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To Use or Not to Use: Synthetic Oil and Your New Car

Author: JasonLancaster
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People often wonder if they should be using synthetic oil in their new vehicles. Synthetic oil is better than regular oil for many different reasons: it's a better lubricant; maintains integrity at high temperatures; is fairly pure; and rarely turns into sludge, even when it's abused. To many people, the obvious benefits of synthetic oil lead them to conclude they should start using it ASAP. However, despite synthetic oil's benefits, it really depends on how you take care of your car.

To start with, do you change your oil regularly? Oil needs to be changed before it breaks down and puts your engine at risk. But if you're good at changing your oil on time every 3-5k miles, you'll never experience one of the benefits of synthetic oil. Synthetic is resistant to breaking down, even after extended use. For instance, if you forget an oil change, or even if you just put one off for a few weeks, synthetic is the best oil to have in your engine. But if you're changing your oil regularly and at the proper mileage, you'll never be in a situation where your engine is at risk from worn-out oil.

Synthetic oil can last a long time without deteriorating. If you're changing your car oil based on mileage, then switching to synthetic could save you money. Regular oil needs to be replaced after 6 months or after 5K miles. If you drive less than that distance in 6 months, then you're not getting the full mileage out of your oil. Switching to synthetic oil which lasts for a longer amount of money will help you get the most out of each oil change. You might save money by having to change your oil less frequently, and you'll definitely save time.

One of the biggest reasons why people use synthetic oil is because of its resistance to heat. Regular oil breaks down in high temperatures, and continue to break down as the heat rises. Drivers who use their vehicles in ways that create a constantly hot engine environment should use synthetic oil. So should people who live in hot climates, such as in the desert, or at high altitudes, like in the mountains. Neither high ambient temperatures nor low air pressure are ideal conditions for keeping your engine cool, so synthetic oil would give you the best performance in these areas. Finally, if you own a high-performance vehicle or just drive like you do, consider synthetic, which is the best choice for these vehicles.

There are a lot of entities that recommend using synthetic oil, even to people who don't need it. For example, synthetic is recommended for anyone that drives in stop-and-go traffic. But since all of us drive in stop-and-go at some point, that's a bad recommendation. You should only use synthetic if you're driving in stop and go traffic long enough that your engine's cooling fan turns on, and only if you're doing so daily. Also, if you only drive short trips, people may recommend synthetic oil as a way to protect your engine. However, short trips, regardless of your choice of oil, can damage your motor. No matter whether you use synthetic or regular oil, your engine was designed run for at least 20 minutes. Running synthetic in these situations might be better, but tests have shown that the benefit is minor.

If you've recognized yourself in one of the above situations and have decided to opt for synthetic oil, be careful when you go to make the purchase. You may be offered a synthetic "blend" instead of pure synthetic oil to save money. However, you probably won't know exactly what's in that blend. It could be equal amounts of synthetic and regular, or you might even be getting almost entirely regular oil with a splash of synthetic. If you're going to go synthetic, it's best to go all out and get the real thing, or not do it at all. Of course, if the blend is provided and produced by your vehicle's manufacturer, then it's probably safe to use - but that's the exception.

Most car manufacturers will tell you that "any oil that meets API standard specifications can be used in your vehicle." For most people, normal oil will be absolutely fine. As long as they are maintained regularly and cared for, most new cars won't need synthetic oil to perform well for a long time.