What oil to choose
The easiest way to select motor oil is to follow the good, better, best model:
GOOD — Mineral-based (regular) motor oils — These are the cheapest and most widely available oils. They typically use standard additive packages that provide minimum levels of performance and protection.
BETTER — Synthetic motor oils — These man-made oils are more expensive than mineral-based oils but are still widely available. Their performance advantages come predominantly from the synthetic base oil used. They typically use the same additive packages found in mineral-based oils. They have a longer service life and offer some improvements in protection.
BEST — High-performance synthetic motor oils — These motor oils are the most technologically advanced oils. Although they significantly outperform mineral-based or synthetic motor oils, they are about the same price as standard synthetic motor oil. They are typically only available through auto parts stores and select oil change centers. These oils primarily differ in their use of more advanced, proprietary additive technologies.
Still confused? For a used car with little life left in it, stick with mineral-based motor oil. For a car you plan to keep for a few years and want to get a little better performance from, you should at least upgrade to synthetic motor oil. To get the most performance out of your car, truck or RV, or to protect a vehicle you really care about and want to last, upgrade to a high performance motor oil.
