Just An Open Message To SOPUS

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Been on the forum a few years. Don't post too often. Been changing my own oils since 1971.

Started using Mobil 1 twenty something years ago in my pickups. When transitioned 1993 Toyota pickup 4x4 to synthetics, used M1 10W-30. Ran fine but always was really loud.

When Pennzoil Platinum was introduced, started using it in the PU and you could really notice the engine quieting down a lot.

When I got my Toyota 4Runner Sport V8 in late 2006, broke the engine in on Dino until 6K and then went to Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 since. 4Runner runs fine!

Going off extended warranty in a few months and looking to extend OCI. Was considering PP Ultra but... 1) Cannot find any anywhere in or around Denver and 2) I read that the 'quality' of the new Ultra has not kept up with the 'old' formula.

Well... I went to Autozone and bought two jugs of Mobil 1 5W-30 EP and two Mobil 1 oil filters for 81 bucks inc tax.

Had there not been a change in the Ultra... or even if I could find some, I would have continued with SOPUS products.

OK... I'm just one person. BUT.. I like others can read between the lines.

Will give the EP a try.

YMMV... use what you think will work best in your vehicle.
 
I'm not sure I'm reading between your lines correctly?

You weren't able to find any Pennzoil Ultra in 5-30 in a major metropolitan area?

Or you "read" "somewhere" the "quality" of the "new" oil wasn't as good? What does that mean?

If you aren't going to buy the new Ultra due to a conceived lower quality, why would SOPUS care to stock it for you?

I can walk into a Walmart anywhere (you know, the nation's largest retailer with stores in every state and presumably one in Denver) and find both Pennzoil and Quaker State full synthetics, plus probably Rotella and others. So I can't imagine availability is really a concern.

But the source of your info on the quality is purposefully vague, care to shed any light on it? Anything quantitative, or are we going by the look of the stickers on the bottle?
 
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Originally Posted By: bepperb
I'm not sure I'm reading between your lines correctly?

You weren't able to find any Pennzoil Ultra in 5-30 in a major metropolitan area?

Or you "read" "somewhere" the "quality" of the "new" oil wasn't as good? What does that mean?

If you aren't going to buy the new Ultra due to a conceived lower quality, why would SOPUS care to stock it for you?

I can walk into a Walmart anywhere (you know, the nation's largest retailer with stores in every state and presumably one in Denver) and find both Pennzoil and Quaker State full synthetics, plus probably Rotella and others. So I can't imagine availability is really a concern.

But the source of your info on the quality is purposefully vague, care to shed any light on it? Anything quantitative, or are we going by the look of the stickers on the bottle?





I said Ultra no where in Denver. Not PP or QS.

I was about as straight forward as possible. Read what I posted!

Regarding quality... read the posts in this forum!

I also said if Ultra was available I'd give it a try.

I vote with my dollars. What's your grudge?
 
AFAIK, SOPUS does not sell oil directly to the consumer. SOPUS sells oil to retailers, who in turn sell that oil to consumers. If you can't find any PUPPP in your area, you don't have a beef with SOPUS, you have a beef with the retailers who have chosen not to stock your preferred product. SOPUS would LOVE for EVERY store from one coast to the other to carry their premium product.

I guarantee SOPUS offers that product to any retailer who wants to order it.
 
Well, local availability can certainly be used to make oil purchasing decisions, just like you did. Nothing wrong with that.

For me, I'm open to buying stuff from Amazon, and that's where I get my ultra if I can't find it locally.
 
Ultra isnt impossible to find here but is scarce. Then, if you find it, the caps are STILL being opened and/or completley removed.
 
Originally Posted By: danthaman1980
I guarantee SOPUS offers that product to any retailer who wants to order it.

That's right, but some retailers want the manufacturers to pay them a slotting fee to secure shelf space. On top of it, the product must actually sell well (which requires heavy advertizing budgets and heavy discounts). Retailers like Walmart are not just going to allow a product to occupy shelf space if there is no activity. They could be utilizing that shelf space to display a different product that generates more sales.

SOPUS marketing has really been the weak link here in the US. They are only now starting to come out with the whole PurePlus/natural gas marketing campaign, but even that isn't anywhere close to what XOM is doing with Mobil1. XOM's advertising budget is enormous. And that's what makes M1 fly off the shelves and keeps retailers like Walmart very happy.
 
Originally Posted By: Climb14er
Been on the forum a few years. Don't post too often. Been changing my own oils since 1971.

Started using Mobil 1 twenty something years ago in my pickups. When transitioned 1993 Toyota pickup 4x4 to synthetics, used M1 10W-30. Ran fine but always was really loud.

When Pennzoil Platinum was introduced, started using it in the PU and you could really notice the engine quieting down a lot.

When I got my Toyota 4Runner Sport V8 in late 2006, broke the engine in on Dino until 6K and then went to Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30 since. 4Runner runs fine!

Going off extended warranty in a few months and looking to extend OCI. Was considering PP Ultra but... 1) Cannot find any anywhere in or around Denver and 2) I read that the 'quality' of the new Ultra has not kept up with the 'old' formula.

Well... I went to Autozone and bought two jugs of Mobil 1 5W-30 EP and two Mobil 1 oil filters for 81 bucks inc tax.

Had there not been a change in the Ultra... or even if I could find some, I would have continued with SOPUS products.

OK... I'm just one person. BUT.. I like others can read between the lines.

Will give the EP a try.

YMMV... use what you think will work best in your vehicle.


You're not alone, I can't find it anywhere in Honolulu let alone Oahu. I've been to all Wal-Marts, Target, Kmart, O'Reilly's and nothing. They don't even have a place on the shelf for it.
 
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Originally Posted By: Climb14er
Originally Posted By: bepperb
I'm not sure I'm reading between your lines correctly?

You weren't able to find any Pennzoil Ultra in 5-30 in a major metropolitan area?

Or you "read" "somewhere" the "quality" of the "new" oil wasn't as good? What does that mean?

If you aren't going to buy the new Ultra due to a conceived lower quality, why would SOPUS care to stock it for you?

I can walk into a Walmart anywhere (you know, the nation's largest retailer with stores in every state and presumably one in Denver) and find both Pennzoil and Quaker State full synthetics, plus probably Rotella and others. So I can't imagine availability is really a concern.

But the source of your info on the quality is purposefully vague, care to shed any light on it? Anything quantitative, or are we going by the look of the stickers on the bottle?





I said Ultra no where in Denver. Not PP or QS.

I was about as straight forward as possible. Read what I posted!

Regarding quality... read the posts in this forum!

I also said if Ultra was available I'd give it a try.

I vote with my dollars. What's your grudge?


My grudge is that it would be nice if there was one forum on the internet where motor oil was discussed without endless threads of hearsay [censored] like "I heard the new Ultra isn't as good as the old stuff" which is about as educated as "my cousin says PYB causes sludge" or "I used MMO in my brake fluid for years and never had problems".

Also, your supposed problem makes no sense. If you really think the quality of the product is sub par why complain about it's availability. It's the classic Woody Allen "The food there is so terrible... and the portions too small" joke.

If you're cool paying eight bucks a quart for motor oil in a vehicle that has no requirements past API SM... vote away. You have quite a few options for 5-30 at that price.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Can you buy some Ultra on Walmarts site do the Site to Store option?

that's what I was thinking, and I think you can, I have done that many times before with success.
 
The only thing inferior about the new Ultra (besides perhaps availability) is the Noack value is higher. This matters most in tropical climates (I see you're from Denver).

Who knows it may be a better oil in every other way, but we just don't have a lot of hard data on it. It is promoted as Pennzoil's best, so I'm sure it's very good oil.
 
Originally Posted By: raytseng
Did you actually send your "open" message to SOPUS?

I believe their HR lady has an account on here. I remember everyone [censored] to her about their ridiculous rebate processor.
 
I called local SOPUS distributor. They have no Ultra at all. Went to half dozen Walmarts, Autozone, OREILLY, AAP... no Ultra.

Like I said... would use it... but zero here in Denver.

I'll give EP a try. Wanted to extend OCI. Taking PP to 10K might 'work'. But I did try the last two months here. That was my reason for posting.

If EP works well... so be it. If Ultra comes out in Denver next year, will reevaluate.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
That's right, but some retailers want the manufacturers to pay them a slotting fee to secure shelf space. On top of it, the product must actually sell well (which requires heavy advertizing budgets and heavy discounts).

That's exactly it. Wakefield up here aggressively markets Castrol products, and, for the most part, if Castrol is available at a place, you're going to find darn near every product Castrol sells in the country there (although Walmart got rid of the gold bottle, which is what happens when $13.99 a litre is considered a clearance price).

Shell is good at ensuring that at least representatives of the product line are widely available (finding a QS or Pennzoil or Formula Shell or Rotella product somewhere is very, very easy), but finding all the representative products is very difficult. Ultra is virtually impossible to find out here, and only one SOPUS distributor in this province (with a couple locations) can sell Pennzoil-Quaker State stuff, while the rest are only permitted to sell Formula Shell and Rotella.
 
I always like to plan ahead in my oil purchases.

Sometimes, you go to the store and they're out of your favorite stuff.

That's why most everyone here has three to five changes, or much, much more, sitting on a shelf in the garage ready for use.

As far as an open message to SOPUS, I'm sure they have a form letter for ex-Ultra users that have seen the M1EP light.

No biggie.
 
SOPUS distributes Shell, Pennzoil, Quaker State, god knows what else.
Wouldn't they all be similar somehow? Poured from the same hose, probably, and branded differently.
 
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