Why the significant price difference.

[lucas01230]

Many people will tell you any oil, that's properly rated, will do fine for your car. It makes me happy putting more expensive oil

I noticed a 5qt Quaker state AD for 13.97. Add on a 3 dollar rebate, you're at 10.97. But let's disregard rebates.

Then u have Castrol gtx for 16.97( on sale for 15.27 , again let's disregard sales and rebates.
PYB for 16.47.
Valvoline "premium" conventional for 16.74

Not to mention Max life blend on sale for 15.88.

These are conventional 5w30 prices at Walmart.


Just why? More additives? New to forums I am. Little knowledge of oil.

 

[53' Stude]

I believe prices of additives has something to do with the cost

 

[BigD1]

Name recognition and market penetration have a lot to do with prices too. Mobil Super conventional competes price wise with Quaker State green bottle, and I think it is every bit as good as Pennzoil conventional or Castrol GTX conventional. When I hear Mobil, I immediately think of Mobil 1 full synthetic and not Mobil Super.

 

[CharlieBauer]

Motor oil is like a hotdog. You don't know whats in it or where it came from, but one hot dog does a similar job to another hot dog.

You just need to make sure you match your hotdog to your bun.

And you are better off buying a major brand but even those will sometimes have a problem with a batch or two.

Lastly, the hot dog goes in a golden or light brown color and comes out a darker color. Many believe that if it comes out really black, something is wrong.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Lovely- lol!

Originally Posted By: CharlieBauer
Motor oil is like a hotdog. You don't know whats in it or where it came from, but one hot dog does a similar job to another hot dog.

You just need to make sure you match your hotdog to your bun.

And you are better off buying a major brand but even those will sometimes have a problem with a batch or two.

Lastly, the hot dog goes in a golden or light brown color and comes out a darker color. Many believe that if it comes out really black, something is wrong.

 

[bbhero]

Well it's really based upon how difficult a specification the oil has to hold up to.
For example... does my car need or require a oil that meets Dexos, BMW LL-01 , or MB 229.5? No. It only requires a API SM now SN, ILSAC GF-4 now 5 approved oil. So it's cheaper for sure to get a simple API SN ILSAC GF-5 approved oil.
Here's the question.. what would getting the more expensive approval based oil really get me? Would more resistance to heat/oxidation over the longer run be a good thing?? Sure. Would less deposit formation be a good thing? Absolutely. Would less varnish forming be a good aspect to have? You betcha.

Next question.. would this higher approved oil be "better" at providing better wear protection for a reasonable change interval per manual aka (3750 miles)? No. It really would not.

Another question too think about.. would the higher approved oil be more shear stable and . maintain viscosity better given how hard these VQ motors are on oil?? Yes on that.

Would being able to handle heat/oxidation better plus being more shear resistant given motors known history allow me to go longer between oil changes? Absolutely. How far per SE ?? 7500 miles is reasonable even if it's severe service.

What you or I are paying for IF we are buying more expensive full synthetics is the performance for the longer run. Aka past 5,6, 7k miles and beyond. These higher level European oil approvals are all about having strong wear protection throughout a long run, anti sludge forming, anti deposit forming even late in a oil change interval. In order to meet those far tougher specs it takes a bit more in terms of additives and base oil quality.

I run a full synthetic in my car due to the longer run performance. But a good quality conventional oil like Pennzoil, Formula Shell, Quaker State, and Valvoline used for a shorter run would be just as effective too.

 

[fdcg27]

Why does an entry-level BMW or Benz cost more than a Honda Accord?
To a degree, you get what you pay for in a more expensive product and to a greater one you're paying a status premium.
Even if we all agree that more expensive oils are better oils, to the extent that the performance envelope of a less costly API SN will never be taxed, which is almost always the case, there would be no benefit in the more expensive and measurably better performing oil.
IOW, if the less costly oil holds up just fine in service, then why would a higher performing oil be any better?

 

[HerrStig]

You can't put a dollar value on status but it sure does sell. Witness the heaps GM put Caddy stickers on over the years, or the VWs sold as Audis.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

The cost of the oil is dependent on how many commercials and endorsements they pay for.

I believe a large percentage of a motor oil cost goes to marketing and political/industry insider PAC's.


The oil formulation is made to a price point, but just remember when you see all those Castrol prime time commercials, think with your dipstick.

 

[andrewp1998]

Audi = an overpriced oil burner!

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: andrewp1998
Audi = an overpriced oil burner!


If this isn't flame bait, I don't know what is.
The VAG police should be around shortly and the tread will evolve into a debate of the merits of VAG products.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
The cost of the oil is dependent on how many commercials and endorsements they pay for.


That's it right there. That's why Chevron Supreme is only $11.77 at Walmart while Pennzoil Conventional is $16.47

 

[andrewp1998]

oh well, just my 2 cents , Im a wise guy sometimes.. Take it with a grain of salt..

 

[fdcg27]

I'm still waiting for the VAG police.
Could be really entertaining

 

[BrocLuno]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
The cost of the oil is dependent on how many commercials and endorsements they pay for.


That's it right there. That's why Chevron Supreme is only $11.77 at Walmart while Pennzoil Conventional is $16.47


I know this is a bit of diversion, but drop by 540RAT's blog and look at the oil testing he does and the oils as they are ranked. Then go look at the Walmart price for say the top 20 that can be found at Walmart, Pep Boys, Autozone, etc.

You'll see that extreme pressure Fe to Fe contact (prevention) only has a passing relationship to oil price. Royal Purple is pretty costly, but it does not score that well. Okay, don't flame me for bringing up RAT's testing; but it is one way to look at oil performance, and then look at pricing...

Point being some modest priced oils like Chevron Supreme have an excellent reputation for quality and, in some circles, performance

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Vern_in_IL
The cost of the oil is dependent on how many commercials and endorsements they pay for.

That's it right there. That's why Chevron Supreme is only $11.77 at Walmart while Pennzoil Conventional is $16.47

I think it is more like company think they can get away with that price for what ever reason, they would not sell for less and they have better profit margin.

Remember CD vs cassette and DVD vs VHS ? Both CD and DVD were costing much less to produce but sold for more because they think they can away with it.

It isn't as simple as manufacturing cost + marketing + ... so this is the sale price. It is more like price X multiply with volume Y = largest profit, then $X is the price.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: BigD1
Name recognition and market penetration have a lot to do with prices too.

Exactly. Castrol, for instance, markets aggressively up here and it's fairly easy to find its products on sale, just as cheap on sale as anything else. The "regular" prices are pretty much the same across the board. Here, one doesn't tend to buy Quaker State to save a buck a jug off of Pennzoil Conventional or Castrol GTX. They're all the same, to the penny, at most places. Places with finer margins might make a slight distinction, but if you're buying at Canadian Tire or Walmart Canada, all the most recognized names will cost the same.

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
You'll see that extreme pressure Fe to Fe contact (prevention) only has a passing relationship to oil price. Royal Purple is pretty costly, but it does not score that well. Okay, don't flame me for bringing up RAT's testing; but it is one way to look at oil performance, and then look at pricing...

Royal Purple is entitled to be more expensive. They have a special dye that costs money. That's every bit as relevant as Rat's testing. In fact, it's more relevant. Every bottle of RP I opened was pretty darned purple. Every time Rat goes into his blog, he's got a new "favorite."

 

[Toaster_Jer]

+1

 

[SR5]

A good friend of mine owned a bottle shop (what you guys call a liquor store). He got a great deal on some very good quality Yarra Valley cleanskins (unlabelled wine), and passed them on to his customers at this very good price.

It was a great drop, but nobody was buying it. So one day he put the price up $10 more per bottle, then it was walking out the door and people were asking him to get more in.

 

[Garak]

That seems to happen here, too. If an oil is the slightest bit unfamiliar and too cheap, it won't move. One Walmart here got a lot of Valvoline conventional a few years back. Now, Valvoline conventional isn't that common up here, but it's not exactly unfamiliar, either, at least to me. It was at $9.88 per jug for many, many months before they got it cleaned up. Unfortunately, after that experience, that Walmart never brought in large quantities of oil on special ever again.

To compare, a scant few weeks before that $9.88 sale, the sale location had an $11.88 sale on Pennzoil conventional, and I bought a couple cases. A couple weeks later, a functionally equivalent product can't be moved at 20% cheaper?