So does anyone know what the FSM recommends? Is it Synthetic or conventional? Also which one do you guys think would be better to use? I know technically synthetic is better than conventional but in some vehicles conventional is more than enough for the motor.
Whats better for the Prius: Synthetic or Conventional?
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Id go with whatever the FSM would recommend for it. They put a lot of time into doing research on whats the best for it so why not follow their recommendation.
i would go with synthetic no matter what. theyre engineered to lubricate better and outlast conventional oil. the extra price you pay when you buy them is worth the extra protection and longevity that they provide.
So I guess majority would recommend synthetic. I guess for the extra money it will cost me in the long run its worth investing that into the car.
According to me it is good to use synthetic oil because it will protect the engine better than regular motor oil and will increase the efficiency of the different components of the engine, which in turn will result in higher performance for the Prius on the road.
Synthetic oil is the best choice for any vehicle to run a long time. It's more stable and better to reduce the friction between the moving parts in the engine.
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Both are good but I mostly preferred Synthetic. Synthetic often opens up out engine waste. And it permeates. It can cause dripping leaking but my old Prius took to it well. You can always change coming back. I do not extend oil changes.
With a very small number of exceptions, conventional oil is suitable for every other engine, unless a viscosity is specified that cannot be made from conventional stocks. 0W-20 and 5W-40 are two examples.
My Prime owner's manual calls for syn 0W-20 for 10,000 mile oil changes or 5W-20 for 5,000 miles. It doesn't differentiate between conventional or syn 5W-20--probably too confusing for most of the public. I do not think that anyone will notice a difference in engine condition when any top brand conventional or syn is used according to the manual. Any fuel savings is unlikely to cover the extra cost of syn. There are different qualities of synthetic oils, and a cheap syn is no better than a top conventional. Any of the top brands are excellent...Pennz, Mobil, Castrol, etc.
The advantages of synthetic are less thinning at very high temperatures and less thickening when very cold. They oxidize more slowly for a longer service life. Those few made from a PAO base have a higher film strength. Most oils marketed in the U.S. and Canada as "synthetic" are made from highly refined petroleum base oil called Group 3. Good oils, but not allowed to be called synthetic in the rest of the world.
My Prime owner's manual calls for syn 0W-20 for 10,000 mile oil changes or 5W-20 for 5,000 miles. It doesn't differentiate between conventional or syn 5W-20--probably too confusing for most of the public. I do not think that anyone will notice a difference in engine condition when any top brand conventional or syn is used according to the manual. Any fuel savings is unlikely to cover the extra cost of syn. There are different qualities of synthetic oils, and a cheap syn is no better than a top conventional. Any of the top brands are excellent...Pennz, Mobil, Castrol, etc.
The advantages of synthetic are less thinning at very high temperatures and less thickening when very cold. They oxidize more slowly for a longer service life. Those few made from a PAO base have a higher film strength. Most oils marketed in the U.S. and Canada as "synthetic" are made from highly refined petroleum base oil called Group 3. Good oils, but not allowed to be called synthetic in the rest of the world.
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Toyota recommends Full synthetic changed every 10K miles so that is what I do and my 2011 Prius is running like new at 170K miles. I do use a cool program named Automotive Wolf to manage all my car maintenance. It sends e reminders when any maintenance is due and creates a great vehicle maintenance log and parts list,
If you plan to keep your car indefinitely like I do with my vehicles, I would use the best synthetic you can find as well as the best filters. I am an Amsoil synthetic lubricants dealer, so I have and still use Amsoil in all my vehicles. My '04 Prius has gone over 215,000 miles. Because I select the top-of-the-line Amsoil, I change the oil once a year or every 25,000 miles. I used a special by-pass filter and annual oil analysis on one of my cars and it went 170,000 miles and 9 1/2 years without an oil change. (There would probably be not enough room to mount a by-pass filter in my 2018 Prius Prime.) Be aware, not all synthetic oil is the same. In fact, there isn't even an industry standard to define true synthetic oil. If you are going to sell or trade-in your car in 5 or 6 years, use the free dealership provided oil. I do my own maintenance and have saved hundreds of dollars over the years. Toyota really makes great, long life vehicles but when it comes to oil and filters, the manufacturer's recommended products are not the best available. Good luck with whatever you choose.
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