Why should anyone care if synthetic motor oil lasts longer than conventional motor oil?  Stop being lazy and change your oil more often!

Seriously though, synthetic oil is pricey and changing synthetic motor oil every 3,000 miles is not very cost effective.  Considering that synthetic oil truly lasts longer than conventional oil, you’re not going to be buying oil as often which might actually save you some money and you get the awesome benefits attached to synthetic oil like better gas mileage and superior engine protection (preventing costly breakdowns which saves you even more money).

The questions are; what is synthetic motor oil, and why does it last longer than conventional oil?

Synthetic oil contains basestock oils that have been “synthesized” from component molecules (depending on the manufacturer they may be heavily processed).  What it boils down to is eliminating the native contaminants from the base oils and keeping separate the specific molecules of oil that provide the base viscosity, lubricating properties and resistance to breakdown.

What that all means is you have a pure starting point.  When your oil breaks down and/or becomes contaminated your oil is no longer capable of properly protecting your engine.  Synthetic motor oil is engineered with the goal of breakdown prevention and self contamination prevention as well as maintaining its base lubrication properties for a longer amount of time than conventional oil possibly could.  Some say that since conventional motor oils aren’t pure that some of them are more prone to oxidation sludging and other depositing that negatively impacts the lubricating properties of the oil.

Certain synthetic motor oils can give conventional oils a run for their money when it comes to standing up to the rough and tough environment that your engine’s innards provide.

To put a complex topic in a nutshell, the cost of synthetic motor oil is offset by multiple savings due to extended oil change intervals, better fuel economy and less engine repair bills. The overall cost of operating your vehicle is going to go down and you’re still going to get excellent engine protection past that 3,000 mile mark.

By choosing the right synthetic motor oil for your vehicle you can save some money and get the best protection for your engine out there.