try amsoil or stick with the cheaper stuff?

[ptn107]

I was checking out the various Amsoil engine oil options here: https://www.amsoil.com/newsstand/auto-and-light-truck/articles/three-tiers-of-amsoil-performance/

Is something like the 5w-20 OE Synthetic overkill for my 2016 Elantra (book says 7500mi OCI)? I've normally just picked up whatever 5w-20 synthetic happened to be on special at the time and changed it every 5000-7500 miles.

Any benefits over the lifetime of the engine that I wouldn't get with my cheaper "full synthetics"?

 

[Zee09]

As long as it is in spec with your manual- anything will work for you.
No big deal either way.

 

[csandste]

I guess we have the same engine (I have GDI). Since most cars rot out long before their engines fail, I wouldn't pay for it. Never think of HyunKia engines as being particularly tough on oil, although a small percentage seem to blow up (mostly 2.4's) because of manufacturing defects.

In the early days of this board the guy instrumental in inventing the GM OLM system posted a few times on here. He was openly disrespectful of Amsoil and posted that it was no better or worse than any other oil. He was driven off by flocks of AMSOIL salesmen--maybe he was thin skinned. Times have changed and there's 66000 members, not 2000, so you'll get a wide variety of responses.

Blackstone Labs also follows the thesis that all oils are roughly the same and they see a lot of tests.

 

[Snagglefoot]

 

[parshisa]

From oil performance standpoint using OE oils make no sense, since they really are no different from other readily accessible oils (same Group3 with similar TBN values). If you're planning on extended drains, then look into signature series oils, if not - go pick up something from walmart and don't forget to submit a rebate!

 

[StevieC]

As an Amsoil user I can tell you that it's an excellent product and I have used their ATF and Engine oils in a number of vehicles, however if you aren't going to push the limits using UOA's to find your maximum change interval and would rather stick with a 8K mile or less interval then the extra cost over shelf synthetics is not warranted in the U.S. (In Canada it's a different story because of how expensive stuff is here in comparison).

Also for the Elantra you could run bottom basic conventional and still get a long life out of it. My sister is the worst when it comes to treating a vehicle properly and doing the required maintenance and she has driven her 3 Elantra's very long lives on bottom basic conventional oil.

Happy Motoring.

 

[PimTac]

With rebates, the major brands will always be a better deal.

Something else to consider; AMSOIL gets their base from someone else. They don't make their own. Previous discussions have mention Mobil 1 as their supplier. I imagine the additives come from someone as well.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Something else to consider; AMSOIL gets their base from someone else. They don't make their own. Previous discussions have mention Mobil 1 as their supplier. I imagine the additives come from someone as well.

How does that matter, if they are blending it to their specification?

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by StevieC
Originally Posted by PimTac
Something else to consider; AMSOIL gets their base from someone else. They don't make their own. Previous discussions have mention Mobil 1 as their supplier. I imagine the additives come from someone as well.

How does that matter, if they are blending it to their specification?




It doesn't. Just saying that AMSOIL is a blender. Some people are unaware of that. Valvoline is a blender as well.

 

[burla]

new amsoil has like 220ppm moly or something, that is very good for di engines. plus they are sn+ friendly formula with the low calcium, I don't know if it's sn plus, but close. I am talking about SS, I would not use other amsoils. Plus there is some chance there are group 4 base oils, if true even better for di engine. specifically GDI engines Amsoil ss is a top shelf choice that should protect you from lspi. if it was only the moly and not group 4, it still would be the top choice for di engine. I'm not an amsoil guy, but if I had a di I would use it.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by PimTac
Originally Posted by StevieC
Originally Posted by PimTac
Something else to consider; AMSOIL gets their base from someone else. They don't make their own. Previous discussions have mention Mobil 1 as their supplier. I imagine the additives come from someone as well.

How does that matter, if they are blending it to their specification?




It doesn't. Just saying that AMSOIL is a blender. Some people are unaware of that. Valvoline is a blender as well.


It's just the way you stated it. "Something else to consider" sort of raised flags with me like you making out that it was a bad thing is all and that is why I wanted to know more to make sure it wasn't a knock against that somehow makes the product inferior which I see is not what you were getting at.

 

[burla]

I might entertain going up to 30 weight if your application calls for 20 weight, the 30 weight is a low viscosity oi, perfect for people that may want to move off twenty weight.

 

[burla]

If you have the gdi you should be hunting for low calcium oils with high moly and even high zinc.

 

[StevieC]

Originally Posted by burla
If you have the gdi you should be hunting for low calcium oils with high moly and even high zinc.


Amsoil has all this covered in their oils. They were one of the first to do so. (not the first, but one of the first)

 

[ptn107]

Originally Posted by csandste
I guess we have the same engine (I have GDI).


Mine's just the 1.8 Nu engine (without the ticking of earlier model years) and isn't gdi.

Not gonna lie I've done a change with walmart supertech 5w-20/5w-30 (both st conventional [seemed to be ok] and st synthetic) once or twice. I was just curious about Amsoil as a lot of people who bash the lower priced synthetics for whatever reason unanimously praise this Amsoil stuff. Those few times I used ST I never noticed anything different than the Pennzoil, QS, or Valvoline oils I've used.

I don't do extended OCIs sticking to 7500 like the book says. I do mostly highway commutes daily 35-45min each way all 65mph+.

 

[StevieC]

I'd use a quality off the shelf synthetic then with a Fram Ultra or OEM filter and it will live a long life.

 

[dave1251]

Amsoil is a very good product. The company has a very good recommendation for an unknown reason folks like to take jabs at it. The company does offer outrageous unsubstantiated claims as it's base of advertising. It's retail model is different but it's product performs as advertised.

 

[diyjake]

Originally Posted by burla
If you have the gdi you should be hunting for low calcium oils with high moly and even high zinc.


What oils have low calcium and high moly besides amsoil?

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by diyjake
Originally Posted by burla
If you have the gdi you should be hunting for low calcium oils with high moly and even high zinc.


What oils have low calcium and high moly besides amsoil?




Any oil that is SN+ and or dexos 1 Gen 2.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Originally Posted by ptn107
I was checking out the various Amsoil engine oil options here: https://www.amsoil.com/newsstand/auto-and-light-truck/articles/three-tiers-of-amsoil-performance/

Is something like the 5w-20 OE Synthetic overkill for my 2016 Elantra (book says 7500mi OCI)? I've normally just picked up whatever 5w-20 synthetic happened to be on special at the time and changed it every 5000-7500 miles.

Any benefits over the lifetime of the engine that I wouldn't get with my cheaper "full synthetics"?


What are you looking for from the oil? Me I want all the horsepower and torque the engine has to give which means clean ring lands and decent HTHS under high load.

I mix a bit of 5w20 QSUD with 10w30 QSUD and I have all I need from an oil for cheap I go about 5K miles in 4 months.