How are car/store brands so cheap yet still...

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Able to meet ILSAC and API requirements/specs, while name brands like Pennzoil and Valvoline meet the same specs, yet cost as much as double in some instances. I've seen a bottle of pennzoil synthetic cost double of supertech yet they both meet API and ILSAC specs.

Are the big brand's base oils that much better than store brands, or is it the additive packages that are that much better or both?

Just wondering cause I've read on here where people using Wal-Mart brand or Motorcraft get just as many miles out of their vehicles as those of us who use the big brands like Pennzoil, Castro, etc.
 
I don't see SuperTech advertising and sponsoring race teams. The mark up and profit on SuperTech is much lower for both the manufacture and Wal-Mart.
 
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I think all retail oil is too high anyway.
Sure I buy it but it has a bunch of marketing cost built in as said above.
 
Many have said Supertech meets the specs, but does not exceed them. Still a good oil for 95% of the vehicles on the road for regular oil changes.

Also, as mentioned, Walmart (or other store brands) don't pay for advertising, sponsor things and such. It also goes to supply/demand and overall overhead.
Same reason generic is cheaper than name brand everywhere.
 
Most house brands of oil are made by major oil companies, not sure who makes Wal mart super oil, but as long as that API wstarburst is on there it is as good as any. I use Travelers or NAPA and a fellow poster informed me that it was made by Warren oil which is 50 miles up the road from me in Omaha.

I suspect the main reason name brand oil like Mobil, Valvoline, Conoco, and the like are more expensive is because of all of the advertising that they do on TV , radio and car magazines. Now I am not an auto engineer, but I would say it is not much of an exaggeration to say that an engine is highly likely to outlast the rest of a car as long as there has always been some type of API certified oil in it above the add mark, and it was changed regularly. I have known many people who are abuse their vehicles to no end and do not do very good maintenance, but the ONE and only thing that do right is change the oil and the vehicle keeps running on well past the 100K mark. So yep , Wal Martand other house brands are as good as any as long as it has that API starburst. By the way I think Motor Craft is a major brand but just sold by FORD.
 
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People are misguided by thinking products are priced based on how much they cost to produce. They don't say, hmm, this cost $12 to make, mark it up 30%. Items are priced by what the local market is willing to pay. This is why the same product varies greatly in price.

People are willing to pay more for name brands, so they charge more.
 
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MC is made by Conoco/Phillips, ST is made by Warren, Mobil, or (possibly) others depending on where in the country you are in. All the "house" brands are made by other manufacturers, but they don't have the advertising budget that the majors do. It's like generic/house brand food-is it likely to kill you? No, but the name brands usually are better-for additional $. Also, that's why the PQIA is a useful resource-their VOAs are a font of useful information, and they point out any bad actors they find!
 
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Often with any product , there are often times where the name brand is better. My wife is a school trained certified chef and when it comes to food there are certain items that she will only buy as name brand. Ketchup she will only buy Heinz, salad dressing has to be Miracle whip. Spices have to be name brand like McCormick. Also she only will buy Dawn dish soap and Tide detergent as the off brands are not as good for cleaning.

Since I retired from military I enjoy making my own home brew beer with Mr. Beer and find it much better than any brand I can buy in a store. Also since I like to grill ribs nearly every weekend, I discovered that the house brand charcoal house brands "Our family" or HyVee or Walmart brand charcoal just do not stay at temp for 3 hours, like Kingsford or Stubbs does and then I have to use twice as much and change it out after 2 hours.Though I like peanut butter and am ok with HyVEE store brand.. I still think Skippy is better, but not a lot better. I do not mind house brand cola or 7 up, but my wife can tell the difference and only will buy Coco cola or actual 7 up. Personally I can tell no difference. I have tires that are 'multi mile" brand but discovered that they are actually Coopers and so far happy with them after 50K. Sometimes house brand of products are OK and other times not and sometimes just a personal preference or just a brand loyalty.
 
Here where I'm at they just aren't that much cheaper. Supertech conventional is something like $11.97 and you can get Chevron supreme for $11.77. That's per 5QT. If you want syn, Supertech synthetic is something like $17.47 and I've commonly seen Castrol Magnatec for $17.88. Motorcraft blend is $18.xx while oils meeting the same spec are often found for less than 15 from the major brands. So I don't know if I agree with the underlying premise that the house brands are much cheaper.
 
Oil performance and it's cost comparison are not easily identified unless you're blowing up engines and can definitively say "this engine lasted 30,000 miles longer with X Brand oil. As a rule the more something costs the higher grade or quality it is. (i fully agree there are exceptions) SnapOn and Craftsman wrenches both do the same thing, but professional mechanics can tell you the difference. Is it worth the costs??? That's up to you.
I use house-brand oil in my less expensive lawn equipment and old tractors, but in my day-to-day vehicles I use Mobil 1 full synthetic. Beyond advertising dollars and all that, there is a lot of money into the science of that oil.

____________
1998 Honda Accord: 330K
2006 Honda Accord: 170K
2006 F150: 160K
 
IMHO, it's all about advertising and lesser additives but, still more than enough to meet/exceed the API spec's.

If you look at the additive pkg(PQIA) of the store brand compared to [some] of the major brands, you'll see less, e.g., Calcium, NOACK, and possibly the starting Base Number etc. Other factors too but this is just some things that come to mind.

The API specification for motor oil is SO high today(SL, SM, SN/GF-3, 4, 5--Grp II/II+)that even if the oil companies or blenders ONLY met the minimum spec in each category/additive, it would still be better or more than good enough oils that most daily drivers need.

* OTOH, if you drive something special(HD TRUCK of HP Vehicle) then use oils accordingly.
 
Originally Posted By: blupupher
Many have said Supertech meets the specs, but does not exceed them. Still a good oil for 95% of the vehicles on the road for regular oil changes.

Also, as mentioned, Walmart (or other store brands) don't pay for advertising, sponsor things and such. It also goes to supply/demand and overall overhead.
Same reason generic is cheaper than name brand everywhere.


^^This

Supertech meets the minimum spec,while Pennzoil exceeds the maximum spec. Think of a quarter pounder from Micky D's keeping you alive,while a Kobe beef hamburger keeping you healthy
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
People are misguided by thinking products are priced based on how much they cost to produce. They don't say, hmm, this cost $12 to make, mark it up 30%. Items are priced by what the local market is willing to pay. This is why the same product varies greatly in price.

People are willing to pay more for name brands, so they charge more.


This!

Products are marketed and priced based on what consumers are willing to pay.

Advertising helps a product's image in the market, allowing the seller to charge more and get it.
 
The API SN spec is so mild that an oil can be easily and cheaply blended to meet it.
The cheap store brand oils typically have cheap add packs and some, like Walmart's store brand have no moly at all, a definite sign of cheapness. Not all basestocks in any given group are created equally either. RDS GTL and XOM Visom are a big step above the Korean sourced Grp IIIs used in house brand "full synthetic" oils.
You pay a little more, you get a little more. House brand oils are in no way equivalent to name brand oils, and it ain't the advertising or sponsorships that make the difference either.
What's really ironic is that either M1 or SOPUS syns are cheaper than the house brand cheapies after their frequently offered MIRs, but the typical low information buyer of house brand oil won't know this.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I don't see SuperTech advertising and sponsoring race teams. The mark up and profit on SuperTech is much lower for both the manufacture and Wal-Mart.

This right here! No need to debate it any further, just like Conoco and Service Pro oils, a quart of SP synthetic is cheaper at my local Town Pump than a bottle of Pennzoil or Quaker State conventional!
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I don't see SuperTech advertising and sponsoring race teams. The mark up and profit on SuperTech is much lower for both the manufacture and Wal-Mart.

I also don't see Walmart doing any R&D, plus they're looking for the lowest bidder to fill the bottles. I don't see SuperTech rushing to claim ACEA certification or a lot of builder approvals.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
... What's really ironic is that either M1 or SOPUS syns are cheaper than the house brand cheapies after their frequently offered MIRs ...
Do you consider TGMO a "house brand cheapie"? How 'bout GM's and Ford's equivalents?
 
Originally Posted By: Garak

I also don't see Walmart doing any R&D, plus they're looking for the lowest bidder to fill the bottles. I don't see SuperTech rushing to claim ACEA certification or a lot of builder approvals.


But the manufacturers who make it are. I can trust WPP and Amalie to make a quality product.
 
Originally Posted By: CR94
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
... What's really ironic is that either M1 or SOPUS syns are cheaper than the house brand cheapies after their frequently offered MIRs ...
Do you consider TGMO a "house brand cheapie"? How 'bout GM's and Ford's equivalents?


I'd use M1 AFE over TGMO any time. Better basestock blend and lower VII load. I'd tell you that AFE also has lower NOACK and better CCV numbers and while that's almost certainly the case Toyota isn't giving up that information on TGMO and PQIA hasn't VOAed the oil, so I can only speculate.
Don't know about GM's and Ford's house brands, but if you're talking about Motorcraft, it looks to be a fairly mediocre oil.
Just bought a jug of AFE 0W-20 plus an M1 oil filter today.
Between store discounts and the MIR, I've got a change for either the newer Forester or the newer Accord for $13.00 AMIR, and this for an oil and filter I'm pleased to use.
Finally, the two classic identifiers of a cheap house brand oil are NOACK and CCV barely meeting the API SN spec.
Take a look at the many VOAs available on the PQIA site.
 
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