Synthetic vs Conventional Oil – Is synthetic oil better for your car’s engine than conventional oil?

Yes – synthetic oil is better. Although conventional oil provides adequate lubrication, it doesn’t compete with synthetic oil’s overall engine protection and performance.

Consumer Reports says that fully synthetic oils provide superior engine protection and performance over any synthetic blend or conventional motor oil.

Synthetic oils are created with base oils which are of a higher quality than conventional, less-refined base oils. These higher quality base oils make synthetics:

Less likely to acidify and oxidize
More chemically stable
Harder to break down and lose desired qualities

What is the difference between synthetic and conventional oil?

Visually, there is no difference. The two major differences between synthetic and conventional oil are a bit more subtle.

First, the way the oils are made create a clear distinction.

For example, conventional 5W-30 motor oil is a petroleum-based oil that is thick at low temperatures and thin at high temperatures. To change this variance, oil manufacturers use additives to change the oil’s properties, reducing its viscosity at lower temperatures and thickening the oil at higher temperatures. When it’s freshly made, conventional 5W-30 motor oil acts like its synthetic counterpart, but over time, the chemical additives break down or vaporize, returning the oil to its original consistency.

By contrast, synthetic oils are designed to match a specific type of multi-grade oil from the beginning. Even without additives, a synthetic 5W-30 motor oil will not degrade or change viscosity—it may only become slightly thicker from contaminants.

Does synthetic oil last longer than conventional oil?

In general, yes, synthetic motor oil provides longer intervals between oil changes, but it depends on the brand of oil you use. Certain brands recommend you have your oil changed every 3000 or 5000 miles. Other recommendations range from 7500 to 20,000 miles. Other factors that influence the time between oil changes include driving conditions and your driving style.

Regardless, you should follow the oil change recommendations in your owner’s manual while your vehicle is still under warranty. You should also take your vehicle for more frequent oil changes when first switching to synthetic motor oil because the engine probably has a buildup of deposits and sludge.

What are synthetic oils made from?

Full synthetic motor oil uses the highest possible quality base oil as a starting point, but the industry specifics are a bit murky. Aside from the base oil, synthetic motor oil often incorporates additives to create the final product. Even though no two brand’s synthetic oils are equal, full synthetics still provide better protection than conventional oils or synthetic blends.

Advantages of Synthetic Oil Over Conventional Oil

Since synthetic oils are created using complex processes, they can achieve the precise molecular qualities required for specific applications.

The processes used to make synthetic oils allows oil companies to remove impurities otherwise found in crude oil. They can then tailor the oil molecules to meet the specific demands of modern engines. Thanks to this level of customization, synthetic oils provide superior levels of protection and engine performance than conventional oils.

Synthetic oils also offer the following advantages:

Greater engine protection. Consider that a car’s engine parts move at high speeds and are always in contact with one another. In extreme environments, those engine components can wear down. Your motor oil is the only thing providing a protective element between those moving parts. Unlike synthetic blends or conventional oils, fully synthetic oils won’t break down and will protect your engine for longer—sometimes as much as 25,000 miles.
Cleaner engine. As motor oil circulates through your vehicle’s engine, deposits form. Conventional oils form sludge from these deposits over time, reducing your engine’s efficiency and lifespan. Full synthetic oils, by contrast, contain fewer impurities and resist sludge and deposit formation.
Better viscosity. At both low and high temperatures, synthetic oils enjoy better viscosity and stability than conventional oil or synthetic blends. Full synthetic oils are designed to flow quickly in winter temperatures and resist extreme heat, allowing your engine to run smoothly year-round.
Turbocharger protection. As more cars are built with smaller engines and turbochargers, synthetic oils flow quicker to critical parts, creating the proper lubrication your engine needs. By contrast, conventional oils break down faster under turbocharged conditions. Using a full synthetic option keeps your turbocharged vehicle operating at peak performance.

While synthetic oils offer superior performance, they are substantially more expensive per volume than conventional motor oils. They also pose potential problems in terms of decomposition in certain industrial environments.

Synthetic motor oil does cost more, but it lasts longer and offers more protection for your engine – it resists breakdown and flows better in cold weather.

When the temperature drops, conventional motor oil thickens and flows slower. This leaves parts of your engine unprotected. Over time, wear will take its toll, and you’ll be in the shop needing an expensive repair. It will also waste energy requiring the engine to work harder and use more fuel. This problem is averted when you use synthetic oil because it flows readily all the time, even at start-up.

Conventional oil also contains waxes that thicken with cold temperatures. Synthetic oil, however, doesn’t contain wax, so it remains fluid and can reach vital metal components faster. Those parts don’t contact and wear against each other, so your engine has immediate protection.

Furthermore, in older engines, synthetic motor oil is much better at preventing sludge build-up that can block oil passageways and destroy the engine.

The Disadvantages of Using Synthetic Motor Oil

Synthetic oil is often preferred due its cleaner running capabilities. It’s also seen as a great alternative to numerous oil changes. With synthetic oil, you need fewer oil changes than with a petroleum-based oil. Even so, synthetic oil can have its own disadvantages. You must weigh the pros and cons to make sure you are purchasing the product that is best for your car.

Cost

The main disadvantage of synthetic oil is the price. Manufacturing synthetic oil requires a far more involved process. Because of this, the price of synthetic oil is nearly four times the price of petroleum-based oil. Using a synthetic oil in a car change could cost you $80 versus $20 of a petroleum-based oil. If you insist on or are comfortable with changing the oil every 3,000 miles, this could get costly for you. Car experts recommend that regardless of whether you use natural or synthetic oil, you should change your oil every 3,000 miles. Synthetic oil does allow for less frequent oil changes, but this is not recommended, especially for more inexpensive vehicles.

Pollution

Used synthetic motor oil is a major environmental pollutant. When oil is used, most of it is dumped improperly. It ends up water resources, including groundwater. When this happens it’s very hard to remove the oil from these sources. Dumped synthetic oil can cause health issues for those using water in areas where the oils have been dumped. In fact, 40 percent of pollution in U.S. waterways occurs from carelessly dumped motor oil. Though petroleum-based motor oils have the same effect on the environment, synthetic motor oils seem to be dumped more, as many people feel synthetic oil is a cleaner alternative and thus cannot harm the environment. Synthetic oils harm the environment in the same way that petroleum-based oils do.

Top 5 synthetic motor oil FAQs

Is synthetic oil better than conventional oil? Should I consider changing from conventional oil to synthetic oil? What’s the real difference between full synthetic, synthetic blend and conventional oil? Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions here.

1. Is synthetic oil better for my engine than conventional oil?

Yes, synthetic oil is better for your engine than conventional oil. Although conventional oil (i.e., mineral oil) can provide adequate lubrication performance, it can’t compete with the overall engine performance and protection provided by synthetics.

Synthetics use higher quality base oils as compared to the less-refined base oils used in conventional oils which makes conventional oils:

Less chemically stable
Oxidize and acidify more easily
Quicker to break down and lose protective qualities

Overall, full synthetic oils provide better engine performance and protection than conventional and synthetic blend motor oils. Full synthetic motor oils are specially formulated with a tailored additive system that provides additional performance benefits above and beyond those found with conventional and synthetic blend oils by:

Combating sludge and deposit buildup
Reducing wear
Protecting against high temperatures
Controlling oil breakdown

All of the chemistry that starts in a lab really makes a big difference on the road.

2. What are the advantages of synthetic oil over conventional oil?

Synthetic oils are created through complex processes, including being chemically developed from petrochemicals, to have the exact molecular qualities needed for a specific application.

These processes remove impurities from the crude oil and enable individual molecules to be tailored to the demands of modern engines. These customized molecules in synthetic oils provide higher levels of performance and protection than conventional oils.

So how do synthetic oils outperform conventional oils?

By offering greater engine wear protection

Engine parts are in constant contact with each other and moving at high speeds. In the extreme environment of your engine, components can wear and break down. Your motor oil is the only protective barrier between these components.

As conventional and synthetic blend oils break down, typically, their ability to prevent engine wear diminishes. But full synthetic oils retain their wear protection properties for a much longer time, helping to increase engine life by keeping important engine parts in excellent condition for 250,000 miles.*

*Total engine miles. Tested in vehicles primarily in city and highway driving conditions with respective product recommended oil change intervals.

By keeping your engine cleaner

As oil circulates through your engine, it can pick up deposits. Over time, conventional oils can form sludge, which can reduce your engine’s efficiency and, ultimately, reduce the life of your engine. Mobil 1 full synthetic oils contain fewer impurities compared to conventional and synthetic blend oils and can better resist the formation of sludge and deposits in your engine. If your engine already has sludge, Mobil 1 motor oils clean up virtually all engine sludge in just one oil change.

By flowing better in low temperatures

When your vehicle is not being driven, the oil settles. But when you fire up the ignition, it begins flowing through critical engine parts to protect against friction. Conventional and synthetic blend oils take more time until they are able to flow smoothly through the engine. During cold winter months, or if you live in an extremely cold environment, this flow process takes even longer. Mobil 1 full synthetic oils are engineered to flow quickly even at low temperatures, and they start protecting your engine right after you start your vehicle.

By protecting better at high temperatures

When running, engines are hot. Over time, the high temperatures in your engine can cause conventional and synthetic blend oils to break down or evaporate, exposing your engine to wear. Mobil 1 full synthetic oils are engineered to resist these high temperatures, which is especially important if you’re driving in hot climates or requiring your engine to work harder such as while towing or hauling.

By protecting critical turbocharger parts

Automakers are building cars with smaller engines (for greater fuel efficiency) and turbochargers (to boost power). Turbocharged engines run even hotter than non-turbo engines. Oil in a turbocharger can exceed 400° Fahrenheit and the shaft inside a turbocharger can spin upwards of 200,000 revolutions per minute, so it’s important that motor oil flows quickly to these critical parts for proper lubrication.

Conventional and synthetic blend oils can break down faster under extreme turbo conditions and leave deposits on turbocharger components, which can lead to failure. Mobil 1 full synthetic oils can protect these components much better than conventional oils, keeping them operating at peak performance and boosting engine power. conventional oils, keeping them operating at peak performance and boosting your engine’s power.

3. Does synthetic oil have longer oil change intervals than conventional oil?

Yes, generally, synthetic oil can provide longer oil change intervals than conventional oil. But this is often dependent upon the brand of motor oil and several other factors, such as driving style and driving conditions. Please follow the recommendations in your owner’s manual while your vehicle is under warranty.

Some synthetic motor oil brands still recommend oil changes every 3,000 or 5,000 miles. Full synthetic motor oils that support oil change intervals ranging from 7,500 miles, to 20,000 miles or one full year.

4. What is the difference between a full synthetic oil and a synthetic blend?

While there are no firm industry definitions, full synthetic motor oils typically use the highest quality base oil combination as a starting point. Synthetic blend motor oils will typically be either a blend of high-quality and lower-quality conventional base oils or all high-quality (higher than conventional) base oils. But the synthetic base oil is only half the story. The correct blend of additives must go into the mix to create the oil.

The tailored additive system in Mobil 1 full synthetic oils gives the additional performance benefits above and beyond those found with synthetic blend oils. And while full synthetics as a motor oil category provide better protection than conventional and synthetic blend oils, not all synthetics are created equal.

5. My car doesn’t require synthetic motor oil. Can I change from conventional motor oil to full synthetic motor oil?

Switching from conventional motor oil to full synthetic motor oil is perfectly acceptable. Full synthetic motor oils are compatible with conventional oils, oils for high mileage vehicles, synthetic blends and other full synthetic oils. Engine flushing is not required.

For high mileage engines

However, if your vehicle has a high mileage engine (e.g., engine with more than 75,000 miles) that has never used synthetic motor oil, or one that has been poorly maintained with infrequent oil changes, we recommend easing into extended oil change intervals to allow synthetic oil to clean up the engine. In these special cases you should still follow the same basic oil change procedures (drain the old oil, remove the old oil filter, put in new oil and put on a new oil filter).

Follow your OEM’s recommended maintenance practices regarding oil changes, but you should follow more frequent (one or two non-extended drain) oil changes when first switching to synthetic oil. The reasoning behind these shortened oil change intervals is that a high mileage engine, or one that has had a lack of maintenance (including infrequent oil changes), will likely have a considerable buildup of sludge and deposits.

Synthetic oil will help clean the engine as you drive, but it will have to work much harder in a very “dirty” engine and so it is best to change the oil more frequently for those first several thousand miles. After that, you can rest assured that synthetic oil is continuing to keep your engine running clean and well lubricated for mile after mile.

Not all types of synthetic oils perform the same

Motor oils aren’t created equal. You might already know that synthetic oils typically outperform conventional oils, but you might not know the difference between synthetic blend oils and full synthetic oils. If you don’t, then pull up a chair. First, let’s define “synthetic.” If it sounds high-tech or advanced, it’s because it is.

Where traditional mineral or conventional use refined crude oil (that stuff you find in the ground), synthetic oils consist of chemical compounds that are artificially made by breaking down and then rebuilding petroleum molecules. The end result is an oil containing specific molecules that are tailored to provide optimal lubrication properties.

Types of synthetic oil

There are different types of synthetic oil: synthetic blend oil and full synthetic oil. Here’s the difference.

Synthetic blend oil is a mix of conventional motor oils and synthetic base stocks. Because of the added synthetic base stock, you’re going to get more performance and protection than you would by using a conventional oil alone.

Full synthetic oil uses a synthetic base stock mixed with a variety of additives that boost the performance of the oil. While all synthetics on the market may offer a higher level of protection than conventional or synthetics blends, not all synthetics are equal. Each synthetic brand uses a mix of high-performance fluids and additives. How these formulations come together results in various protection levels and attributes.

To determine which synthetic is best for you, consider what type of protection you need. Is it better wear protection? Cleaner engine? Durability?

So not all synthetics provide the same protection? Why not?

Here’s why. Not all synthetics are formulated the same way. They can contain very different types and combinations of base oils and additives. Even minor differences in formulation can have a major effect on performance. For example, add a bit more of one additive and you get better cleanliness, but you might lose some wear protection. Cut back on this additive and you get better performance at high temperatures, but the cold-weather startup isn’t as good.

So, what’s a guy (or gal) to do? The best approach is to look for a full synthetic product that offers optimal performance in every area. That way, you’re not getting short changed in one area just to get better performance in another. Also, be sure to select synthetic oils that use high-quality base stocks to ensure powerful performance and protection.

To start enjoying the benefits of today’s synthetic lubricants, consult your owner’s manual, talk to your mechanic, and follow the links here to learn more about the motor oils that are best for your vehicle and your unique driving conditions.

How often should I change my oil?

There is some confusion about how often to change or have the oil changed in your vehicle. Here are a few things to consider in regards to your car’s oil.

It has been previously believed that you should change your oil every 3,000 miles. Doing so may just be a waste of time and money. This practice is outdated and not necessary. There have been numerous advances in engine and oil technology, that the 3,000 mile rule doesn’t apply to newer vehicles. Now, the interval for changing oil can range from 5,000 to 15,000 miles.

Checking & changing your oil regularly will help your car last longer. On the average with newer vehicles, it is recommended to change the oil about every 7,800 miles.

Newer vehicles have an oil monitoring system, make sure to follow it and check the oil when needed. Don’t ignore you oil warning light (If you don’t know what the oil pressure light looks like, click here to see what it looks like and other dashboard warning lights).

Use extended-life motor oil. Extended oil is synthetic oil that is designed to last longer than traditional motor oil.

Synthetic vs Conventional Oil : Which One Does Your Car Need?

A regular oil change is preventative vehicle maintenance that extends the life of your vehicle, saving you money with each mile driven. Without a doubt, oil change services are important; but which type of oil—synthetic or conventional– is best for your vehicle?

Conventional oil is refined from naturally occurring crude oil, while synthetic is created with a chemically altered conventional oil base or artificially manufactured using other materials. Experts agree that synthetic oil has certain advantages, including the fact that it’s thinner, lubricates better, and is more durable, making it prone to resist degradation due to high engine heat. Simply stated, synthetic oil lasts longer resulting in fewer oil changes.

Your vehicle owner’s manual often specifies the type and grade of oil best for your vehicle. Some new and late model vehicle manufacturers require the use of full synthetic oil, especially in European makes, hybrids, and high-performance vehicles. Not getting a synthetic oil change for these vehicles could jeopardize your warranty on any type of future engine problem.

Ultimately, the choice of oil is often based on personal values, driving habits, or style. When it’s time for your next oil change, consider using conventional oil if:

You obtain regular oil changes on time (according to vehicle manufacturer recommended intervals) for your vehicle.
You drive a vehicle with a rotary engine such as a Mazda or Audi.
You drive mostly short distances and at lower speeds.

Consider synthetic oil if:

You prefer to have less frequent oil changes or forget to obtain service until the recommended interval has passed.
You own a high-performance vehicle or drive in severe conditions resulting in greater than normal amounts of engine heat.
You have environmental concerns and would like to use less oil over the life of your vehicle, obtain slightly better gas mileage, and emit less exhaust.

Though synthetic oil is more expensive initially, longer oil change intervals help even out costs.

In the end – check your owner’s manual to determine the interval in which it is recommended to change oil in your particular vehicle.

Engine Oil Filter Ratings Explained in this article.