Q: I am going to buy my mom's 1998 Buick Century that has 58,000 miles and is serviced regularly. I drive many highway miles, and mom has run conventional oil in it. I'm wondering if I should use the same oil or switch to synthetic, which I use in my two older cars. I live in the northwest where it gets below zero in the winter and 100 in the summer. My 2001 Saturn 4-cyl. now has 230,000 miles and my 2000 Buick Regal V6 has 200,000 miles. I use full synthetic in both of these and have for many years.
Am I wasting money on synthetic motor oil? I like to feel I'm doing the best I can for the cars. If they were yours, what specific oil and brand would you use? Thanks, Jim Kotur, Washington.
A: You are not wasting your money. I've been using synthetics in all my cars since it was first available. Through the years, I've come to rely on Lucas Oil products, which produces synthetic and conventional oil in a variety of weights along with many fine products from transmission fluid to additives to the best spray wax out there.
For full disclosure, Lucas Oil is one of my product sponsors on my two race cars, but I've used Lucas Oil products long before the company ever became one of my sponsors.
Additionally, Forrest Lucas, the company owner, and his wife, Charlotte, are class A people and their business success story is unbelievable. Specifically, Forrest started as a truck driver who developed some new additives for his truck's engine. Today, Lucas owns one of the most successful oil and product businesses in America and also raises some of the best Simmental beef and cows, too. (Raising cattle is Forrest's other passion---see lucascattlecompany.com for more).
As for the quality of a synthetic over conventional, you already know how much better synthetics perform in sub-zero weather and heat and cars like the Corvette and Cadillac CTS-V use synthetics right from the factory.
In ending, although I highly recommend Lucas Oil products, I must mention in fairness that Castrol, Kendall, Valvoline, Quaker State, Royal Purple, Pennzoil, Amsoil and a host of others also offer synthetics that are popular. Thanks for the question.