2019 test3 productsEngine Oil & Fluids
Which Motor Oil Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 3 motor oil options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Budget pick
Amazon Basics
Price shown in test: under $20 for 5 quarts
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Cold Flow Initial | Lubricity Wear Scar | Evaporative Loss | Cold Flow After Heating | Api Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Mobil 1 Advanced Full Synthetic | finished second, about 2 inches behind Amazon Basics, but beat Valvoline by about 6 inches | 12.4 square millimeters, smallest wear scar of all three oils tested, about 26 percent smaller than Valvoline and about 9 percent smaller than Amazon Basics | lost 1 g, from 431 g to 430 g after 2 hours at about 400 F, tied with Amazon Basics for the least evaporative loss, both far better than Valvoline | flowed in cold temperatures after being heated, though Amazon Basics still flowed better in this retest | not tested |
| 2Amazon Basics Full Syntheticunder $20 for 5 quarts | won by about 2 inches over Mobil 1, and beat Valvoline by about 6 inches | about 17 percent smaller wear scar than Valvoline, though about 9 percent larger than Mobil 1's scar | lost 1 g, from 407 g to 406 g after 2 hours at about 400 F, tied with Mobil 1 for the least evaporative loss, both far better than Valvoline | flowed better than Mobil 1 in cold temperatures even after being heated for 2 hours | rated SN Plus, a higher designation than the SN rating on Mobil 1 and Valvoline, addressing low speed pre-ignition protection relevant mainly to turbocharged direct injection engines |
| 3Valvoline 10W-30 Conventional | finished last, about 6 inches behind both Amazon Basics and Mobil 1 | largest wear scar of all three oils tested, both synthetic oils badly outperformed it in this test | lost 3 g, from 442 g to 439 g after 2 hours at about 400 F, the most evaporative loss of all three oils tested | not tested | not tested |
How it was tested
- cold temperature oil flow test after 24 hours at 15 below zero Fahrenheit
- lubricity and wear scar test measuring bearing wear
- evaporative loss test heating oil to about 400 F for 2 hours as an approximation of the Noack volatility test
- cold temperature oil flow retest after the evaporative heat exposure
“I'm really impressed with the Amazon Basics full synthetic engine oil testing. It actually performed extremely well against Mobil 1... Would I use this oil in a vehicle? Absolutely.”