Do you have any friends who drive hybrid cars?
These vehicles experience frequent engine starts and stops, leading to significant temperature fluctuations. This places higher demands on the engine oil's low-temperature fluidity, wear resistance, and cleanliness. This leads car owners to wonder: when maintaining their vehicles, should they use oil specifically designed for hybrid vehicles, or can they use regular gasoline-powered oil? On October 23rd, the Shanghai Consumer Council released the results of a comparative test of 20 engine oil products.
A collection of product reviews. Image provided by Shanghai Consumer Council.
Focusing on core scenarios, we evaluated 20 types of engine oils
In recent years, 0W-20 motor oil has gradually become the mainstream choice in the industry because it combines excellent low-temperature flow properties with energy-saving and environmentally friendly economic characteristics.
Simply put, 0W-20 is the viscosity grade of engine oil, which means that the oil can still maintain good fluidity at a low temperature of -35°C, and the kinematic viscosity at a high temperature of 100°C is 20.
This comparative test selected 20 0W-20 motor oils, including 10 products designed specifically for hybrid vehicles and 10 general products for fuel vehicles, covering 10 high-volume brands with high consumer awareness, such as Mobil, Shell, Castrol, Uni-President, and Valvoline. The procurement channels include Tmall, JD.com, Tuhu Auto Maintenance and other platforms.
Difficulty starting in low temperatures, poor high-temperature protection, and oil burning are common pitfalls when using engine oil. When choosing an engine oil, car owners are most concerned about whether the oil can withstand extreme weather conditions, whether it can effectively protect the engine, and whether it requires frequent maintenance. To this end, this test focused on three core scenarios for daily driving: cold engine starts in severe cold weather, high-load driving conditions such as long-distance highway driving, and routine vehicle maintenance.
The project team evaluated the comprehensive performance of engine oil by testing key indicators such as low-temperature dynamic viscosity, low-temperature pumping viscosity, high-temperature high-shear viscosity, wear spot diameter, oxidation stability, evaporation loss, viscosity index, pour point, and alkalinity value.
The low-temperature starting performance of one fuel oil sample did not meet the standard
Low-temperature performance is key to smooth starts in freezing weather. Generally speaking, the better the oil's fluidity at low temperatures, the smoother the cold start and the less strain on the battery and engine.
In this test, the two hybrid oil samples from Bosch and Honeywell had the best low-temperature performance. They could still maintain excellent fluidity at extremely low temperatures of -40°C, which means that hybrid oil can quickly form an oil film under severe cold conditions, thereby reducing starting wear; the CCS value of a fuel engine oil sample from Lao Li Chemical exceeded the standard, and its low-temperature starting performance did not meet the standard.
Based on the test results, it is recommended that car owners in cold areas in winter give priority to engine oil products with superior low-temperature performance; hybrid vehicles are especially recommended to use hybrid-specific engine oil to ensure that the engine has a fast low-temperature response capability in cold weather.
High-temperature protection is a protective shield for vehicles operating under high loads. A comparison reveals that the product design positioning of fuel-powered engine oils and hybrid oils differs slightly: fuel-powered engine oils prioritize protection under sustained high loads, while hybrid oils strike a balance between energy conservation and protection.
The Shanghai Consumer Council recommends that car owners choose engine oil according to actual driving conditions: turbocharged and high-performance fuel vehicles can choose fuel engine oil with better high-temperature protection performance; hybrid vehicles are recommended to use engine oil designed specifically for hybrid systems to ensure comprehensive protection performance under frequent start-stop conditions.
Durability, environmental protection, and economic performance are the core of long-term vehicle maintenance. Overall, a durable motor oil must meet standards such as high oxidation stability, low evaporation loss, and a high base number. Such an oil not only ensures continuous and stable engine protection throughout the oil change interval, but also saves time and money associated with frequent maintenance and oil refills.
The test results show that hybrid oil and fuel oil each have their own advantages in terms of durability, environmental protection, and economy.
The Shanghai Consumer Council recommends that vehicles with high mileage or older age should choose engine oil with high oxidation stability, low evaporation loss and high alkalinity; hybrid vehicles are recommended to choose engine oil designed specifically for hybrid models to obtain better antioxidant protection and cleaning effects.
Consumer advice: There is no "absolute king", only "precise adaptation"
The Shanghai Consumer Council reminds car owners to pay attention to the following points when maintaining their cars:
(1) There is no "absolute king" when choosing engine oil, only "precise adaptation"
Choosing an engine oil that's both easy to use and durable requires tailoring it to your vehicle's specific conditions and driving scenarios. Urban commuting typically prioritizes cleanliness and wear resistance, long-distance highway driving emphasizes high-temperature protection, and climate change demands attention to low-temperature performance. Car owners should consult their vehicle manual and select an engine oil tailored to their specific performance needs. Hybrid models should use a hybrid-specific engine oil for intelligent oil usage and scientific vehicle maintenance.
(2) If you don’t want to be charged an IQ tax, you need to understand the oil grades and specifications.
Grade certification is a guarantee of engine oil quality. For example, the samples in this comparative test were mostly engine oils that meet the API SP grade. The API SP grade is the highest-end engine oil grade in the American Petroleum Institute (API) standards and is suitable for vehicles meeting China VI emission standards and above.
The correct viscosity specification is crucial for proper driving and maintenance. 0W-20 is the current mainstream low-viscosity motor oil, offering excellent low-temperature fluidity and energy efficiency, making it suitable for most modern vehicles.
(3) Pay attention to daily vehicle maintenance
Although some samples in this test have excellent antioxidant properties, it is still not recommended that car owners blindly extend the oil change cycle. Instead, they need to comprehensively consider factors such as engine oil quality, driving habits, road conditions and environment, follow the recommended cycle in the car manual, and maintain the vehicle regularly and in a timely manner.
If problems such as blue smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe or rapid oil consumption occur between maintenance periods, in addition to checking for mechanical failures in the engine, you need to be alert to the risk of "oil burning". It is recommended to replace the oil with one that has strong antioxidant and evaporation loss resistance.
(IV) Choose a formal purchasing channel
It is recommended to purchase engine oil through official channels such as the brand's official flagship store, authorized dealers, and large-scale chain car maintenance platforms. After purchase, you can verify the authenticity of the oil through the official anti-counterfeiting query system to prevent damage to the car engine caused by counterfeit and inferior engine oil.