I was at my local Walmart (where they harass you for the receipt) and noticed that all types of Castrol oil are the most expensive outside Mobil One. They have in 5 qrt jugs, Quaker State Defy for 15.22, Penzoil HM 15.75 and the great Maxlife 17.25. The Castrol HM was 18.25. Is it the marketing? I think Castrol has some pretty cool marketing. Is it worth the extra few bucks?
Castrol Over Priced???
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Nick1994
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It's usually on rollback for like $16.27. Items have to come off rollback eventually.
dish, I thought it was better prior to BITOG also. I tend to like MaxLife in my 2000 beater Honda civic.
Castrol is pricy even over the pond....my personal belive is that this is due their constant marketing on Tv etc And not with higher quality of their oil/product...
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Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
And not with higher quality of their oil/product...
#And has nothing to do with higher quality of their products....
And not with higher quality of their oil/product...
#And has nothing to do with higher quality of their products....
Seems to be mid lower tier here...although I only look at cheap oils, maybe the good Castrol oils are high priced, but i can't see the top shelf from where I brouse.
I use to burn 1/2 quart every 3,000 mile in my civic. I went to Maxlife and it eliminated it. I tried Penzoil HM and it went back to burning. I might try the Castrol. My car has 170,000 miles on it.
Originally Posted By: Silk
Seems to be mid lower tier here...although I only look at cheap oils, maybe the good Castrol oils are high priced, but i can't see the top shelf from where I brouse.
I agree with Silk when it comes to things like GTX.
At the high end synthetics, in Australia, the most expensive is Mobil by far (ignoring the ultra boutique stuff).
Then comes Castrol Edge in second place. In tie for third is Valvoline & Penrite. By far the best value name brand synthetic is Shell Helix. At regular prices.
The thing about Castrol, is that it is often on sale and reduced a lot. Just now Castrol Magnatec is 50% off at one store, while Castrol GTX is 45% off at another. I can also get Edge 5W-40 or 5W-30 at 25% to 30% off. Suddenly Castrol is the best buying name brand for me at all three levels. Castrol seems to go on sale more frequently than the rest, and at a greater reduction. I recently picked up some Edge 5W30 at better than 50% off.
Seems to be mid lower tier here...although I only look at cheap oils, maybe the good Castrol oils are high priced, but i can't see the top shelf from where I brouse.
I agree with Silk when it comes to things like GTX.
At the high end synthetics, in Australia, the most expensive is Mobil by far (ignoring the ultra boutique stuff).
Then comes Castrol Edge in second place. In tie for third is Valvoline & Penrite. By far the best value name brand synthetic is Shell Helix. At regular prices.
The thing about Castrol, is that it is often on sale and reduced a lot. Just now Castrol Magnatec is 50% off at one store, while Castrol GTX is 45% off at another. I can also get Edge 5W-40 or 5W-30 at 25% to 30% off. Suddenly Castrol is the best buying name brand for me at all three levels. Castrol seems to go on sale more frequently than the rest, and at a greater reduction. I recently picked up some Edge 5W30 at better than 50% off.
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Depends...usually is back and forth here. Seen it higher, also cheaper too....also on sale a bunch too...
Haven't used it in years though....just tend to find better deals more often! Used to use it in the wife's old Neon, as it used to burn quite a bit of oil. One day I stopped at a walmart instead, and picked up some supertech oil. Burned much slower than the GTX I was using! So it ran on ST until it went to the scrap yard....
Haven't used it in years though....just tend to find better deals more often! Used to use it in the wife's old Neon, as it used to burn quite a bit of oil. One day I stopped at a walmart instead, and picked up some supertech oil. Burned much slower than the GTX I was using! So it ran on ST until it went to the scrap yard....
Here, Castrol tends to do quite well with respect to pricing, historically. Equivalent tier oils tend to have the same regular price across the board at most retail stores in Canada. GTX and PYB and GSGB and VWB and Mobil Super 1000 will all be priced pretty much exactly the same per one litre bottle at regular price. Castrol has always had a sale, and I've noted here for years that anyone who paid regular price for Castrol in Canada is a sucker, since it's always on sale somewhere. Others have caught up and are getting a little more aggressive in giving us some decent sale prices. They all have a lot of work to do to match Castrol's wide availability for the bulk of its product line, despite not having local distribution models anywhere near what Shell, Imperial Oil, or Petro-Canada have.
Hello Garak!! My North American amigo. I'm actually interested in Castrol. I think they may have a really good product.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Here, Castrol tends to do quite well with respect to pricing, historically. Equivalent tier oils tend to have the same regular price across the board at most retail stores in Canada. GTX and PYB and GSGB and VWB and Mobil Super 1000 will all be priced pretty much exactly the same per one litre bottle at regular price. Castrol has always had a sale, and I've noted here for years that anyone who paid regular price for Castrol in Canada is a sucker, since it's always on sale somewhere. Others have caught up and are getting a little more aggressive in giving us some decent sale prices. They all have a lot of work to do to match Castrol's wide availability for the bulk of its product line, despite not having local distribution models anywhere near what Shell, Imperial Oil, or Petro-Canada have.
I find that Castrol is a little bit more expensive. Not by that much though. Below are prices at Walmart when they bring out the under 5L bottles.
PYB 5Qt @ $13.88
QSGB 5Qt @ $13.88
VWB 5Qt @ $13.88
GTX 4.4L @ $14.88
Here, Castrol tends to do quite well with respect to pricing, historically. Equivalent tier oils tend to have the same regular price across the board at most retail stores in Canada. GTX and PYB and GSGB and VWB and Mobil Super 1000 will all be priced pretty much exactly the same per one litre bottle at regular price. Castrol has always had a sale, and I've noted here for years that anyone who paid regular price for Castrol in Canada is a sucker, since it's always on sale somewhere. Others have caught up and are getting a little more aggressive in giving us some decent sale prices. They all have a lot of work to do to match Castrol's wide availability for the bulk of its product line, despite not having local distribution models anywhere near what Shell, Imperial Oil, or Petro-Canada have.
I find that Castrol is a little bit more expensive. Not by that much though. Below are prices at Walmart when they bring out the under 5L bottles.
PYB 5Qt @ $13.88
QSGB 5Qt @ $13.88
VWB 5Qt @ $13.88
GTX 4.4L @ $14.88
I think they do, too. As I've mentioned before, for people with European cars, Castrol was the go to oil for a long time, simply out of availability. Once upon a time, all the Euro stuff from everyone was only in one litre bottles, which are expensive, of course. But, at least GC 0w-30 could be bought at every mom and pop automotive shop; if you wanted GC, it was everywhere. Wakefield doesn't play games when they market up here. If you're carrying Castrol, you're very likely to be carrying a healthy selection of it. They even have somehow convinced Walmart Canada to carry like three or four versions of CJ-4 15w-40 products.
At a local automotive shop, I can get Castrol 0w-30 A3/B4, 0w-40 A3/B4, 5w-40 A3/B4, 5w-30 A3/B4, and 5w-30 C3/dexos2. Let's see Shell Canada or Imperial Oil top that. For my personal cars, as I was growing up, I used a lot of GTX, for one, because it was always on sale, and two, I wanted to differentiate it from the taxi stash.
I don't use much Castrol stuff these days, but it is nice to know that if I want an A3/B4 lubricant, there is at least someone offering more than one choice and I don't need to go on a major expedition to find it, either.
People also shouldn't be too hard on Castrol for spending money on marketing. Yes, some of the marketing is stupid, but Mobil and Shell don't exactly have a shoestring budget when it comes to marketing, either. How many hundreds of millions does it cost Shell and Mobil annually to have big visibility on three Formula 1 teams, not to mention on tracks all over the world?
At a local automotive shop, I can get Castrol 0w-30 A3/B4, 0w-40 A3/B4, 5w-40 A3/B4, 5w-30 A3/B4, and 5w-30 C3/dexos2. Let's see Shell Canada or Imperial Oil top that. For my personal cars, as I was growing up, I used a lot of GTX, for one, because it was always on sale, and two, I wanted to differentiate it from the taxi stash.
I don't use much Castrol stuff these days, but it is nice to know that if I want an A3/B4 lubricant, there is at least someone offering more than one choice and I don't need to go on a major expedition to find it, either.
People also shouldn't be too hard on Castrol for spending money on marketing. Yes, some of the marketing is stupid, but Mobil and Shell don't exactly have a shoestring budget when it comes to marketing, either. How many hundreds of millions does it cost Shell and Mobil annually to have big visibility on three Formula 1 teams, not to mention on tracks all over the world?
Garak, I hear ya. But I'm looking for the best "bang for my buck". I'm going to stick w/ Max life 4,000 changes. I got enough problems with rotting parts unederneath.
All oil here in Aus. in ridiculously priced.
I think the Castrol 0w40 commands nearly $80 from "Supercheap Auto" for 5L (Just over a gallon) of the stuff
Mobil pushes around the $50-60 for the same jug. Penrite (AU-made, supposedly) - Just a touch cheaper. Rather support companies without ludicrous marketing claims anyway.
I can understand maybe double price compared to USA given the differences in labor, wages... But when its nearly 2.5x dearer for the same stuff compared to USA... Ouch.
Until just recently, I could get BMW oil from the USA (7qts + filter, washers etc) if I wanted cheaper than here. If I could do that, why not the oil giants and major chains?
I think the Castrol 0w40 commands nearly $80 from "Supercheap Auto" for 5L (Just over a gallon) of the stuff
Mobil pushes around the $50-60 for the same jug. Penrite (AU-made, supposedly) - Just a touch cheaper. Rather support companies without ludicrous marketing claims anyway.
I can understand maybe double price compared to USA given the differences in labor, wages... But when its nearly 2.5x dearer for the same stuff compared to USA... Ouch.
Until just recently, I could get BMW oil from the USA (7qts + filter, washers etc) if I wanted cheaper than here. If I could do that, why not the oil giants and major chains?
Well, best bang for your buck always varies by location. In some parts of the States, Castrol is it, from what some posters say, but in many parts, it certainly isn't. My G37 uses one of the best bang for one's buck oils around here. That certainly isn't the case elsewhere.
MaxLife is always a great option. If I were to revert to a conventional 5w-30 tomorrow, I'd probably be grabbing Formula Shell, given the price I can get it for and the package sizing. For a synthetic 5w-30, there are too many options, ILSAC rated and otherwise, and I'd go crazy coming to a decision.
One of the things about Castrol that appeals to me is the availability. As you may know, I'm not a fan of mixing or switching around. So, if I use GTX, I know I'll always be able to find GTX, anywhere. It's not a product that's available today and will all of a sudden disappear tomorrow. We have way too many unicorns in the Canadian market, such as PUP and Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic.
MaxLife is always a great option. If I were to revert to a conventional 5w-30 tomorrow, I'd probably be grabbing Formula Shell, given the price I can get it for and the package sizing. For a synthetic 5w-30, there are too many options, ILSAC rated and otherwise, and I'd go crazy coming to a decision.
One of the things about Castrol that appeals to me is the availability. As you may know, I'm not a fan of mixing or switching around. So, if I use GTX, I know I'll always be able to find GTX, anywhere. It's not a product that's available today and will all of a sudden disappear tomorrow. We have way too many unicorns in the Canadian market, such as PUP and Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic.
If I were you, I'd compare what a "normal" retail store charges versus a distributor for an equivalent product, if you can. Shell can get me Formula Shell much cheaper than any retail outlet (at normal prices). The same goes for most Mobil products. The differences are most marked when it comes to synthetic HDEOs. Most retailers' sale prices are higher than Imperial Oil's regular prices on Delvac 1, and those same retailers' regular prices are well over double that of the distributor. And, I know that Walmart and Canadian Tire aren't paying as much for oil from Imperial Oil as I am. Therefore, their markup is well over 100%, and that's not acceptable for retail oil.
Walmart Canada's current "sale" on PYB is barely better than what I can get Formula Shell from Shell directly, any day of the week. And, I won't have to fight a crowd, or worry about the oil being opened, or there being none in stock.
Walmart Canada's current "sale" on PYB is barely better than what I can get Formula Shell from Shell directly, any day of the week. And, I won't have to fight a crowd, or worry about the oil being opened, or there being none in stock.
Originally Posted By: Garak
I can get Castrol 0w-30 A3/B4, 0w-40 A3/B4, 5w-40 A3/B4, 5w-30 A3/B4, and 5w-30 C3/dexos2.
That is a nice selection Garak, over here for Edge synthetic we get 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40 and 10W-60 that are all A3/B4. We also get 5W-30 and 0W-40 that are C3. Plus for the big bore, old school, modified performance V8's will get a high zinc mineral Edge that is 25W-50, which was called GP50 in the old days.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Castrol has always had a sale, and I've noted here for years that anyone who paid regular price for Castrol in Canada is a sucker, since it's always on sale somewhere.
Same, you should never pay full price for Castrol over here, if you plan ahead. About once a month you will find it for 25 to 30% off (for about a week) and then the next month you will find it 40 to 50 % off.
My last Castrol Edge purchase was 5W30 A3/B4 in late November and was 57% off the regular price. That made it cheaper than regular GTX.
OP, I too consider Castrol, especially the full synthetic Edge, to be a very good product.
I can get Castrol 0w-30 A3/B4, 0w-40 A3/B4, 5w-40 A3/B4, 5w-30 A3/B4, and 5w-30 C3/dexos2.
That is a nice selection Garak, over here for Edge synthetic we get 5W-30, 0W-40, 5W-40 and 10W-60 that are all A3/B4. We also get 5W-30 and 0W-40 that are C3. Plus for the big bore, old school, modified performance V8's will get a high zinc mineral Edge that is 25W-50, which was called GP50 in the old days.
Originally Posted By: Garak
Castrol has always had a sale, and I've noted here for years that anyone who paid regular price for Castrol in Canada is a sucker, since it's always on sale somewhere.
Same, you should never pay full price for Castrol over here, if you plan ahead. About once a month you will find it for 25 to 30% off (for about a week) and then the next month you will find it 40 to 50 % off.
My last Castrol Edge purchase was 5W30 A3/B4 in late November and was 57% off the regular price. That made it cheaper than regular GTX.
OP, I too consider Castrol, especially the full synthetic Edge, to be a very good product.
I wouldn't be surprised if the 10w-60 were available somewhere, particularly at the BMW dealership, if it's BMW approved. We've only got the one C3 lubricant so far, but the applications that need it are fairly uncommon, and there are the OE dealer only Castrol variants, too. I'm fairly certain that I can get GTX 20w-50 relatively easily up here. Last time I was looking at GTX, it was right there. I'm not sure of its zinc content here, though. I'd be fairly comfortable stating one could get some Castrol monogrades fairly easily, too, including non-detergent SAE 30, which I've seen fairly recently.
Up here, it's always been that it was on sale somewhere, either at Canadian Tire or Walmart or Partsource. That's slipped a little, since other oil companies have been getting onto the sale bandwagon over the past few years, and these retailers don't tend to push sales on everything under the sun at once. But, right at Christmas, Walmart did have just about every conventional (well, at least PYB, GTX, and VWB) on special all at the same time, unadvertised. The synthetics are usually cut more deeply than the conventional, too.
Up here, it's always been that it was on sale somewhere, either at Canadian Tire or Walmart or Partsource. That's slipped a little, since other oil companies have been getting onto the sale bandwagon over the past few years, and these retailers don't tend to push sales on everything under the sun at once. But, right at Christmas, Walmart did have just about every conventional (well, at least PYB, GTX, and VWB) on special all at the same time, unadvertised. The synthetics are usually cut more deeply than the conventional, too.
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