As some of you may have read, I am thinking about switching to a boutique oil brand (Amsoil) for the vehicles I maintain. This is mainly for availability and inventory reasons. Of course, I will only use an oil containing the required licenses and approvals so I do not jeopardize any in-force warranties. My only concern about Amsoil is the lack of brand recognition.
However, I am curious if the average person even cares about which brand of oil is used in their vehicle. If you folks can get some feedback from a spouse/friend who is not an automotive enthusiast, I am interested in their responses. In my opinion, when most people are getting their vehicle (or equipment) serviced, they usually do not care what brand of parts are used unless it is a very large repair; for most small repair or maintenance items the topic of brand does not even come up.
In the few times where I have been asked about the brand of oil used, the person was usually satisfied if the following items were addressed:
1) Price - why does it cost more (or less) than what I am used to paying.
2) Tier - is it a generic/house-brand, name-brand or a boutique/specialty brand.
3) Is it a good product?
4) Does it meet all of my vehicle manufacturer's specs? (This has only come up once)
I look forward to reading what you folks find out.
However, I am curious if the average person even cares about which brand of oil is used in their vehicle. If you folks can get some feedback from a spouse/friend who is not an automotive enthusiast, I am interested in their responses. In my opinion, when most people are getting their vehicle (or equipment) serviced, they usually do not care what brand of parts are used unless it is a very large repair; for most small repair or maintenance items the topic of brand does not even come up.
In the few times where I have been asked about the brand of oil used, the person was usually satisfied if the following items were addressed:
1) Price - why does it cost more (or less) than what I am used to paying.
2) Tier - is it a generic/house-brand, name-brand or a boutique/specialty brand.
3) Is it a good product?
4) Does it meet all of my vehicle manufacturer's specs? (This has only come up once)
I look forward to reading what you folks find out.