Hello,
I work at Schucks Auto Supply in Seattle Wa, you know, Smucks Auto.(Schucks, where we know enough, but not enough to answer your question!) I get custumers all the time who ask me "Which oil is the best". I have read more than the average joe about oils. Like much of this site, text book articles on conv and synthetic, Car Craft articles, but that is not enough to answer that question. I know enough that if there driving an 81 h civic that has 180k miles i don't point em to the synthitics and explain that the BEST just isnt worth it.
But some custumers are driving nice cars and want to fork out the dough. So without writing down all the results of all the peoples oil analysis results and compiling an answer(taking into account driving habits,engine type,wheather, cooling system performance data, miles etc.) I was hoping someone could tell me what i should say.
What i usually do is spew out all the info i can think of about oil in some semi-orderly fashion, which usually leaves them(and me) more confused in the first place.
To give you an idea of what oils we carry and how convoluted my thinking might be:
The conv oils we carry(in the order in which my uneducated brain thinks they rank):
1# Valvoline 1.89
2# Castrol 1.89
3# Mobil 1.49
4# Penzoil 1.99
5# Quaker State 1.69
6# Chevron 1.59
7# Halvoline 1.39
8# Exxon 1.29
prices are estimates, pretty close though