1) unless you have an identically-operated Camry fed conventional oil to compare against, you've proven NOTHING.
2) So what IS the "condition of the drivetrain?" Have you looked under a valve cover to see if there are deposits? Or does it just still run when you turn the key? The latter means nothing. Well, not much anyway.
3) If that's the longest you've ever kept a car, maybe you should buy American automobiles. I have 3 that have gone 460,000 miles, 330,000 miles, and 260,000 miles respectively, and the newest one is a 1993. And they're all still going, though I'm in the process of replacing the 1993.
Rubbish. I've never had a Ford or Chrysler engine last *less* than 200k, and the ones I've let go of were still running when I did. Model years ranging from 1966 to 1993 included, and the longevity record goes to my
73 Plymouth at about 460k and counting. I can't speak for GM, I've only owned one and it was involuntary (wife's car when we got married).
Any car can "go" 260K, 330K, or even 460K miles. Not many can go that long (or even 75K) and drive good as new without any repairs. I have to travel quite a bit, and I rent a lot of American made vehicles, so I have a pretty good idea what happens to them when they get over 30K miles on them.
Pick a name-brand (Castrol, Valvoline, Mobil, heck even Pennzoil is good these days) and their top-of-the-line non-synthetic. Job done. Basically just avoid buying the cheapest oil on the shelf, and you're in pretty good shape.
and changed oil more
More like $3-5 per quart these days! That's comparing something like Castrol GTX to Mobil 1 Extended Performance.
But like you, I do run synthetic. Rotella Synthetic in the cars with slider cams, Mobil-1 in the roller cam car. And for much the same reason- I don't want to do a research project every time I change oil. I do some googling around a couple of times per year to see if there are any big revelations, just to stay on the safe side.
But the bottom line really is that you almost can't screw up with oil these days unless you deliberately TRY to buy crap.
Maintenance on my 1998 Camry V6 XLE has been regular oil/filter changes (all Mobil 1), radiator drain/refills, auto transmission drain/refills, air filter changes. I have also had to refill the windshield washer a few times, and quite a few tanks of gas.
Repairs would include new pads on front brakes, EGR valve, charcoal canister (replaced free just under the 8 year emissions warranty), replaced a couple of tail light bulbs and high rear brake light bulb, one new battery, and new tires.
I guess the EGR valve is the real "repair" that I paid for.
Because we aren't comparing duct tape to a bracket. We are comparing one style of bracket to another style without benefit of the capabilities of either bracket relative to minimum requirements.
I once cut open a used Fram PH2951, and it had metal end caps. I did this because I had dropped the new filter, denting it on the end, and wanted to see if anything inside could have gotten hit.
Fram makes 4 different "grades" of filters, which range in price from about $3 to $11 (they also make filters for OEM use and for other companies). Trying to lump them all together as one product, would be like comparing a Chevy with a Cadillac, just because they are both made by GM.
Yes, the $3 Fram filter sucks. So do all other $3 filters.
The only argument for not using synthetic is that it costs more (not very much, maybe about $15 more per oil change). Now people want me to conduct an "independent test using statistical analysis of actual data" and other such measures to guarantee that synthetic oil is actually beneficial. How much will that cost? Nobody seems to care about wasting money on such studies or proof.
I was always skeptical of synthetic oil, but when I switched from conventional oil after my first oil change on my 98 Camry V6 XLE, I noticed a difference right away in how much easier the engine revved with my foot on the gas peddle. Please don't tell me it had anything to do with the engine being new, I noticed the difference immediately after the switch to synthetic.
There are a bunch of other reasons why someone would want to use synthetic, such as the sludge problems reported on many Toyota V6 engines of that era. All race cars use synthetic oil. Many high end cars use them as factory fill (not just cars with exotic engines) and there have been studies that show that synthetic oil does reduce engine wear, although maybe not much on used NY taxis. Most engine wear occurs when the engine is not yet at operating temperature, which doesn't apply to NY taxis that are always warm relative to the miles they drive. Like many people, about half the trips I take are short distances when the engine is not fully warmed up.
All of these reasons, in conjunction with my own observations of improved engine performance and very slightly better gas mileage (1%), are good enough for me. I am convinced of the benefits.
But just in case I am totally and completely wrong, and have completely deluded myself in this matter, I am only out $30 per year (even if you don't count gas mileage savings). I loose that much every minute in my 401K. If I am right, then I probably have at least broken even and may have saved myself thousands of dollars. Others can do what they like.
The OP asked about the best motor oil, not the cheapest. He can determine whether the best is worth the extra money. I doubt that someone would ask such a question if they had a 3 year lease on a car and intended to get a new car when the lease expires.
BTW, Ray O uses synthetic oil in all three of cars, but he doesn't like to talk about that because synthetic is not specified by Toyota or Lexus for his vehicles.
$30 per year? That is one meal, a couple of drinks, tip and tax at a restaurant. People need to get some perspective in their lives.
The thing is, the cost argument is a very good argument. I change my oil every 3,000 miles, which works out to a little bit more often than once a month. This adds up to a substantial cost in the end.
I'm not sure why you should expect such a difference, but if it makes you feel better, that's fine.
The sludge problems on those Toyota V6es can be prevented with synthetic oils, it's true. But they can also be prevented by religiously done conventional oil changes every 3,000 miles.
I'm not. I use the synthetic oils anyway, because I figure that the cost of an engine is so high that the added few hundred dollars a year is worth it to me, and because I tend to drive cars until they have several hundred thousand miles on them. I'm not sure it really makes any difference in any of the engines I use, and if I happen to get a really good deal on conventional oil, I'll use it for a few weeks until the next change and I certainly don't see any short-term difference in doing so.
That's basically how I feel, although frankly I wish I were paying only $30 a year for oil. Hell, I pay more than $30 a year in gear oil for the transmission and differential which get done about annually.
Most people don't change their oil every 3000 miles, but let's look at your situation.
If you used synthetic oil and changed every 5000 miles, I would guarantee you that your oil would be in better shape at 5000 miles with synthetic than at 3000 miles with conventional. So in your case, you would at least break even.
Can you prove that? I would like to seem a financial analysis of your claim. Don't forget to figure in the cost of a person's time, which in my case is about $60 per hour.
I have plenty to support it, and have posted it in other posts and other threads (many times).
But I am not going to spend thousands of dollars to get "proof" of something that only costs $30 per year and whose benefits are largely intuitive to anyone with any brains.
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