I like them because I've *never* had a bad one (which I can't say for most other brands- I've had at leaky anti-drainback valves in every brand I've tried except Wix and Purolator) Also when you open them up they're simply constructed better than most others. Good media construction, metal end-caps, etc. They also seem to apply exactly the same construction practice to their "consumer grade" (automotive) oil filters that they do their industrial filters. Darn sure can't say that about Fram- their industrial filters (big diesels, hydraulic fluid filters, etc.) seem pretty good, but their consumer grade stuff is just fancy advertizing and gimmickery (ooh look! A grip made of rhino-liner!) on an average-to-below-average design.
That said, Purolators are also excellent and I tend to use them interchangeably with Wix. They don't have the nice coil type bypass spring that Wix filters have, but otherwise they're equal. The PureOne line even has a little better base gasket material than Wix, IMO.
I did learn one thing just now- I had no idea Wix was the "official filter of NASCAR." And I even *watch* NASCAR, their ad campaign must not be very effective ;-)
