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Javaughn Barrow

Best Engine Oils For Performance & Fuel Economy

Most engine oils go through rigorous testing to ensure that it is capable of protecting your engine. These tests also make sure that the engine oil can deliver improved efficiency and performance. Synthetic engine oils are the best of them. In this post we organized the information of which engine oil grades are best suited for performance and fuel economy. So let’s take the next step in your engine’s efficiency journey.

Best Synthetic Engine Oil at a glance:

• Best engine oil for fuel economy: Mobil One 0W20 Advanced Fuel Economy 
• Best engine oil for commuter cars: Mobil One 5W20 Extended Performance
• Best engine oil for performance cars: Mobil One 0W40 Advanced Synthetic 
• Most common engine oil: Mobil One 5W30 Advanced Full Synthetic 

Quick Review:

1. Mobil One 0W20 Advanced Fuel Economy

The Mobil One 0W20 engine oil is one of the best engine oils for fuel economy out there. This is a thinner grade oil which allows engine parts to operate with less resistance versus a thicker grade engine oil. Here are some characteristics of this engine oil:

• Viscosity – The base synthetic oil is naturally thinner and has been mixed with viscosity modifiers to act as a thicker grade engine oil. The result of this mixture is that it performs well under engine operating temperatures to provide maximum protection for your engine.
• Evaporation Testing – When things get, hot liquids evaporate. However, this engine oil has been through standard heat testing to ensure that the oil doesn’t thin out too much when engine temperatures get hot. This engine oil has the ILSAC GF-6A rating. This rating means the oil passes extreme heat testing, without 15% of its mass being evaporated. It also has the GM Dexos 1 rating, which has even stricter parameters, with no more than 13% of its mass can be burned off.
• Full Synthetic – Full synthetic engine oils are generally more robust oils. They ensure your engine is always running at optimal levels. This synthetic mix is also coupled with anti-wear additives to ensure engine protection is still capable at start-up conditions. This mixture offers protection before the oil has a chance to run through the lubrication system. 

Price vs Value

You can pick up a 5 quart of the Mobil One 0W20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil for $26.97, which is about $0.17 an ounce. This engine oil is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon. It also has over 36,000 reviews and 89% rating 5 stars. Check out my full review to learn more.

2. Mobil One 5W30 Advanced Full Synthetic

The  5W30 engine oils are the most common engine oils for commuter cars, and third best engine oil for fuel economy. This engine oil offers a great deal in regards to engine efficiency and protection. Here are some characteristics of this engine oil:

• Viscosity – Mobil One 5W30 engine oil performs well under cold environments, including when the engine starts up. The oil acts like a SAE 5 grade oil when cold to ensure maximum flow in cold temperatures. However, when things are getting heated, the oil acts as an SAE 30 grade oil to make sure the oil doesn’t thin out as engine temperatures rise.
• Evaporation Testing – This engine oil is rated ILSAC GF-6A, which means it performs well under extreme heat conditions. Therefore, this oil did not lose more than 15% of its mass during evaporation testing. The Mobil One 5W30 engine oil is also rated GM Dexos 1. The Dexos rating has stricter parameters, in which no more than 13% of its mass was evaporated during certain testing.
• Full Synthetic – This full synthetic mix is also coupled with certain detergents to prevent oxidation and sludge build up. This ensures the smooth running of your engine’s components. Although oxidation is a natural process, this oil prevents and protects against this process. Please check in your owner’s manual to confirm what is the best oil change interval for your engine. Even more importantly, also check in your owner’s manual to confirm your engine oil’s grade , so you can stay on top of proper engine maintenance.

Price vs Value

You can pick up a 5 quart of the Mobil One 5W-30 Full Synthetic Motor Oil for $26.97, which is about $0.17 an ounce. This engine oil is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon. It also has over 36,000 reviews and 89% rating of 5 stars. Check out my full review to learn more.

3. Mobil One 5W20 Extended Performance

The Mobil One 5W20 engine oil is the second best engine oil for fuel economy in commuter cars. There is a trend of engine oils getting thinner for maximum efficiency. The 5W20 is a good mix between 5W30 and 0W20 engine oils. Here are some characteristics of this engine oil:

• Viscosity – This oil has a great rate of flow in cold climates, similar to the 5W30 engine oil. Therefore, this oil offers great lubrication and protection at cold start temperatures. Unlike the 5W30 engine oil, the 5W20 engine oil does not get as thick on the hot end of things. This has the advantage of giving your engine components less stress in movement. As a result, it gives you a 0.3% – 0.5% increase in engine efficiency.
• Evaporation Testing – The Noack Volatility test is an industry standard test. Under this test, the Mobil One 5W20 engine oil is heated up to 480 degrees fahrenheit. The engine oil’s mass loss is then measured after. Under these testing conditions, this oil is rated ILSAC GF-6A, which means that no more than 15% of its mass was burned off.
• Full Synthetic – The Mobil One 5W20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil Extended Performance protects for 20,000 miles! This can obviously save you time and money on maintenance. However, it is always a good practice to have more frequent oil changes, than not.

Price vs Value

You can pick up a 5 quart of the “Mobil One 5W20 Full Synthetic Motor Oil Extended Performance” for $28.97, which is about $0.18 an ounce. This engine oil is rated 4.8 out of 5 on Amazon. It also has over 36,000 reviews and 89% rating 5 stars. Check out my full review to learn more.

4. Mobil One 0W40 Advanced Synthetic

Mobil One 0W40 is one of the best engine oils for performance cars. Generally, sports cars engines experience higher temperatures, therefore, a wider range multi grade oil is the best fit to handle any temperature conditions that may arise. Here are some characteristics of this engine oil:

• Viscosity – The Mobil One 0W40 engine oil is a multi grade oil that performs well in cold or start-up temperatures. It has an oil grade rating of ‘0W.’ So, if you live in a cold climate, this grade of oil will serve you well. The hot rating which is the ‘40’ in ‘0W40,’ means the oil acts like it has a thicker viscosity of a SAE 40 grade oil. Therefore, this oil is thick enough to produce maximum engine protection.
• Evaporation Testing – The Mobil One 0W40 engine oil is rated ILSAC GF-6A and GM Dexos 1, which means this oil is made to protect your engine at extreme heat levels when in use. The ILSAC GF-6A rating means that no more than 15% of this oil’s mass was burned off during heat testing. The GM Dexos 1 rating has even stricter parameters, with no more than 13% of its mass being evaporated.
• Advanced Synthetic – This Advanced Synthetic mix is also coupled with anti-wear additives and viscosity modifiers. This is to ensure maximum protection for your engine’s health. Anti-wear additives stick to the engine component parts that make contact with each other. This creates a film between the two points of contact, which acts as a barrier. That film is the sacrificial layer preventing metal on metal contact. This is extremely helpful on cold starts, when the oil has settled.

Price vs Value

You can pick up a 6 quart of the “Mobil One 0W40 Full Synthetic Motor Oil”  with a 10% discount at $59.99, which is about $0.31 an ounce. This oil is rated 4.4 out of 5 on Amazon. It also has 14 reviews with 77% rating 5 stars. Check out my full review to learn more.

Conclusion

Maintenance is a big part of vehicle ownership. Engine maintenance is one of the most important parts of a vehicle you should focus on in order to keep your vehicle up and running. A top priority for engine maintenance is engine oil changes. This is key for the longevity of your engine’s health. Putting the right or wrong oil can make a big difference in your engine’s efficiency. Confirming what engine oil grade to use and oil change intervals is one of the first steps you can take in properly maintaining your engine. It can get confusing at times with all that information out there about oil changes and oil grade viscosities, but hopefully we have made it easier for you to find the best engine oil for performance and fuel economy.

Javaughn Barrow

Hello! My name is Javaughn Barrow, a young car enthusiast who writes all the articles for Karcandy.com. I’ve written over 50 articles about automobiles. With each article, I deepen my understanding and expertise in writing and the automotive world. Ever since childhood, I’ve always had a strong passion for cars. All types shapes and sizes were interesting to me. I’d spend most of my time after school researching cars and the more I found out about them the more exciting it was. In my teens, I created a fan page about corvettes posting content at least ten times a day! Yes, I was crazy about it. The page ended up garnering over 40k followers! After a while, I wanted more than a fan page. I wanted to express my passion differently. I wanted to create more helpful content, higher-quality content. My first car was a 2013 VW CC Sport. Learned very quickly car ownership wasn’t as expected. I spent a lot of time replacing control arms, cam position sensors, brake rotors, brake pads, etc. Walking away with more information than I knew before. As I was growing in my automotive journey I was learning about writing. Starting by writing a detailed outline about 300 words long then I would pay a professional to write a full 1000-word article and learn from them getting familiar with the process of writing. The moment I realized I could use my writing skills to express my passion for cars and help people simultaneously, I started Karcandy.com. I realized with my unique perspective coupled with my hard work discipline and work ethic I can create a space online to help bridge the gap between the complicated and simple in the automotive world. I’m motivated by the challenges and work it will take to create such a space. My work ethic is something I choose to refine and make better each day. I think it’s important to push myself and stay committed to my evolution as a human and this website is only one of the results of that.

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