supertech full synthetic 5qt for $11.88, what's the catch?

[ka9mnx]

Originally Posted by Patman
...you can't expect superior performance in the long run from a bargain basement oil. It's not going to be using the best base oil...

I don't consider Super Tech oil to be bargain basement. I wouldn't even consider it if it was. It's equal to Mag1 which some consider a very good oil. I'm sure there is floor space at Warren just to make Super Tech 24/7. Warren probably isn't make much money per unit but the volume is there to make it worthwhile to keep the line going. No expensive artwork on the bottles and absolutely no marketing advertisement keeps the price low. Not low quality. I don't think Wal Mart makes much money on the oil but it's ones of those things that brings customers to the store. Like Sams Club oven roasted chickens. Already cooked and they are cheaper than buying a raw chicken. The counter is lined with people buying them.

If I was in your shoes I would be looking at an A3/B4 or C3 oil. GM thinks D1/G2 is good enough but I think yours needs just D1. My personal choice for you vehicle would be SN+ and D1G2 and A5/B5 (vanilla M1 5w-30). I don't think an HTHS of 3.5+ is necessary unless you are racing your vette. I'm sure Super Tech 5w-30 would easily pass A5/B5 if they bothered to have it certified.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted by ka9mnx


If I was in your shoes I would be looking at an A3/B4 or C3 oil. GM thinks D1/G2 is good enough but I think yours needs just D1. My personal choice for you vehicle would be SN+ and D1G2 and A5/B5 (vanilla M1 5w-30). I don't think an HTHS of 3.5+ is necessary unless you are racing your vette. I'm sure Super Tech 5w-30 would easily pass A5/B5 if they bothered to have it certified.


I'm very confident in my choice of using Mobil 1 5w30 ESP Formula in my Corvette, even though I don't race it, I do like to go full throttle quite often. Keep in mind that the 2019 Corvettes now come factory filled with the 0w40 version of ESP Formula, a 3.5 HTHS oil, and the new recommendation is to use this oil for the previous years of the Corvette too. I don't need a 0w oil for this car, so having the 5w30 version with a similar HTHS but less VII is a good thing IMO.

So maybe Supertech is better than I'm giving it credit for, but I still stand by my decision to run name brand synthetics in my vehicles.

 

[ka9mnx]

Originally Posted by Patman
So maybe Supertech is better than I'm giving it credit for, but I still stand by my decision to run name brand synthetics in my vehicles.

That is the correct view and I applaud you for admitting it. I also applaud you for using what you think is best for your use. Being satisfied in your choice is not wrong and will make you happy and no one can criticize you for that.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted by ka9mnx
Originally Posted by Patman
So maybe Supertech is better than I'm giving it credit for, but I still stand by my decision to run name brand synthetics in my vehicles.

That is the correct view and I applaud you for admitting it. I also applaud you for using what you think is best for your use. Being satisfied in your choice is not wrong and will make you happy and no one can criticize you for that.


We can all agree on that.

 

[GZRider]

Supertech seems to be excellent oil for the price, if it were not for the Mobil1 and Pennzoil rebates I might consider using it in some vehicles. That said, Vette's. Camaro's GTO's Mustangs. G's Z's, IS's GS's LS's and SC's ect all in my opinion deserve to be fed name some type of premium name brand synthetic and 91+ octane.

 

[BLND1]

We all justify the use of our preferred oil. Rational people can at least admit that it doesn't make a real world difference.

 

[bbhero]

Originally Posted by ka9mnx
Originally Posted by Patman
So maybe Supertech is better than I'm giving it credit for, but I still stand by my decision to run name brand synthetics in my vehicles.

That is the correct view and I applaud you for admitting it. I also applaud you for using what you think is best for your use. Being satisfied in your choice is not wrong and will make you happy and no one can criticize you for that.



Really, really good post here ^^^^^^^^

 

[bbhero]

And Patman I agree with you running the Mobil 1 ESP 5w30... That oil is Porsche C30 approved... A 3.5 HTHS and a very, very tough spec to meet.

 

[Fifty150]

Originally Posted by Patman
I still stand by my decision to run name brand synthetics in my vehicles.


Yes. Of course. You have a Corvette. You're not driving a Hyundai. It's a Corvette. Why would you put Wal*Mart oil in a Corvette? And why should you have to justify to anyone else, why you are not putting Wal*Mart oil in a Corvette? I'm surprised that you are not using some boutique brand, or racing formula oil.

My friends shake their head when they see me buying whatever is on sale, or there is a coupon. I shake my head, wondering what they think they are gaining from using expensive oil on a 10+ year old commuter car. Sorry Honda guys. A Civic just does not require Royal Purple with a K&N filter. It's like make-up on a fat girl. For most of the cars on the road, which do not have high performance engines, are not being raced, not towing heavy loads, being driven all day, engine idling all day - severe duty and fleet use conditions - Wal*Mart motor oil will work just fine. Just follow your OEM oil change interval recommendations. Unless you have a Honda Civic w/ a louder muffler & a lot of stickers. Then you need the same oil as a Corvette.

The same way there is room in the automotive world for a Corvette, Ferrari, & Kia Soul; there is plenty of room for all of the different oil on the shelf.

At the local Wal*Mart, I see Super Tech conventional & full synthetic. I am not buying both, to craft my own synthetic blend. So I pick up the Wal*Mart SuperTech synthetic, which is still lower in over the counter pricing than almost every other brand of synthetic blend or full synthetic. Most of us probably would not service any car with conventional oil anymore. At least use a synthetic blend, where full synthetic isn't required. I haven't read the owners manual from every car on the road. Are there still any cars left, where the OEM specification is conventional oil?

 

[fortesquieu]

Originally Posted by Fifty150
A Civic just does not require Royal Purple with a K&N filter. It's like make-up on a fat girl.



lol wow

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted by Fifty150
Originally Posted by Patman
I still stand by my decision to run name brand synthetics in my vehicles.


Yes. Of course. You have a Corvette. You're not driving a Hyundai. It's a Corvette. Why would you put Wal*Mart oil in a Corvette? And why should you have to justify to anyone else, why you are not putting Wal*Mart oil in a Corvette? I'm surprised that you are not using some boutique brand, or racing formula oil.

My friends shake their head when they see me buying whatever is on sale, or there is a coupon. I shake my head, wondering what they think they are gaining from using expensive oil on a 10+ year old commuter car. Sorry Honda guys. A Civic just does not require Royal Purple with a K&N filter.



I sort of consider the ESP Formula to be a boutique brand actually, it's priced as such and is in a different category compared to vanilla Mobil 1, IMO.

And I can answer the question about putting expensive oil in a 13 year old Civic. It's because I paid less for Ultra Platinum than if I had bought Supertech synthetic. That's because I have been getting it when it's on sale for $32 (Canadian $) for 5L, plus the $10 rebate Pennzoil has had up here for the past two years, plus I get back another $3 in Canadian Tire money from it's loyalty program. So once converted to US $ it costs me around $14US. And I do use a Fram Ultra filter that I bought in the US for $9, but I only change it every second oil change, so I go two years on that filter. I'm sure the Civic would do just fine running Supertech synthetic, but I can't see the point when I'm getting name brand for less (I could have even gone with Pennzoil Platinum for $2 less for 5L but I figure I might as well spend that extra $2 for the possibility that it'll keep the engine slightly cleaner)

And for my wife's BMW, I think the German made Castrol 0w40 is one of the best choices I could make in terms of a readily available oil that still has the BMW LL certification, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I often find this oil for $25.99 CDN for 5L, that's about $19.50 US.