Ultra - So what happened?

[JGmazda]

I was in my local Walmart last week and of course, have to pass the oil isle. I scan the shelves looking for something new and see the Pennzoil Ultra space is now missing. I look down and there's one jug of Ultra 5w-30 left. The price? $10! So thinking there must be a mistake, I run up to the checkout and sure enough... the clerk says "yeah...they're discontinuing this item". Wow! That was a short run at Walmart. What's up with that?

Anyhow... just changed the oil in my Mazda with this and plan a 10K OCI. So far, I have noticed a smoother running engine and more throttle response. Perhaps it's just "new oil".

 

[riggaz]

Originally Posted By: JGmazda
I was in my local Walmart last week and of course, have to pass the oil isle. I scan the shelves looking for something new and see the Pennzoil Ultra space is now missing. I look down and there's one jug of Ultra 5w-30 left. The price? $10! So thinking there must be a mistake, I run up to the checkout and sure enough... the clerk says "yeah...they're discontinuing this item". Wow! That was a short run at Walmart. What's up with that?

Anyhow... just changed the oil in my Mazda with this and plan a 10K OCI. So far, I have noticed a smoother running engine and more throttle response. Perhaps it's just "new oil".


Pennzoil Ultra is the same as Shell Helix Ultra so if you can't find one use the other if that's your preference bud

 

[Johnny]

??? They screwed the pooch on this one IMHO.

 

[tinmanSC]

Was it Euro spec oil? They are going to discontinue some of the Euro oils, but... er.. standard 5w-30? You'd think Wal-Mart would want to carry that.

 

[Johnny]

Originally Posted By: riggaz


Pennzoil Ultra is the same as Shell Helix Ultra so if you can't find one use the other if that's your preference bud


That's the problem, no Helix Ultra in the USA and it looks like some Walmarts are doing away with the Pennzoil Ultra.

Maybe if Walmart drops it that will give other large chains the incentive to stock it. Only time will tell.

 

[JGmazda]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
??? They screwed the pooch on this one IMHO.


Really? Is this just a huge marketing blunder? Was it not selling? Jeez... it just strikes me as very weird. You have the largest retailer selling your product and then Whoosh! It's gone from the shelves.

Very strange indeed! Big companies try not to make those types of mistakes. Was it a mistake? That's what I want to find out... The oil itself probably is very well put together. But? How do you does a big company roll out something like this and then it vanishes? I don't get that?

 

[HangerHarley]

Originally Posted By: JGmazda
Originally Posted By: Johnny
??? They screwed the pooch on this one IMHO.


Really? Is this just a huge marketing blunder? Was it not selling? Jeez... it just strikes me as very weird. You have the largest retailer selling your product and then Whoosh! It's gone from the shelves.

Very strange indeed! Big companies try not to make those types of mistakes. Was it a mistake? That's what I want to find out... The oil itself probably is very well put together. But? How do you does a big company roll out something like this and then it vanishes? I don't get that?


They had Ultra at $5 a wuart about 4-5 months ago. The problem is that Pennzoil Platinum is still "Good enough." Aparently, some WalMarts also still have it. There was a pretty large difference - OK, Moderate difference, i guess - but the WalMart in Indiana was better than the WalMart in Columbus, Ohio, and both of these trumped the WalMart in Ithaca, NY. In the Oil department AND Store organization department.

Edge seems to sell strong, apparently its very thin, and that is a premium oil too. They also sell much Mobil 1

- Nothing wrong with Mobil 1 except that some engines dont like it.

 

[HangerHarley]

Originally Posted By: HangerHarley
Originally Posted By: JGmazda

??? They screwed the pooch on this one IMHO.


Really? Is this just a huge marketing blunder? Was it not selling? Jeez... it just strikes me as very weird. You have the largest retailer selling your product and then Whoosh! It's gone from the shelves.

Very strange indeed! Big companies try not to make those types of mistakes. Was it a mistake? That's what I want to find out... The oil itself probably is very well put together. But? How do you does a big company roll out something like this and then it vanishes? I don't get that?


They had Ultra at $5 a quart about 4-5 months ago. The problem is that Pennzoil Platinum is still "Good enough." Aparently, some WalMarts also still have it. There was a pretty large difference - OK, Moderate difference, i guess - but the WalMart in Indiana was better than the WalMart in Columbus, Ohio, and both of these trumped the WalMart in Ithaca, NY. In the Oil department AND Store organization department.

Edge seems to sell strong, apparently its very thin, and that is a premium oil too. They also sell much Mobil 1

- Nothing wrong with Mobil 1 except that some engines dont like it, and some have the old lies similar to PYB stuck in their head.

Also, with Pennzoil, WM is getting rid of certain older-shaped jugs. Would have liked to clean them out on those, seems to be packaging clearance. So, yes.. It may not have been a "Blunder," But apparently WM seems to have done an about-face and now will have Platinum (Just didnt catch on..) Certain locations MAY still have Black Jug Ultra P, and thrie alternatives easily come to within 80% of whatever Ultra would have been, including the PP they still have.

You can also get Royal Purple in 5W-30 and 10W-30, which, according to Royal Purple, is done without their knowledge.

Id have liked to seen more grades of RP but that aint gonna happen (At WM.)

 

[stenerson]

Originally Posted By: JGmazda
Originally Posted By: Johnny
??? They screwed the pooch on this one IMHO.


Really? Is this just a huge marketing blunder? Was it not selling? Jeez... it just strikes me as very weird. You have the largest retailer selling your product and then Whoosh! It's gone from the shelves.

Very strange indeed! Big companies try not to make those types of mistakes. Was it a mistake? That's what I want to find out... The oil itself probably is very well put together. But? How do you does a big company roll out something like this and then it vanishes? I don't get that?


Sure it was a mistake IMHO. They were selling 2 products that seemed to say the same thing. Cleans blah blah % of sludge blah blah blah. One was just pricier than the other.

 

[Summerwind]

Just checked quickly here the other morning at our local Wmart when I had to grab some other things quickly..Low and behold, they did have a "few" quarts of Ultra in 5w20 and 5w30 flavor along with mucho Platinum. Castrol Edge was everywhere, as was M1, but not M1EP. They had a huge selection of the green-cap jugs of 0w30 and 0w20 M1. Hope they have some Ultra next month when I go in to grab stuff for the GMQ's oil change. If not, I'll "settle" for PP. Side note, the Kendal LT is doing "fine"..but I notice a "hint" more noise on start-up than with PP.

Then again, I may go with QS Full SYN, they had some sweet prices on that!!!....

 

[Hokiefyd]

Bad news! Just when I had some hope of Pennzoil bringing out a mainstream 0W-20 under their umbrella, their product gets pulled. Doh!

I do have to agree with stenerson. It was hard enough for folks on THIS BOARD to understand the differences between Platinum and Ultra (and I'm not sure I really do anyway). Figure trying to sell the two products, side by side, to the average consumer, with a price difference of $5+. Regardless of what benefits there may be with Ultra, the consumer has to perceive more value in order to pay more money. As much of a fan as I am of Pennzoil products, I think they really botched the product marketing of this one. You can't have two "premium" products and sell both at different prices, Castrol excepted, apparently.

 

[StrateLOSS]

That oil doesnt make much sense for walmart, all the highend oils are $22 and then this $28...

Both make the same claims on the packaging, so of course people are buying the cheaper one.

 

[demarpaint]

I was hoping for PU 0W20 myself, on store shelves. PP 0W20 while it exists is nowhere to be found. I settled on Edge 0W20, good specs, and the quietest running in my Jeep of all the 0W20 oils I tried. Looks like I'll be sticking with it, at least for now.

 

[Hokiefyd]

demarpaint, the only place I've found Edge in 0W-20 is by the quart at Pep Boys. I haven't checked at either Advance/AutoZone. Are you getting it in a jug size anywhere?

 

[Brian Barnhart]

Edge and EP both offer something real and obvious: Up to 15K or one year.

PU meets more specs than Edge and EP, but so does PP. PU is PP with fluff, which means?? And is worth???

 

[KrisZ]

Quote:
They had Ultra at $5 a quart about 4-5 months ago. The problem is that Pennzoil Platinum is still "Good enough."


Ok, can someone explain to me how PP went from the "beez kneez" to being "good enough"

The marketing is truly a powerful thing, some people on this board hyped up this oil so much, even before it was released, and I guess now the same people are having a hard time accepting the fact that outside of BITOG nobody gives a rat's behind about cleanliness, price still rules.

 

[Trav]

I notice the PP meets Dexos 1 and the Ultra is not listing that spec.Whats the deal?
If this is their best domestic product i would think it would carry the most specs first and PP would be slowly phased out.
Now it seems they are up grading PP to a higher spec (on paper anyway) then their premium product.

Who ever is doing this marketing campaign needs to find another job IMHO,something that their skill set is better suited to like a check out person or McDonalds server.

 

[oilmaven]

I was all set to switch both of the cars to Ultra and have it in the Impala now. Under the circumstances and due to the fact that I can't get it ANYWHERE locally, I'm sticking with PP. What an absolute disaster the roll out for the Ultra has been. They never did tout its real advantages and as posted by another, the whole "x%" cleaner stuff while maybe true doesn't excite much. How about "latest technologies provide unrivaled protection and cleanliness...makes your car run smoother and longer than any other oil", etc. What was the point of introducing a new oil that was whatever % better at cleaning than PP? Shell really blew this one.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: oilmaven
I was all set to switch both of the cars to Ultra and have it in the Impala now. Under the circumstances and due to the fact that I can't get it ANYWHERE locally, I'm sticking with PP. What an absolute disaster the roll out for the Ultra has been. They never did tout its real advantages and as posted by another, the whole "x%" cleaner stuff while maybe true doesn't excite much. How about "latest technologies provide unrivaled protection and cleanliness...makes your car run smoother and longer than any other oil", etc. What was the point of introducing a new oil that was whatever % better at cleaning than PP? Shell really blew this one.


Even though PU is a good oil, your sugestions for advertising claims may not be true. Pennz keeps their addys top flight unlike Castrol.

 

[Panzerman]

I think if they would have released this oil when the economy was booming, it would have fared well. Pennzoil users, found the Platinum, too satisfying to spend more money for Ultra, Castrol users, preferred to stay with thier Edge, still cheaper and the same with other synthetic users. The only way for the Ultra to survive would have been to replace the Platinum. Pennzoil, ironically has did the same thing its sister company Quaker State has done by sticking too many pokers in the fire and then wondering what happened.How many synthetics has QS had out at one time?