The difference between synthetic and regular oil

Updated January 25th, 2020

Synthetic oil vs conventional oil

Love your car or truck? Well, you need to pay special attention towards the type of oil you add to the engine! In fact, oil can be considered as the lifeblood of your motor. It plays a major role within the vehicle engine by keeping all the parts moving properly and absorbing excessive heat. You are spending thousands of dollars in order to purchase a vehicle therefore, you shouldn’t think twice before you use a great motor oil. Yes, usually people don’t view a car or truck as an investment, heck, it doesn’t go up in value like stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. But how would you like to spend unnecessary money on expenses later on down the road?

Motor oil that you can find out there in the market can be divided into two main categories. They include synthetic engine oil and conventional engine oil. Most of the vehicle owners tend to get confused when they are trying to make a choice in between synthetic engine oil and conventional engine oil. This guide will help you to get a better understanding about the two different types of engine oils and learn what needs to be added to your engine.

Conventional motor oil is refined and distilled from crude oil which is a naturally occurring liquid, made from fossil fuels making it completely natural. On the other hand, synthetic oil is made out of artificial sources. Every single molecule of synthetic oil is produced artificially. The primary objective of these chemical processes is in order to mimic the natural molecules. However, the specific demands of the vehicles have also been taken into consideration during the production process.

If you are a car geek, you will be able to get a clear understanding about the difference that exists in between the two types of motor oil. But if you are not Mr. or Ms. car guru, you should take a deep dive and get a better understanding about the differences. They can be helpful to you when selecting the best motor oil for your car, truck, or van.

From the recent studies, synthetic oils are in a position provide enhanced protection to a combustion engine when compared to natural or conventional oils. This benefit can easily be seen in extreme temperatures that synthetics are way better protecting an engine under high heat. If you are thinking about switching over to synthetic oil, you will need to be ready to spend few additional bucks out of your pocket for the initial 4 or 5 quarts, depending what your vehicle manufacturer specifies.

Having said this, there is an old saying, “You get what you pay for!” which holds true to this day. The additional money (which is nothing insane or extreme) will help you save money in the long run! Synthetic oil will protect your engine on another level that conventional oil can not reach! Therefore, you will have less repairs over time! The biggest bonus is that you will change your oil less which means you will spend less money each year. So in the long run, you actually spend less!!

When your motor is running, engine oil will be subjected to wear and tear. In other words, the quality of motor oil will degrade when it is flowing throughout your engine. This process can leave harmful deposits over time. As a result, formation of sludge can take place. This has the ability to create a negative impact on the overall performance of the engine. Moreover, the lifespan of your engine will also be reduced. Lose your engine and your car or truck will be worth pretty much nothing.You will have to pay one of those “we buy cars” people who will come and give you a paltry $500 to take your vehicle (see image!)….. Don’t let this happen to you! Read on!

conventional vs. synthetic motor oil

Synthetic oil comes along with few impurities. Due to this reason, it is way more resistant towards the formation of sludge within your motor and it can stay cleaner for a long period of time. Your motor will also be able to operate more efficiently. Happy engine is a long lasting engine! The bonus is that you will be able to use synthetic oil for a longer period of time than conventional motor oil.

The main job of oil is to go ahead and lubricate the parts of your engine. When your motor is moving, the parts of it will move at high speeds. These high speed moving components of the engine are in direct contact with the other components of the vehicle as well. That’s where engine oil will come into play. motor oil has got the ability to reduce the damage caused to your engine by friction. As a result, wear and tear of the engine components will be minimized so you will not have to deal with any engine breakdowns in the long run. Run those miles up with no worries! Isn’t that cool?

How can engine oil provide protection to your car from extreme temperatures?


One of the key functions of engine oil is to provide enhanced protection to the engine against extreme temperatures. Synthetic oil and conventional oil respond to extreme temperatures in different ways. Synthetic oil is in a better position to respond to heat generated by the engine when compared to conventional oils.

When you run your engine, it generates tons of heat!! With synthetic oil, the breakdown of your engine will be slowed down and your engine will last for a long period of time, even if it is exposed to extreme temperatures for a long period of time.

The longevity of regular or conventional oil and synthetic oil.

You must change conventional oil on a regular basis. The longevity of your oil differs from one type to another. In other words, you will have to replace conventional oil more frequently when compared to synthetic oil. Generally, conventional oil needs to be changed in every 3,000 miles to 5,000 miles. But if you are using synthetic oil, you can change it every 7,500 miles or so. However, you can even find some synthetic oil types, which are capable of lasting from 15,000 miles to 25,000 miles.

Drive tons of miles? Read why you should switch to synthetic oil here!

What does your car manufacturer recommend?

When you are making the decision in between synthetic oil and conventional oil, you will need to take a look at the requirements of your car or truck’s manufacturer. In other words, you must carefully go through the owner’s manual in order to identify what is recommended by the manufacturer to use. All people who drive high performance vehicles, such as Mercedes, BMW and Audi will need synthetic oil as required by the manufacturer. In case if you fail to follow what is recommended by the manufacturer, there is a possibility for you to lose your warranty. If there is a mechanical failure, you will have to spend money out of your pocket to get it fixed.

Benefits of synthetic oil

If you do a head on head comparison in between synthetic oil and conventional oil, you will realize that synthetic oil provides a large number of benefits to you. Here are some of the most prominent benefits that you will be able to experience out of them.

  1. Synthetic oil has the ability to keep your engine running cleaner

If you want to let your engine run cleaner, you are strongly encouraged to use synthetic oil. When the oil is going through your engine, it has the ability to collect deposits. If you take a look at conventional oil, you will realize that they tend to form sludge after some time. This has the ability to create a negative impact on the overall efficiency of the engine. But synthetic oil doesn’t form sludge like that. As a result, it can keep on collecting impurities from your engine and keep it clean throughout time. The synthetic oils are also capable of resisting against the formation of sludge and the cool part is that no deposits are stored in your engine.

  1. Synthetic oil flows in a better way under low temperatures

When you park your car in the garage or in your driveway at night, motor oil will tend to settle down. But when you cold start your vehicle in the morning, the settled oil will start going through your engine. Synthetic will provide enhanced protection to the engine against friction and the oil should have the ability to flow smoothly from the moment you cold start your car or truck. If you take a look at conventional oil, you will realize that it needs some time to start flowing smoothly through the engine. This becomes worse during the cold winter months, especially when outside temperature is too low. Therefore you will not be able to provide enhanced protection to your engine against damage caused by friction.

  1. Synthetic oil can protect the turbocharger parts

If you have important turbocharger parts in your vehicle, your manufacturer will definitely ask you to go with synthetic oil. That’s because synthetic oil comes along with the ability to deliver improved protection to the turbocharged parts of the car. In order to cater the demands of customers, automobile manufacturers have started creating cars with smaller engines. These cars offer enhanced fuel efficiency to the customers. In order to accommodate the power that lacks, they tend to go ahead and add turbochargers. That’s where synthetic oil can come into play. The turbochargers shafts are spinning sat extremely high speeds. If conventional oil is exposed to such speeds, they will break up within a short period of time therefore you are encouraged to stick with synthetic oil only!

  1. Synthetic oil can deliver enhanced protection in high temperatures

Synthetic motor oils deliver improved protection to the users in high temperatures as well. When the vehicle engine is running, it becomes extremely hot quickly. Under such instances, conventional oil tends to break down really fast and evaporate. Once the oil is evaporated, your engine will be exposed to wear and tear. Synthetic oils have specifically been designed in order to accommodate wear and tear. Therefore, you will never have to worry about anything while you are using them in hot climates. You can ensure that your vehicle engine is protected at all times.

  1. Synthetic oil can offer enhanced engine wear protection

The parts of your motor constantly interact with their neighboring parts. When your engine is running, they tend to move in extremely high speeds as well. This can accelerate the process of wear and tear of the engine. motor oil you use is in position to act as a protective barrier in this kind of a situation. But conventional oil can break down quickly and expose your motor to wear and tear. That’s the reason why you need to stick to a more durable type of motor oil, such as synthetic oil. Order the synthetic motor oil here for your car or truck!


Synthetic oil is better when compared to conventional oil in many different aspects. The longer life and higher performance associated with synthetic oil is a great benefit! Even though you will have to bear an additional cost to get synthetic oils initially, it is totally worth it in the long run because you will actually save money over the first year and many years beyond with less repairs! Also, you will save time and will not have to wait at a dealer or lube place as if it were a doctor appointment! Ugggh! Want to save even more time and money? Learn how to change your own motor oil here!

Remember, do not let the upfront price of synthetic oil make you think twice! It is not really anything insane or exaggerated when seeing the price, but many people start to compare conventional vs. synthetic oil prices and think cheaper is better. You will be happy that you will not have to change your oil so often, especially if you drive big time miles. On average, many people will find that they only have to change their oil one time per year. Compare this with 3 times per year! That is less expensive and your engine will be happy as it will endure less wear and tear, saving you tons of money in the long run! Synthetic oil will have your engine perfom way better than regular oil.


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Don't Let Regular Oil Slow You Down

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