I just recently bought a 2012 Avalon. Standard V6 engine (only engine). Nowhere have I found where syn oil is recommended. On the official Toyota factory list of recommended oils for all their cars, it states to use reg oil for this year Avalon. It also says syn oil is ok for the same year and engine in the Camry. The two motors are exactly the same so why is the oil spec different? Seems strange to me why the difference . My car is a Toyota certified auto so they are changing oil for free for a year. They use 5w-30 semi syn castrol. Just wondering if anybody knows why the oil spec for this 12 Avalon is different for this v-6 than the others. I'm sure using a full syn will not be detrimental to the longevity of the 2gr-fe engine . Thanks so much Kevin