Do you know the difference between synthetic vs. conventional oil? https://t.co/JoKrHQ5gX5 pic.twitter.com/BFKbAs0USa
— AAA (@AAAauto) June 12, 2017
This week, AAA released an independent study proving that synthetic motor oil really is better than conventional oil. This was always supposedly how it worked—synthetic has none of the impurities left over from the refining process of conventional oil, and is formulated in a lab with Heisenberg-like precision.
The results of AAA's thorough testing, however, can quantifiably say synthetic oil is better by 47 percent.
This doesn't change the fact that synthetic oil is still more expensive. So should you follow AAA's recommendation and make the switch? If you own your car, definitely.
Over the hundreds of thousands of miles you hope to get out of your vehicle, it is going to take a beating, and will eventually need repairs. Using synthetic oil helps ensure your engine, arguably the single most important part of your vehicle, will stay in good working order. You do not want to have to replace a broken engine.
If you are leasing for just a couple of years... It would be nice for whoever comes along next to buy it used, but your own wallet won't know the difference.