not removed effectively before engine assembly. These are the two leading causes by far. If you know 100% that the engine is perfectly clean when built, then there's no real advantage to an early oil change.

I don't see how anyone could possibly know that, so an early first change is what I always recommend. Usually any residual contaminant that will cause engine failure will do so nearly immediately, so the OEM will catch it in production test. But quite often it's simply not the case. I've seen it firsthand in professional situations several times.

Peening shot residue left behind in connecting rod oil drillings. Core sand in cylinder heads. Machining swarf stuck in crank drillings and in fuel filter head castings. Pinched fragments of o-ring rubber. At one point or another, I've seen engine failure because of each of these.

Making engines means making a mess of dust, dirt, and residues, and it's absolutely essential that this mess be surgically cleaned to have a reliable new engine.


Not every debris-related failure can be prevented by early life oil change. But I've seen so many example of the kinds of failures that an early change can mitigate or entirely prevent that my mind is no longer open on the issue. Toyota's recent struggles are a poster child for early oil changes. And while Honda hasn't recently had any notable infant mortality issues, it's not attributable to magic break-in oil, but rather robust mfg controls that assure cleanliness in building a well-designed engine.
 
Can't say whether it's the oil or grease mentioned above, but here's a link to the UOA I did on my Pilot at 494 miles. Lot's of wear metals, so felt good about getting them out of there.

I went with the AMSOIL Signature Series, as I've used their products for almost 50 years. Switching to HPL Premium Plus PCMO in the next couple of weeks and it will be my "forever oil" (I bought four cases on their Independence Day sale).

Had I to start over again, I'd probably just use a Mobil 1 product or Valvoline Restore and Protect, which both can be purchased at Walmart for $27/5qt jugs. I have a tendency to overthink things, and the Mobil 1 or Valvoline Restore and Protect, changed regularly, would have given 98.7% of what the HPL will (yes, I pulled that number out of somewhere the sun doesn't shine).
No, you pulled 98.7% from the SAE J1985 standard. It's a standard reference value for efficiency (equivalent to a beta ratio of 75 (rounded).)
 
I’ve done many early changes on new cars in my lifetime. Sometimes it’s a glitter bomb, sometimes there’s no debris. Do what feels right to you. As far as oil I’d run ESP 0W-30. I understand some people are warranty nervous nellies. In that case use Valvoline Restore and Protect 0W-20 or Mobil 1 Truck and SUV 0W-20. Keep receipts and records of everything.
 
I usually change it anywhere from 1k-3k. I think one time I went to 4k. Break-in metals are usually pretty low on most modern engines. Even the used oil analysis we see the ppm of metal is usually well below what is considered high or a problem. However there could be larger metal break-in pieces that are larger than what a used oil analysis would pick up but I don't really think that's an issue most of the time. Can't hurt to change it out early unless there really is a scientific reason why Honda says not to.
 
I have only bought a couple of new cars in my life. With two of them (2025.5 Volvo and 2016 Tundra), I changed the oil early. There are no negatives to that, I used good oil and a factory filter, so that I didn’t have to tell Toyota or Volvo that I did it early.

I posted the C&P on the Volvo filter here:
Thread 'Volvo new design filter C&P'
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/volvo-new-design-filter-c-p.400184/

That filter had virtually zero particles caught in it, so the engine was quite clean from the factory. Much better than similar filters from GM, and recent Toyotas.

I couldn’t get a decent photo of the oil - but there were lots of “sparklies” - glints of light from particles too small to see with the naked eye and too small to be caught by the filter.

So, I am really glad that I changed the oil early on both of my new cars. Get that stuff out of there early.
 
only if it's a European car with specific specs, not in this case its a Honda HRV. if you are a Mobil 1 fan person the AFE would work fine.
So you have option of two oils for the same price, one clearly being better oil, but yet you will choose mediocre additive and base stock package because you don’t drive European vehicle?
I mean things one can read.
 
What’s not to understand about my statement? I’m saying that changing the oil early has no negative impact so you might as well do it.
Also no harm in leaving it. Extra moly and additives will help seat rings there’s no harm in running the factory fill to the OLM
 
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