Depending on the starting temperature you can safely use anything from a 0W-8 to a 20W-50 or 10W-60.
Since you seemed pretty interested in ESP in your other posts about oil selection, why not use that? Go by the approvals the oil holds, not by marketing blurbs.
i am being sensible figuring the vehicle must still have a warranty
So a 16-grade or a 20-grade won’t violate the warranty but a 30-grade (or above) will?
right now with Toyota's latest TB that's what they're doing while there's a (shortage). they're actually mixing 2-QTS 8 2-QTS 16 or 2 QTS-16 2-QTS 20 if it were a 4 QT capacity.
I hate it when they use "safe" words.
I got Mobil 1 ESP 0W-20 for a friend's mine RAV4 hybrid by recommendation from the forum. After I learned about that oil, I think it's an exceptional oil and we made the right choice.
I will give my opinion and also what I am doing to my 2025 Toyota Rav4 gas only SUV I bought brand new. I would not run a lower viscosity in it than a 0 or5W-30 in it. I am running 0W-30 Motul 8100 X-Clean+EFE in mine. Once I use it up it is gone, the the price jumped $25-$30 a five-liter jug recently. There are several choices out there. The Valvoline R&P 5W-30 is a good choice. Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30, Castrol Edge Euro K 5W-30, I personally prefer the 30 weights with the European ACEA C3 ratings, that rating give you a guaranteed HTHS of >3.5 on the 30 weight oils. Basically, higher HTHS means higher oil film strength under heat and load. The 30 weights will give you a little buffer from the fuel dilution issue you will have with that Toyota GDI engine. Change your oil and filter every 6 months or 5000 miles, whichever comes first, religiously, without delay no matter what 0 or 5W-30 engine oil you pick. Fuel dilution is an issue, do a used oil analysis, preferably not with Blackstone, their fuel dilution testing is not top notch. Maybe Polaris Labs or Oil Analyzers. The difference in mpg between using 0W-16 and 5W-30 is very hard to detect, I have used both. There may be a 1/10 of 1 mpg increase in gas milage using the 0W-16 occasionally. I did some rough figures and figured out using the thinner 0W-16 could possibly save me up to $5.00 per 100,000 mile running 80 mph 300-mile round trips to Omaha on the interstate at today's higher gas prices. Anyhow, that is my opinion, I wouldn't do this personally, but your engine can safely run a 15W-40 engine oil if you desire. I think you may notice a performance decrease, not as quick on its feet though, if you do.
I do value ESP but that was more the 30 grade oil and i dont know much about the 20.
daily driver and about 60 miles per day 5 days a week, country roads/highway
