Are you looking for an excellent engine oil for winter?
You've come to the right place!
In this PopularMechanic.com guide, you will learn the following:
- What is Engine Oil?
- How Does Engine Oil Work?
- What are the Different Types of Engine Oil?
And More!
Below is a quick list of all our top products. Keep scrolling to learn more about how to choose and use the best engine oil for winter.
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Our Top Pick
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Our Top Pick
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Castrol 03057 GTX MAGNATEC 5W-30 Full Synthetic Motor Oil
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View on Amazon |
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Best Budget
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Best Budget
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Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic SAE 5W-30 Motor Oil
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View on Amazon |
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Best High End
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Best High End
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Royal Purple High-Performance Synthetic Motor Oil
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View on Amazon |
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Mobil 1 120764 Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-30
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Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic 5W-30 Motor Oil
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View on Amazon |
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
(updated 6/22/2020)
Top Overall Pick:
Our #1 pick for the best engine oil for winter is Castrol GTX MAGNATEC Full Synthetic 5W-30.
It is scientifically engineered to prolong engine life with its ultimate level of protection. Castrol GTX MAGNATEC Full Synthetic 5W-30 is developed to cling to internal engine components indefinitely.
This offers the advantage of added protection at startup which is extremely important in the harsh winter temperatures.
Do the harsh winters in your area have you searching for the best engine oil for winter driving?
If so, you are in the right place, as we have compiled the necessary information to assist you in keeping your vehicle’s engine protected, even in the most inhospitable of conditions.
Your vehicle’s overall well-being is not worth risking over less than adequate adherence to basic maintenance.
Read on, find out the particulars of keeping your engine in peak condition, even when gripped within the clutches of old man winter.
Below is a quick list of all our top products. Keep scrolling to learn more about how to choose the best engine oil for winter.
Top 5 Best Engine Oils For Winter
What Is Engine Oil?
Engine oil is a lubricating substance that resides within the crankcase of an internal combustion engine. The purpose of this oil is to cut down on the wear and tear of internal engine parts and components, by minimizing metal to metal friction.
This prevents premature engine wear and provides year-round protection to your car’s engine. However, motor oil does not remain effective indefinitely. With time, the level of engine protection that is provided by oil drops as additive packages within begin to break down.
To combat this, every vehicle has a regularly scheduled oil change interval. These intervals can be found in a vehicle’s owner’s manual.
This article describes how to check your engine oil.
How Does Engine Oil Work?
There are a number of moving parts located within an internal combustion engine.
A vehicle’s crankshaft, camshaft, lifters, pistons, connecting rods, and valvetrain components all are in constant motion when an engine is running.
This motion causes friction. Friction leads to the building of heat, and the erosion of surface material, both of which are bad for your vehicle’s engine.
Engine oil is tasked with the job of minimizing this friction, and the detrimental effects that come with it.
Oil is circulated about an engine with the use of the oil pump.
This pump assures that all components are adequately lubricated and free of excess wear.
Prior to being directed to an engine’s internal components, oil first passes through an oil filter where it is strained for any contaminants or metal shavings.
As oil runs from individual components, it is redirected into the engine’s oil pan, where the oil is again picked up by the pump.
As oil flows within an engine, operating temperatures are reduced, and fuel economy is slightly increased due to seamless engine operation.
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What Are The Different Types Of Engine Oil?
When discussing different types of motor oil, much of what separates oils from one another comes down to composition.
This composition consists of a base oil and additives.
Base oil can either be of a conventional nature or synthetic makeup, and additives can range significantly from one oil to the next.
These additives can include detergents, dispersants, friction modifiers, and viscosity index improvers. The combination of this base stock and additives defines an individual type of oil.
The following are the most common types of engine oil.
Conventional Oil: Conventional motor oil consists of a basic, refined petroleum type base stock, that is fortified with additives such as detergent packages to prevent deposits and other forms of build-up.
In most cases, conventional oil is the least expensive variety of motor oil, yet is still highly effective in most vehicles and driving scenarios.
However, those who prefer the use of conventional oil must stay on top of oil change intervals, as this oil type does not resist breakdown as well as synthetic alternatives.
High Mileage Oil: High mileage motor oils can differ substantially in their composition. However, the overall goal of these oils is to provide your aging engine with added protection, in order to keep it running strong well into its twilight years.
In many cases, high mileage variants consist of a conventional oil base with specialized additives.
Alternatively, a number of high mileage products actually consist of a synthetic blend oil, that provides a mix between conventional and synthetic oil technologies.
Synthetic Oil: Synthetic motor oil is engineered to outlast and outperform conventional motor oil, in almost any circumstance.
Full synthetic oil is also known for its ability to withstand high demand driving conditions and resists breakdown.
In many cases, the time between oil change intervals is extended when synthetic oil is used, due to its overall resilience and longevity.
While synthetic motor oil is undoubtedly the most expensive of all oil types, this price difference is typically offset by a less frequent maintenance schedule.
Check out this article for more on the different types of oils.
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What To Look For In Engine Oil for Winter
In the cold weather of the winter months, you must pay close attention to your engine oils viscosity rating.
The viscosity of a particular oil directly determines how it reacts in certain temperature ranges. The viscosity rating of a particular oil is notated by a given viscosity rating, such as 5W-30, 10W-30, and 15W-40.
These SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) designations are your guide to understanding how oil will flow at a particular temperature.
For example, 5W-30 would flow like SAE 5W at lower temperatures and SAE 30W at higher temperatures. Therefore the lower the first number of a given oil’s SAE designation is, the better it will perform in cold weather.
For this reason, consumers should look for winter weather oils with a 5W SAE designation or a synthetic motor oil with similar properties for optimum cold-weather performance.
Read More >> What Are The Best Spark Plugs For Fuel Economy?
My Reviews Of The Best Engine Oils For Winter (2020 Review)
Castrol is another name within the oil manufacturing industry that carries substantial weight.
Castrol has built quite a reputation for developing only products that meet the most stringent of quality demands.
One of the most advanced characteristics of Castrol GTX MAGNATEC is the product's special intelligent molecule design.
This oil is specified to cling to internal engine components indefinitely, resisting drain back.
This offers the advantage of added protection at startup.
Pros
Cons
Valvoline is one of the most well-trusted names in the automotive oil manufacturing industry.
The company’s history dates back more than 150 years, and is highlighted by its use in everything from police cruiser fleets to race cars.
Valvoline 5W-30 Advanced Full Synthetic is advertised as providing 50 percent more protection of the current industry standards, and is designed to fight the three main causes of engine stress: heat, deposits and wear.
This oil also comes packaged in convenient, easy-pour 5 quart jugs.
Pros
Cons
While not as well known by many as the names Mobil 1, Pennzoil, Castrol, and Valvoline, Royal Purple has been coming on strong for quite some time in the oil manufacturing business, with a specialized emphasis in synthetic products.
In fact, Royal Purple carries much fanfare from those involved in high-performance functions.
Royal Purple boasts of their high-performance engine oil’s increased capacity to increase fuel efficiency and prolong catalytic emissions component longevity.
This oil also includes a comprehensive anti-wear additive package that attacks corrosion at its source.
Pros
Cons
Mobil 1 has been a pioneer of synthetic motor oil technology for many years, and has been on the leading edge of numerous breakthroughs in that realm.
This has positioned the company as a perennial powerhouse within the synthetic oil market.
Mobil 1 Full Synthetic 5W-30 stands as a proven product for all who strive to provide their vehicle with a high degree of winter time protection.
In fact, Mobil 1 states that this oil offers “Quick cold weather starting for ultra fast protection.”
Pros
Cons
Much like the other manufacturers represented on this list, Pennzoil is one of the most storied oil manufacturers in the global market, and sells millions of gallons of oil on a yearly basis.
Ever since its beginning, the company has turned out nothing but some of the finest oil and lubrication products in the industry.
Pennzoil Platinum is refined from natural gas, as opposed to crude oil.
This practice leads to a cleaner running engine. In turn, a clean engine is rich in efficiency, and sustained in its durability.
Pros
Cons
Our Top Pick: Castrol MAGNATEC Full Synthetic Motor Oil
My top pick for the best engine oil for winter use is Castrol GTX MAGNATEC Full Synthetic 5W-30.
This oil is quite comprehensive in the level of protection it offers, as it is scientifically engineered to prolong engine life at every turn.
Aside from Castrol’s reputation for uninhibited excellence, GTX MAGNATEC’s strongest selling point is its intelligent molecule design.
This specially formulated compound allows oil molecules to cling to internal engine components, aiding in protection at start-up.
This is quite significant, as frigid weather exhibits its harshest effects on an engine in the first few seconds after start-up.
If you are looking for the best winter oil to see your prized ride through the harsh winter months, look no further than Castrol MAGNATEC Full Synthetic 5W-30.
Plus, it's an excellent value for the money! Check the low price now on Amazon.
