Oil: Spend more on better oil for FE?

[R.I.D.E.]

Having seen a 1982 Nissan 200 SX with 540,000 miles on the original engine, without even a head gasket. An engine that was as clean as brand new inside at over half a milliion miles.

I will use the recommended 5W-30 oil in my VX and keep changing it 3 times in 10,000 miles until sometime in the future, about 8 years from now, when I will have to find a replacement.

regards
gary

[MorningGaser]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Yeah, I might think about buying it out at the end (or sooner), but probably not. I really like the VW but I'm still not convinced of its longevity, so I'm not sure I want to commit like that to a VW.

I'm almost sure it will be a good deal, though; they apparently retain resale value pretty well, and I just saw a used one with an asking price that looks like MORE than sticker on a new one. If gas prices don't fall to $2.50/gallon again then used little cars will still be in great demand, and book value will be higher than my buyout.

Check it out:
$17,888
http://www.automart.com/vehicledetai.../src-dealerads
25,000 miles
Only option: Sunroof (all those other features are standard)

Brand new 2008 4 door with more power and better EPA rating than the above 2007 model:
MSRP $17,575
http://www.vw.com/rabbit/pricelist/en/us/#/overview

I toyed with trying to turn a profit selling out of my lease and then buy a beater but, besides being an insane idea, I really can't do it for a number of reasons.

As to leasing cars, perhaps the worse financial decision Americans make is to lease a car, and nine times out of ten it is a horrible financial thing to do.

Exceptions are those that can write off the monthly payments, often these folks are business owners, or are provide a car allowance by their companies.

I would stay far, far away from leasing unless you're one of the few that can write off or have the expense off set. Lease are often heavily bias toward the leasor making the money and the leasee being screwed.

My neighbor has leased Camry's exclusively for more then 18 years, and replaces them ever two or so years, and his total expenditure for doing this insane move is over $100,000, and each Camry he turned in had nothing wrong with them, low miles, and he does not have the ability to write off the payments, nor is he provided a car allowance by his employer...and to add salt to the wound, he is a CPA and should know better...the idiot!

Had he purchased just 1-3 Camry's in that same time frame he'd have saved tens of thousands of dollars.

[Jay2TheRescue]

You are right, it does not make sense to "normal" folks why one would lease, except for people who could write it off. I would suggest this though. There are people out there that just want a new car every year or two. For these people a lease is a good deal too, because their monthly payments are lower than if they bought the car, drove it for a year or two, then traded it in on another.

-Jay

[MorningGaser]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

You are right, it does not make sense to "normal" folks why one would lease, except for people who could write it off. I would suggest this though. There are people out there that just want a new car every year or two. For these people a lease is a good deal too, because their monthly payments are lower than if they bought the car, drove it for a year or two, then traded it in on another.

-Jay

The "heart", the subjective part of the brain, says it is a "good deal" for those folks that can't write the payments off.

This never makes it right. It is still wrong. The fact that some people want a new car every few years is about the lamest excuse one can come up with to justify a lease. Lower payments are not even close to a decent justification for leasing.

Better to listen to the "objective" part of the brain because it is usually right all the time. Delayed-gratification is often a concept most materialistic, consumer driven folks know nothing of. I know a dumb-a$$ that rents a house down the street from us. $2,800/month, and he has a working wife and three kids. What does the idiot do? He buys a brand new Suburban maxed out with more electronics that exists at Best Buy, and he leased the vehicle for over $600/month, not to mention the $500/month for gas, and $160/month for insurance. But I'm sure he could easily use the same justifications you wrote of to "justify" it. Oh, and he leased, yes leased the $4,000+ 21" spinner wheels for it too!

And besides, you'll not find one single financial planner in the USA that would agree with you ;-)

But hey, it's your money, and you're entitled to wasting it any way you see fit ;-)

In summary, it is exceedingly stupid for anyone to lease a car unless they can either write it off, or receive a car allowance from their employer...this really is a black & white matter...

[Jay2TheRescue]

My point was that if the person was going to purchase a new car every year anyway, it would get them a nicer car for a lower payment. I would never do it, but if you were never going to pay the car off, and just trade it back in then leasing is a good deal too.

-Jay

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by MorningGaser

As to leasing cars, perhaps the worse financial decision Americans make is to lease a car, and nine times out of ten it is a horrible financial thing to do.

LOL, this again...

I'm quite aware of the financial calculations involved with leasing. I'm fully congizant of the meaning and application. I've always been entirely against the idea, and like you, even took time to chide those jerks who admitted to having committed the capital crime of leasing.

Then I got to a point where it was the least intolerable option available. My choices were:

1. Buy a new $30,000 truck in two years, and spend time/money repairing the old one often in the meantime, possibly having to rent a vehicle to get to work sometimes.

2. Get a loan to buy a beater, if the bank would even offer such a loan (I doubt it). I'd also have to buy a dolly so I can tow the car to the mechanic and drive the less-broken vehicle back, and possibly occasionally pay a tow truck to drag my truck there when it's too broken to even tow the car there.

3. Swallow my pride and lease a brand new car to extend my truck's life. My monthly costs are the same as if I kept driving the truck (gas savings pay for lease, insurance, maintenance, etc). Three years later I'll still have a useful truck, having paid no more than if I kept the truck and turned the odometer.

I was in no condition to buy a decent car. I've effectively bought 45,000 miles of life for my truck.

[trollbait]

I'm switching the beast to 0W on the next change. I don't think you'll do any damage switching to a 0w.

You won't do any damage. The 0w is still thicker than the oil at operating temp. It's just thinner than the 5w at start up. It may be slightly thinner once warmed up, but the viscosity varies between brands anyway. The numbers on the bottle are just a labeling system, and don't have a direct correlation to what the viscosity actually is. The numbers rether toa viscosity range.

For example, the Castrol 0w-30 is thick for a 30, and is close to a 40. The Mobil synthetics are on the thinner side. The oil manufacturers should have spec sheets up on their sites with the exact numbers.

I've seen an increase in economy between oil types in the Prius, but it was a change of 5w-30 to 0w-20. It was likely the 30 to 20 change mostly responsible. The 0w may of had a slight edge over the 5w-20 I later tried during the winter. With an hybrid or excessive EOCing, the extra thinness when cooled may help.

I'm currently using a 5w-20 in the HHR, and haven't seen that much of an improvement. I think my technique is more responsible. I'm going back to a 30 weight next change. GM uses an oil monitoring system that is calibrated for dino oil in the car. I'd like to try a 0w during the winter, but I'm hesitant to go synthetic do to that system.

[Jay2TheRescue]

As long as we're discussing viscosities, what might be the long term effects of switching an engine that the MFR recommended 5w30 in 1998 to a 0w20? I'm currently operating Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic, and have for the past ~40,000 miles. I am definately switching to a 0w oil on my next change, but I have been toying with the idea of maybe doing 4 quarts of 0w30, and 1 qt of 0w20, or even pondering switching entirely to a 0w20. The Beast has an "old skool" small block 350 in it with 152,000 miles. Does not leak or burn oil. My oil consumption is ~ 1 Qt every 4,000 miles or so, and most of that is probably wiped off the dipstick as I check my oil every time I put gas in it. Also, with a 5,000 mile change interval my oil never turns black. It gets dark brown, but I've never seen black oil in it.

-Jay

[dkjones96]

Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy is a 0w oil. They offer 0w-20 and 0w-30. I think I filled my car with the 30 and topped it off with the 20 before a trip. The AFE oil is actually cheaper than the normal Mobil 1 by a few dollars and is why I got it.

Since winter is coming and my car is nearing the 10k change point I will probably just fill it with the 20.

[GasSavers_GasUser]

I re-read this post.

The first time around I missed "the lease part". I won't get into my feelings on leases but lease = it is not your car. So since you already bought the oil use it and see if there is a mpg benefit with the 0w over the heavier weight oil. Even if you got 1/2 mpg more out of it, I would think that over your extended drain interval of 10,000 miles as you mentioned, you would be a little ahead on your extra $18 expendature.

As an aside, I switched 5w30 dino to 5w30 syn in a vehicle right after engine break in and had trouble trying to discern an actual mpg increase. Just too many variables in my driving at the time. But that was the same weight oil but I would imagine if you went to the 0w there might/should be a more discernable difference. They claim it is a fuel saveing weight, but I don't know how much of that is advertising BS so I guess you have to try it yourself and see if it works in your application, as it is difficult for an individual to do a scientific test where you can eliminate all variables. I still use the syn over dino in that vehicle, but mainly because I believe it has better lube qualities.