It seems to me that if you're a person who questions whether or not using synthetic oil makes sense, then maybe it doesn't make sense, for you.
I've been in love with cars since before I could drive. And that was a very long time ago! They're a source of great pleasure to me. A hobby really. I love high performance cars in particular, and I actually enjoy changing the oil, as well as washing, waxing, and otherwise maintaining them.
To me, there is simply no question about it - I want to use the very best oil for these vehicles. I do think that something like Redline is overkill for the average family sedan though. I think you have to evaluate the vehicle in question. How long do you plan to keep it? How do you drive it? I usually use Mobil 1 in all of our cars except for the "high performance" vehicles, particularly turbo models. I use Redline in those. In some of my older high mileage commuter cars that are worth very little, I often use Castrol GTX non-synthetic. Even I can't justify synthetic in some vehicles.
But I truly feel that an oil like Redline will hold up better under the extreme heat and high rpm's of a performance turbo engine, especially when it is driven hard.
So many people out there today, even the ones driving Porsches, Vipers, and Corvettes, don't give a **** about the details of maintaining their cars. They just drop it off at the dealer, and have it taken care of. The type of oil used? Who cares. And many of these vehicles are only leased anyway, so why should they care about the oil used? The car will be someone else's problem 2, 3, or 4 years from now.
Right now I drive my car 15K to 20K miles per year. It holds 5 quarts of oil. I use Redline and change it every 5K miles. At $7/qt. plus $5 for a filter, that's $40/per oil change and $120 to $160 per year. That's not alot of money to spend on something that you really care about, in my opinion. So I'm paying a premium of $15 per oil change (over Mobil 1) to use an oil that I feel is the very best available. For the peace of mind alone, it is worth it to me. At 7000 rpm under full boost, I like the idea of superior film strength, and better high temp. stability.
I say, use whatever you're comfortable with. Chances are, your engine will hold up fine with any of the oils available out there. If I suddenly lost all interest in cars and viewed them only as an appliance, I doubt I would continue to use Redline, as it would no longer be worth it to me. If my financial situation were such that I was struggling just to provide food and shelter for my family, I certainly would not be using oil that costs $7/qt. But I wouldn't be driving a performance car then either.
Sorry for the rambling thoughts, but the bottom line I'm trying to make is; It's not necessarily a black and white issue as to whether or not a particular oil is "worth it". As with most "premium" products, whether or not they are worth the added expense is debatable and depends on the individual circumstances.
[ August 02, 2003, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: harrydog ]
