Best High Mileage Oils: Slick Stuff

Top 7 Best High Mileage Oils

Dispensing sage advice is a task most fathers are eager to carry out. Whether their teenage offspring actually listens to these words is something else altogether. Dad offered many invocations to my predictably deaf ears, not the least of which was to stop wasting all my money on “wine, women, and song”. He was right, of course.

Something else he was right about? His claim that oil is the “lifeblood on an engine” and one is to ignore it at their own peril. Neglecting it can mean the difference in a smooth-running vehicle and one which clanks to a halt at the side of the road, dead long before its time.

Engine oil manufacturers have long marketed products aimed at vehicles with high mileage on their odometers, a number generally accepted to be anything north of 75,000 miles. Your author would safely wager a healthy sum that most of the readers (and authors) have vehicles in their fleet with mileage well in excess of that number.

It'll not escape your notice that the majority of oils on this list are weighted 5W-30. This not only for consistency but also because it is the recommended weight for your author's 2012 Dodge Charger and I'm the one writing this list. We kick off the post with the high mileage formula from Valvoline.

Priced well within reason for five quarts of oil, Valvoline asserts this blend has seal conditioners to rejuvenate aging engine seals in a bid to help stop existing leaks while preventing new ones from happening. Extra detergents are alleged to keep older engines cleaner by bonding with and removing sludge and deposits. The bottle has a spout designed to help with pouring the stuff plus an "anti-glug" design. Plus, they sponsored Mark Martin when he drove for Jack Roush back in the '90s.

If you don't pronounce the word Edge in this brand with the same gravitas as the guy in their commercials, you're simply doing it wrong. Cooked up in Castrol labs with what they call Fluid Titanium technology, this blend is also low on phosphorus which apparently is a good thing on aging catalytic converters.

Customers claim this oil has reduced the tendency for their cars to exhibit piston slap (looks it up or ask a Subaru owner) which is no mean feat. Less clear is the claim that this oil "unlocks the full performance" of your vehicle's engine; hey, at least the person whose piston slap went away will agree.

For whatever reason, your author associates Mobil 1 with open-wheel racing. Intentional or not, this suggestion is likely welcomed by the marketing people at the company. Ironically, the Mobil 1 jug proudly proclaims it to be the Official Motor Oil of NASCAR. So much for open-wheel dreams, then.

Five quarts of this stuff is said to provide excellent overall lubrication and wear protection while outperforming the brand's conventional high mileage oil in what must surely be some sort of internal testing. One customer went so far as to send a sample of his 12,000-mile oil to a local lab for testing. Interestingly, it came back as still "within normal limits" which speaks well to the durability of this stuff.

This option presents something of a dilemma. While conventional (and arguably old-fashioned) thinking leads one to deem 'house brand' oils to be not worth the jug in which they are contained, it is difficult to argue with six thousand reviewers who have collectively given this product a 4.8/5 rating. That's more than double the respondents of the major oil brands listed above. The only regular carping involves the bottle design.

It is obvious that Jeff Bezos doesn't have an oil factory underneath his lair (though, really, who knows) so it is a fair assumption that a well-known brand fills these jugs. Internet rumor suggests Warren Oil, the same crew who supplies Autozone, is responsible for production. All we can tell you is that AmazonBasics makes the same or similar claims to engine protection as the other high mileage oils on this post.

If there can be a comic opera called the Pirates of Penzance, surely there is a marketing opportunity for once called the Pirates of Pennzoil. This jug, in the brand's trademark bright yellow, contains five quarts of conventional motor oil that's designed to keep a 75,000+ mile engine clean and responsive.

This is the highest-rated oil on our list so far, at 4.9/5 stars, though there are fewer than 200 reviews. It is also priced just a few cents above fifteen bucks for a 5-quart jug, making it an excellent value. All you have to do is decide which part of the opera you want to play.

Not technically an engine oil all of its own, this product is marketed as a stabilizer as an additive. It is a 100 percent petroleum-based product so be sure to keep that in mind depending on the type of oil you currently use in the engine of your favorite whip.

Meant to be used as an additive to existing engine or transmission oils, the recommendation is a 20/80 mix; in other words, use about one quart of this with four quarts of oil during a standard oil change. The company says "badly worn" engines can benefit from a product ratio of 60 - 100%, though the latter would get expensive very quickly.

Specifically designed to minimize wear and restore lost performance in engines with more than 75,000 miles, this product is from the company that chooses to stand out thanks to its unique purple color. Do note that any Royal Purple product that goes into your engine as the shade of Barney quickly turns amber after it's put into service.

This brand has its share of devoted zealots fans. According to the seller, Royal Purple HMX is formulated with robust zinc/phosphorus anti-wear additives and Royal Purple’s proprietary additive technology Synerlec to provide unsurpassed film strength.

Which engine oil is best for high mileage?

Just in case, the term ‘High Mileage’ refers to an engine that has been driven for 75,000 miles or more.

About the best high mileage engine oil, checking your vehicle’s User’s Manual for the recommendations would be a good start. You can also consult a skilled professional from an authorized service center to assist you in finding the most suitable lubricant for your car.

FYI

Although you can switch from regular engine oil to a high mileage oil whenever you want, it is always advisable to do so after your vehicle has been driven for 75,000 miles or above.

Why would you consider switching to a high mileage oil, you may ask? This is done because the rubber seals get deteriorated over time which results in oil leakage, the engine starts making some noise, and/or other unusual symptoms begin to show up. These inconsistencies may occur sooner or later, depending on how you drove your vehicle and the way you maintained it.

Once you start noticing some strange sounds or oil leaks, and your vehicle has been driven for more than 75,000 to 80,000 miles, you can know that it’s time to upgrade and switch to a high mileage engine oil.

Coming back to the main question, for your convenience, some of the best performing high mileage engine oils with decent reviews are listed below:

Mobil 1 High Mileage Full Synthetic Engine Oil ( Buy here)

This high mileage engine oil offers the best overall performance and has a 4.9-star rating on Amazon. According to Mobil 1, this high mileage engine oil offers protection for up to 500,000 miles. In addition, the lubricant also safeguards rubber seals from shrinking or getting hardened, thus preventing any oil leaks that may occur otherwise.

Shell ROTELLA T6 ( Buy here)

This one is considered the best for diesel engines. The engine oil reduces fuel consumption by 1.5 percent, thus improving your vehicle’s mileage while driving. Furthermore, Shell ROTELLA T6 also protects against other unwanted elements like contaminations, dirt, soot, etc. However, the lubricant is certified to be used in diesel engines only, and it should NOT be used in petrol variants.

Valvoline High Mileage ( Buy here)

Armed with anti-wear additives and detergents for protection against soot and other contaminations, Valvoline High Mileage enjoys a 4.8-star rating from more than 10,000 users on Amazon. The lubricant prevents leaks and reduces seal aging to ensure optimum performance and offer good value for money.

Which motor oil will last the longest in between oil changes?

While some professionals at the service centers suggest that the oil must be changed after every 1000 miles, 3000 miles, or 5000 miles to 7500 miles, if your vehicle supports and the car manufacturer suggests, you can go for a good quality synthetic engine oil that extends the intervals between the oil changes by as long as 10,000 miles to 15,000 miles.

Nevertheless, it is suggested to switch to a high mileage engine oil once your car crosses 75,000 miles of driving. This will not only provide decent lubrication to the engine but also prevent leaks and seal deterioration.

What is the longest-lasting motor oil?

Although it majorly depends on how you drive your vehicle, and how you maintain it, Mobil 1 Extended Performance High Mileage Formula Motor Oil 5W-30 is the engine oil that you may want to consider. The lubricant can be used after your car has driven for 75,000+ miles, and can last up to 15,000 miles of drive before the next oil change.

From time to time, TTAC will highlight automotive products we think may be of interest to our community. Plus, posts like this help to keep the lights on around here. Learn more about how this works.

(Editor’s note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products but also to pay for our ‘90s sedan shopping habits operating expenses. Some of you don’t find these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Piston Slaps, and whatever else. Thanks for reading.)

[Main photo credit: Africa Studio / ShutterStock.com. Product images provided by the manufacturer.]