Costco Synthetic oil?

I don’t think it’s a matter of affording it. More so a matter of spending extra money unnecessarily, all for minimal difference in engine performance/wear over the life of the vehicle.

 

One thing to know is that the Costco oil is rated to meet the latest, and strictest standards for oil today. That's good enough for me, especially since I change my (synthetic) engine oil every 5K miles.

 

Just for the record I’ve been a licensed mechanic since 1978. I’ve seen and used just about every oil available. The Costco oil meets and exceeds what is required. The purple oil is a gimmick to appeal to ignorant consumers, there is no magic in a bottle. PT Barnum was right in saying there is a sucker born every minute.

 

Anything can be a status symbol these days. People pick some weird ones.

 

The dupes that buy stuff like this never question why they (royal pimple) spend so much on advertisements. They need to keep attracting a steady stream of dupes Hypnotized by the slick graphics and colors and empty their wallets buying snake oil.
www.bobistheoilguy.com

 

Yep. They make good oils for motorsports, but nobody here is running 7 second quarter miles in their Tacomas and then rebuilding the engine after a few passes. For the 99% of drivers, Costco oil is going to do perfect.

 

Here's my $.02 on every oil debate and maybe a devil's advocate perspective for some to ponder over their morning cup of Joe:

I stick to a high quality name brand oil, Toyota oil filters and Toyota recommended service intervals (5k on oil) not just to make the truck happy (any quality oil will do that) but in an effort to keep re-sale value high. If the new potential buyer sees an orderly stack of Mobil 1 receipts and Toyota filters along with a spread sheet of when service was done, it means peace of mind for the next buyer and a top dollar sale for me.

 

What if I told you most Toyota dealers use whatever bulk oil they can get cheapest that meets Toyota’s specs. A bunch of dealer receipts simply means it’s been serviced as it should. I figure dealer service will represent most Tacoma owners, despite the fact that DIY maintenance is very easy on these trucks. For 5k mile intervals, any properly certed API oil meeting Toyota’s specs will be just fine. I just sold my truck to an enthusiast and all he cared about was the fact that I had receipts, that I did maintenance by the book, and that it was well documented. I sold the truck for what I bought it for 3 years ago. Maybe it’d give me more reassurance if it were some sort of performance oriented vehicle, but the Tacoma simply isn’t that at all in any fashion.

 

for 5k-10k miles OCI any API certified oil will work, purple colored oil isn't going to be better

 

Who said anything about dealers? Fuck that. It sounds like we're on the same side of the debate here.

As for me and buying a used vehicle, I pass every time on a seller who skimped a couple pennies over the life of the vehicle on Chinese parts and generic oil. Being a stand-up, organized owner just opens up your market. But to each his own! The last 3 Toyotas I've had were kept in the family for more than 20 years so probably a moot point. I did get top dollar for my 1st gen Taco and 87 4Runner based off my maintenance philosophy, though.

 

who says WARREN distributors is a cheap Chinese oil? also FYI the OEM Oil filters are made in Thailand

 

I didn't say Chinese oil.

 

I’m simply saying that for the majority of used car sales, dealer/service center receipts will be present, as that’s how most people service their vehicles. Simply because you do your own service just doesn’t change that fact. That may be your personal requirement when buying a vehicle, but you don’t represent the market. Warren Distribution is about as American as it gets and sources much of its crude from Canada and Venezuela (where Exxon Mobil gets there’s), so I’m not really sure where you got China from. Does make you sound a bit uneducated, as most of this info is readily available online. “Generic oil” is simply an oil that doesn’t come in a fancy bottle and one that you aren’t paying advertising for. VOAs of Supertech/Costco actually show better than Mobil 1, but I bet you didn’t know that either.

 

Taking a step back and thinking about it just about everyone here drives these trucks and enjoys themselves running all kinds of weather and extremes. Some run hard off-road and towing but you know what I don’t see? I don’t see any topics on engine failure caused by the oil used. So while people have their preferences as to brand it doesn’t seem to matter what you use as long as it get changed on a reasonable schedule but even then there are some that run extended drain intervals and have no Problems. It’s comforting to line up behind certain brands but in the big picture I can’t see a difference. The people selling more expensive products do a lot more advertising. Ask yourself why.

 

I've never quite understood how profanity on this forum helps make your point better than the effective use of a well thought out descriptive narrative, unless "pickles***" is right.

What purpose does it serve to suggest that "Desert***" is uneducated, why be nasty? Perhaps you both have the same level of education.

 

Everyone is uneducated to some degree on certain topics. That’s why you continue to learn and grow. Me suggested that he sounds uneducated on the matter coincides with misinformation that was stated about Chinese products being used. If people can’t accept the fact that they don’t know everything about everything, that’s not really my problem. That’s simply reality.

 

Stop acting like some high roller “you can’t afford it” you drive a Tacoma just like 99.9% of the people on this site. Nobody is impressed by your dyed overpriced oil.

 

I ran super tech on this test which is the same oil as Costco oil. The Costco oil went on sale recently and I just picked up 60 quarts. The oil is good. Save your money for mods. Buy denso oil filters in bulk from rock auto or OEM filters online, though there a bunch of fakes so be careful about buying them off eBay or Amazon. You’ll be doing oil changes for less than $20

 

this comment went way over your head.

it really bothers you what people choose to spend their money on? I like rp, lab tests prove its superior. Will it make a difference In these vehicles, probably not. As I stated my vehicle runs quieter and that alone is worth the extra few dollars.