Why is Mobil clean 5k cheaper then other dino's?

[Superbuick96]

I was at a certain big box store today, checking out quarts of 10w-30 conventional for my Honda GCV 160 engin,and noticed a considerable price difference between quarts of conventionals. Why would Vavoline,Quaker State,Pennzoil, and Castrol dinos all be in the $3.30-$3.50 ballpark, and Mobil clean 5000 cost around $2.40ish or so? Is MC5000 a bit of a lower quality oil when compared the said 4 other brands? Or is it more of a price break thing because Mobil can afford to undercut the competion?.......Opening another can of worms while im at it, How could Motorcraft syn-blend sell for $2.77 a quart, some .80 cents cheaper a quart then most dinos?

 

[Gary Allan]

Those sound like Wally's prices. MotorCraft has always been a decent value to the alternative (regular) retail market there. It's near/over $4/quart @ AAP

..but as far as MClean5k (we need something other than "MC" due to MotorCraft having the same initials) I dunno. Maybe it's due to Mobil 1 taking the main stage. Perhaps their conventional products just get no love when the synthetic line is sitting on the same real estate at discount prices.

 

[Unearthed]

You can ask the same question about Mobil 1. My Wally World has the 5qt jugs for $21...nearly all other syn 5qts are $25. It's no wonder it's the best selling syn in the country...why would a typical person buy any other when (most likely) advertising has them thinking M1 is the best oil out there AND it's cheaper than anything else.

In fact, if I were to buy a 5qt M1 5w-20 and a Toughguard at Walmart, it would be a couple bucks cheaper than the M1 deal at AAP. Granted, I would much rather have the M1 oil filter you get with the AAP deal...but still.

 

[shrooms]

I couldn't care less the reasons why they're cheaper.

Great oil, cheap prices = ME happy. : )

 

[saberz]

Mobil Clean 5k doesn't retail over $3 ever. Reason being is that its not a heavily marketed oil. All the other oils you see have marketing which drives up the cost.

Also MC5k doesn't make any sacrifice to their add pack, in fact its one of the better add packs out there. Mobil 1 on the other hand has always been more expensive then their competitors and only recently came down in price.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
...but as far as MClean5k (we need something other than "MC" due to MotorCraft having the same initials)...


I've always called Mobil Clean 5000 "MC5K nW-nn".

And the Ford MotorCraft oil "FMC nW-nn".

 

[tonyboy]

Just a thought here, maybe the wholesale price was lower to begin with...

 

[tonyboy]

My local Walmart had Pennzoil Platinum 50 cents cheaper than M1 for the 5 qt. jug. There prices could be different based on area.

 

[daves87rs]

Beacause they can.

 

[addyguy]

EOm is such a big company, and they make so much from their 'upstream' production, that conventional PCMO's are really cheap for them to make, and are really just an afterthought.

 

[cp3]

Around here Mobil 1000 is more expensive than the other major brands. Anyone know if it is the same formulation?

 

[Gene K]

I would say a lot depends on their marketing stategy and also the volumes they sell.

Locally the cheapest name brand at regular price seems to be Quaker State at $10.50 a 5 Qt Jug. On sale Texaco Havoline and Mobil Driveclean 5000 at $1.99 Qt. You can get Pennzoil for $2.79 a Qt cuurently on sale..

Here Mobil DC seems to be sold mostly in bulk to the local dealers with the retail market an afterthought.

As to the price of Motorcraft 5W20. it was intentionally positioned to get market penetration when Ford was first introducing 5W20. It was imperative for their CAFE numbers that this happen as soon as possible. In the process they were able to get sales numbers that allows them to make a profit on lower margin and higher volume. I suspect Motorcraft is easily the best selling 5W20 although I have nothing to base that on. Motorcraft does very little oil advertising which helps overhead as well.

Pennzoil on the otherhand I doubt wants to be the cheapest conventional on the shelf as they want to maintain their prestige and resulting margins as a premium product.

 

[heavyhitter]

Mobile 5000 is one one of the very best if not the best oil on paper. A recent study on all the big names VOA's had Mobil looking pretty darn good.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted By: heavyhitter
Mobile 5000 is one one of the very best if not the best oil on paper. A recent study on all the big names VOA's had Mobil looking pretty darn good.
But only in all aluminum engines right? Not anything with IRON in it...

J/K

 

[Alex38]

Isn't motorcraft imported? I seem to recall reading it has Korean basestocks. That may be why it is cheaper, as the cost would be lower than an oil that had been refined/made here.

 

[Samilcar]

Originally Posted By: tonyboy
My local Walmart had Pennzoil Platinum 50 cents cheaper than M1 for the 5 qt. jug. There prices could be different based on area.


There are definitely different prices based on area. M1 is always the most expensive syn oil at my local wally world. It's also easily the fastest selling syn oil with the largest shelf space.

 

[Gene K]

Originally Posted By: Samilcar
Originally Posted By: tonyboy
My local Walmart had Pennzoil Platinum 50 cents cheaper than M1 for the 5 qt. jug. There prices could be different based on area.


There are definitely different prices based on area. M1 is always the most expensive syn oil at my local wally world. It's also easily the fastest selling syn oil with the largest shelf space.


Ultra is the most expensive here.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Would any of you run Mobil Clean 5000 for more than 5K in an average (read: near-severe) driving environment?

 

[saberz]

I'd run it with confidence as I would any other dino. MC5K is a stout oil hitting 8k+ miles on some UOA's. Check the UOA area.

 

[Alex38]

I'm content with 5k from a dino, wouldn't push it past that.