What is the best cheap oil?

[huxley7]

Havoline?

 

[Al]

GTX, Chevron Supreme, Motorcraft, Pennzoil- on sale

 

[mph]

Just put some Chevron in my girlfriend's SUV, and it was $0.69/quart after rebate. Now that's some cheap oil. I'm looking forward to the analysis!

 

[GSV]

What is your definition of cheap?

Less than 2 dollars a quart? Less than $1.50? Less than a buck a quart?

I can usually get a case of Chevron Supreme for what works out to be a dollar (+/-) a quart at Costco. It appears to be a very good dino oil from Chevrons Group II+ base with some moly.

I would put that up against any sub $2.00/quart oil that comes to mind...

Right now the Black Dog Ale chilling in my fridge is whats really on my mind, YAHOO FRIDAY!!!

 

[Al]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mph:
Just put some Chevron in my girlfriend's SUV, and it was $0.69/quart after rebate. Now that's some cheap oil. I'm looking forward to the analysis!

---

Looks like the winner..

 

[Pablo]

Chevron Delo 400 is the best bang for the buck.

I do have some used oil, really cheap if you like.

 

[Intelman34]

Cheap and inexpensive are two completely different things

Chevron is a great oil and very inexpensive

Pablo's used oil is probablly the best cheap stuff you can find.

All in good fun

[ May 30, 2003, 09:42 PM: Message edited by: Intelman34 ]

 

[troy_heagy]

Synthetic is the cheapest oil. Why? Because even though it costs twice as much, you can run it 2.5 times longer (7500 instead of 3000) so it's actually cheaper.

It also saves you money at the dealer or time in the driveway, because of the fewer changes.

And it protects your $20,000 engine a lot better so you'll spend less money on long-term repairs.
Troy

 

[timzak]

Troy,

And if you have to add a quart every 3000...? A 5 qt change becomes 7 qts every 7500, vs 5 every 3000. That's 14 qts every 15000 vs 25 qts. Average retail price in my area for synthetic is $5/qt. Conventional runs about $2/qt. That's $70 for synthetic vs. $50 for non, over 15000 mi. Even without topping off, that comes out to $50 vs. $50. IMO, it comes down to personal preference, cost is a wash.

 

[mikemc]

I'd say take Chevron Supreme, Havoline and Motorcraft, put on a blindfold, pick one and change it every 3 to 4 thousand miles using a decent filter.

 

[JohnBrowning]

I think the diesel oil represent the best buy. $5.29 for a gallon Pennsoil Long Life is good deal on a decent oil. $6 for a gallon of Delvac 1300 is a great deal on a good oil! Why do you want the cheapest oil and not a good oil at a good price? You should really just read the sunday paper and you will see more oil deals then you care to read.

 

[Ray H]

quote:

---

Originally posted by timzak:
IMO, it comes down to personal preference, cost is a wash.

---

Yeah, but Tim, with synthetic, at least he'll have the advantage of "seasoned" synthetic motor oil with its load of wear metals and silicon grit building up and "microfinishing" his bearing journals, cam lobes, and cylinder walls over that 7,500 mile interval...

Of course if his engine uses 1 quart in 3000 miles and he elects to change the filter at 3,000 miles for cleanliness' sake, then he gets to add two quarts at the 3000 mile mark. In 7,500 miles that's 9 quarts every 7,500 miles (18 quarts every 15000 miles = $90.00*), not counting the cost of oil filters. Of course, stupid me is changing my "inferior" 68 cent/qt Target closeout Chevron Supreme 10W-30 dino oil every 3,000 miles along with my $2.00 Kmart closeout WIX-made Castrol "MaxPro" oil filters for, let's see, a grand total of $27.00 over 15,000 miles. And, I'm getting under the car at essentially the same mileage intervals he is if he elects not to chance accelerated wear of bearing, cam lobe, and cylinder wall surfaces over the full 7,500 mile interval with a filter change at 3,000 miles. And, I'm not leaving 2 1/2, or so, quarts of polluted oil in the sump every other oil change... My sarcasm aside, I really don't have a problem with those who elect to go with the high price "spread". The fact is, one can make an argument for either oil maintenance philosophy. My point is that in the case of vehicles in which dino oils are permitted by the manufacturer's warranty, I've never seen hard evidence that using synthetics at 7,500 mile change intervals necessarily results in lower wear rates than using the highest available ILSAC/API performance grade dino in the designated viscosity grade(s) and changing at 3,000 miles either. How the vehicle is driven, and the conditions in which it's driven, will play a more profound role in how fast the engine tanks than the type of oil used. IMHO.

Temperature extremes at either end mandate more frequent oil/filter changeouts. Ditto that for heavy stop-'n-go driving or pulling loads.

*Probably two or three bucks less since the ever-shrinking oil filter has obviated the 1 quart capacity.

[ May 31, 2003, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Ray H ]

 

[MNgopher]

Chevron supreme runs very strong here - with castrol GTX and Motorcraft not too far behind if you can find a good price on it.

With Chevron at a buck a qt, you'd have to stretch the interval four times just on price to make Mobil 1 break even, throwing out the filter costs.

I'm not saying synthetics are bad (cause they aren't!), just pointing out the cost savings idea may not be all its cracked up to be.

 

[Chris 2421]

I'd lean towards the Super Tech from Wally Mart.It's good oil.

 

[troy_heagy]

quote:

---

Originally posted by timzak:
And if you have to add a quart every 3000...?

---

Strawman Argument (poor debating tactic): I never said I add oil to my car.

Conventional 15,000 miles:
$2/qt * 4qts * 5 changes (once per 3000) = $40
[+ $20 per JiffyLube or Dealer visit = $140]

Synthetic 15,000 miles:
$4/qt * 4qts * 2 changes (once per 7500) = $32
[+ $20 per JiffyLube or Dealer visit = $72]

I save myself roughly 50% by using synthetic oil. Of course your numbers will vary depending on size of pan, whether you do the change yourself, et cetera.

.

BTW, if you're adding one quart of oil every 3000 miles, your car is seriously knackered! Better get it fixed. Or else switch to a thicker oil like 10W-40 that is less prone to leakage.

Or better yet, switch to a synthetic that has a higher flame point and fewer VIMs, and therefore virtually no burnoff.

[ May 31, 2003, 08:36 PM: Message edited by: troy_heagy ]

 

[timzak]

"BTW, if you're adding one quart of oil every 3000 miles, your car is seriously knackered! Better get it fixed."

LOL. I better take it to the dealer immediately for an overhaul.

I like how you round the cost of your synthetic down to $4 (occasional sale price) but conveniently keep the conventional stuck at $2 (standard retail).

Neither your math or mine is distorted. I see no mistakes (mathematically) either way.

 

[keith]

"BTW, if you're adding one quart of oil every 3000 miles, your car is seriously knackered!"

Not necessarily. Quite a few engines are spec'd by the manufacturer to be "normal" if they use 1 qt. / 1000 miles. GM Northstar for example, and there are plenty more.

I happen to disagree that 1 qt. / 1000 miles is "normal" but there it is. Just think, if you go to a 9000 mile change interval on synthetic oil, you will add 2 gallons top up oil!

Keith.

 

[Ray H]

Troy, there are other factors than an engine being "knackered" that would affect oil consumption. The conditions under which it's operated and the driving style will definitely cause ANY engine to vary its oil consumption considerably. Speed legal cruising through temperate flatland will be easiest. Aggressive, or hard pulls through hilly country, particularly in severe climates (hot or cold) will stress any oil and consequently its consumption rate. As other posters have pointed out, most (probably all!) manufacturers won't even consider a warranty claim on engines that consume no more than a quart of oil in 1,000 miles. (And I agree - I personally wouldn't like having to live with that rate of consumption, either!) If your engine shows little or no oil consumption during your oil change interval of 7,500 miles, that's great! (Mine doesn't show any perceptable oil consumption during my 3,000 mile interval, either, but, maybe it would over the course of 7,500 miles. However, it'll never get that chance...

) And if you do not change out your oil filter midway through your oil change interval, then, obviously you'll save some expense that Tim and I suggested in a worse case scenario. (Our oil addition speculations were not straw arguments whether you think otherwise. Come to think of it, where are routine oil analysis expenses in your computations?... Dang! Another straw argument!...) But, if you're not swapping oil filters sooner than 7,500 miles, then it just further makes my point in favor of cheaper oil and oil filters changed at shorter intervals. Will your motor poop faster than mine? I couldn't speculate either way. But, there's nothing you can counter my preferred maintenance schedule with that will convince me my motor will poop before yours, either (even if it is a Hyundai). Like I said, we can both make valid points about our maintenance philosophies and legitimately expect our respective machines to lead useful "lives" well past the quarter-million mile mark if used sanely. Peace, bro.

[ June 01, 2003, 12:07 AM: Message edited by: Ray H ]

 

[Bror Jace]

I agree it's essentially a wash. You can really figure this so closely that an extra $10-$20 per year either way is insignificant when you look at what it costs to keep a car on the road for a year.

But when trying to calculate the costs to the penny, don't forget to add in the fact that cars often consume less synthetic oil ... and the cost of more frequent trips to get rid of waste oil with the conventional stuff.

--- Bror Jace

 

[mikemc]

Today I found the new ChevronTexaco Havoline at Advance and bought a case of 5w30. I assume that since they turn oil so quick that this is the form of Havoline they will have. I just found a new oil.