Euro oil is not any different than the oil used in the USA. Nor are the fuels. The European "driving style" may very well be harder on oil than the "American" driving style of longer trips and relatively low constant power settings needed for driving on the Interstate freeways.
What is different is that the Europeans can be trusted to take their vehicles in for oil changes on schedule, while a substantial chunk of Americans typically will leave their vehicles until either the light comes on, or severely after the manufacturer's recommended interval. The dealers rely upon oil changes as part of their marketing efforts for other maintenance, while such is far less prevalent in Europe. USA dealers and quickie lubes often cannot be even trusted to use the manufacturers' recommended oil or recommend the proper interval, as witnessed by the huge problems encountered with the petrol direct injection engines and intake occlusion caused by improper oil change practices (which seemed to mostly be caused by overly frequent oil changes with cheap oils, sometimes inappropriately substituted for the proper oils by profit-maximizing dealers and quickie lubes!).
As a result, USA OCI's are grossly in excess of what's required (providing that oil is appropriately "topped up" and other maintenance is performed). Europe does not have an epidemic of engine failures or premature engine wear-outs due to their "higher" intervals because people actually adhere to them. Perhaps it is because a car is more of a luxury item in most of Europe, rather than something that most lower-class people in the USA own.
What is different is that the Europeans can be trusted to take their vehicles in for oil changes on schedule, while a substantial chunk of Americans typically will leave their vehicles until either the light comes on, or severely after the manufacturer's recommended interval. The dealers rely upon oil changes as part of their marketing efforts for other maintenance, while such is far less prevalent in Europe. USA dealers and quickie lubes often cannot be even trusted to use the manufacturers' recommended oil or recommend the proper interval, as witnessed by the huge problems encountered with the petrol direct injection engines and intake occlusion caused by improper oil change practices (which seemed to mostly be caused by overly frequent oil changes with cheap oils, sometimes inappropriately substituted for the proper oils by profit-maximizing dealers and quickie lubes!).
As a result, USA OCI's are grossly in excess of what's required (providing that oil is appropriately "topped up" and other maintenance is performed). Europe does not have an epidemic of engine failures or premature engine wear-outs due to their "higher" intervals because people actually adhere to them. Perhaps it is because a car is more of a luxury item in most of Europe, rather than something that most lower-class people in the USA own.
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