by Garrett McKinnon
VehicleMD Staff Writer
Originally published in Fall 2010 Issue

Think about when you first bought your car. How clean and shiny it was. How fragrant it smelled (in a good way—we hope—in case you bought a used car). How smooth it ran.

But chances are if you’re like most Americans, you need that car to last. And last. And last. Because, let’s face it, most of us aren’t trading our cars every three or four years like we used to. Instead, folks are holding onto their cars for seven, eight, even nine years or more. In fact, did you know the average car on the road today is more than 10 years old?

With that in mind, more drivers are thinking of ways to protect their cars for the long haul. Your car might not always be clean, shiny, fragrant (in that good way) or smooth, but you can give the engine the very best in protection.

How? Synthetic motor oils are specially crafted to provide the very best protection you can give your car. Basically, synthetic motor oil is engineered at the molecular level to be more robust than conventional motor oil. What does this mean for you, the driver?

According to Timothy Miranda, a senior engineer with Castrol, synthetic motor oil’s increased robustness keeps it from evaporating (a property lubricants engineers call “volatility”) as easily as conventional oil. Synthetic is also able to better resist attack by contaminants within the engine that oxidize and thicken the oil. This property allows it to perform its primary duty of protecting the various components inside the engine even better than conventional motor oil. You name the property, synthetic motor oil is superior in just about every way.

More auto manufacturers are jumping on board the synthetic bandwagon, as well. Today, companies like Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Volkswagen, Toyota, Chevrolet, etc. all recommend (and require, in some cases) the use of synthetic motor oil in all or some of their vehicles. Why? Because they realize that there is simply no better motor oil on the market than synthetic motor oil, especially given that your car’s engine is being worked like never before.

“Today’s demanding driving styles, combined with today’s hard-working engines, are tough on engine oil. Stop-and-go or city driving, short trips, excessive idling, towing or hauling, and extremely hot or cold weather—these conditions really stress the oil,” Miranda said. “For the best protection available in engine oil, synthetic is the way to go.”

If there’s one complaint we hear about synthetic oil, it is price. True, synthetic motor oil is a bit more expensive than conventional oil, but engines are more expensive today than ever, with replacement engines costing as much as $10,000 on some imported models. Even replacement engines for domestic models can start at $2,500 or more, and who needs that kind of repair bill? If you really want your car to last as long as you need it to, synthetic motor oil really is worth the investment.

“A vehicle is a big investment,” Miranda said. “For a few dollars more than a conventional oil change, you can buy synthetic oil, which delivers the ultimate protection for your engine.”