With different ingredients, price points, and performance claims, knowing whether to choose synthetic vs. conventional motor oil can be confusing! Your cars’ user manual may explicitly state which oil you should use. But, if given the choice, synthetic motor oil has the upper hand.
Benefits of synthetic motor oil include:
Benefits of conventional motor oil include:
You can also buy mixed oils, which work fine and are cheaper than full synthetics.
Older cars were built when conventional oil was the only option, so you’re best to stick with it if that’s what you’ve been using.