Oil-Regular or Synthetic

I guess I am in the minority.......I use synthetic in everything I own that was built since 1950. It stays in grade longer, and works better when it gets hot, and reduces temps in air cooled motors. The difference in cost is minimal, to my way of thinking. With the OB, I will be changing the oil at the required 7500 miles, or sooner if I feel like it. (I generally use 5k changes for most of my vehicles, partly because it is very easy to keep track.)

That said, as long as you actually change the oil and filter according to Subaru's schedule, any oil that meets grade requirements will keep you from experiencing any lubrication related failures.

Thai said:

Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it.

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Link?

wickedpete said:

I have a 2010 Outback 2.5 CVT with 32,000 miles and continue to see oil consumption such that I'm adding a quart at 4,000 miles so I can get to 7,500 miles before a change.

I don't abuse or baby this engine, primarily commuting over highway miles.

Anyone else seeing this issue with Mobil1? I'm wondering if I go with Dino oil if the oil consumption will stop.

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I have almost 14k on my '12, and it has not used a drop, Mobil 1 since 1,100 miles.
I will say that my BMW motorcycle, (Also a boxer) used oil until I tried Redline oil in it, on the advice of someone that had his oil consumption stop after an oil change with it. It went from a quart every 3k to maybe a half quart every 4k, when I went back to Mobil 1. Since then, I have used Redline about every 20-30k, for one change, and oil consumption has not increased. My theory is that it cleans the rings up, so that they seal better..........But what do I know?

I bought my first Honda (A Civic) in '83, when one of my co-workers didn't make it to work one day. When he came in the next day, he told me his '76 civic had quit on the way in. He didn't do much maintenance, but he kept good records. It had quit because the points had closed. When he checked his book, HE HAD NOT TOUCHED ANYTHING UNDER THE HOOD FOR OVER 40k MILES! The car had about 110k on it, but he had not done a bit of maintenance since it had 68k on it.

I figured that any car that could survive that kind of neglect, and only need minor maintenance to run again, would last forever, for me.