Originally Posted By: KCJeep
No that there is anything wrong with Napa syn, but it is not simply rebranded Synpower. It would make no marketing sense for Valvoline to off load gobs of their best oil on the cheap under a store brand name.
Without saying anything about the actual data in the links, it actually makes tremendous sense for Valvoline to do this. NAPA moves a LOT of product, especially through their connections with independent auto shops. (My own mechanic, when I don't fix something myself, uses NAPA for 90% of his supplies and parts.) I'm sure NAPA was willing to commit to taking a large amount of house-branded oil knowing their professional customers will buy and use it for their customers' oil changes without hesitation.
NAPA's site has a 55 gallon barrel of synthetic oil that's working out to about $11.50 per GALLON. For a very usable oil -- one the mechanic can say "is made by Valvoline" -- that leaves a good bit of margin on a $50+ synthetic oil change.
Further, as a matter of supply chain, there's a cost associated with setting up another mixing facility for different blends. That cost would have to be weighed against simply repackaging the existing line's output.