Originally Posted By: badtlc
Because there isn't a worse filter out there when it comes to...you know...filtering air entering the engine. Being the worst makes it terrible. Not sure why this is so confusing for you.
I think grampi's point is, if engine life isn't effectively worsened, then how much does it really matter? Say Person A uses the best filter out there and gets 300k miles out of his engine. And say Person B uses the worst filter out there and gets 300k miles out of his engine. In the end, what's the difference?
You want the best filter, right, to keep the most dirt out of the engine, right, so the engine will last longer, right? The very last factor is key..."so the engine will last longer". We use air filters to keep dirt out of the engine....and the ONLY reason is to extend the life of the engine. There's no national contest out there for those whose cylinder walls have the fewest scratches. Sure, you can measure dirt that a filter passes, and it might make you feel better to know that Filter A traps more than Filter B, but it's an argument of conjecture until someone can demonstrate that engine life is affected.
I suppose one can draw a parallel with engine oil here. An oil's main purpose in life is to lubricate the engine right? So why not buy the oil that does that the absolute best. You're using conventional Valvoline. A lot of other oils out there pass much higher performance standards. Why do you use Valvoline? Because it's sufficient, right? It's sufficient for the task.
And there's a direct parallel with oil filters. Some people believe that the only filter that belongs on a car is one with 99.9% efficiency at so many microns. And they're free to use those. Meanwhile, Honda and Toyota are using oil filters that are 60% efficient and, yet, their engines last just as long, if not longer, than anyone else's. The 60% efficient oil filters are sufficient for the task.
It could just be that K&N filters are sufficient for the task. Until there's a lot of evidence to the contrary, I'm afraid all discussion is only conjecture.