Which Synthetic Motor Oil Brand Wins?
We compared 2 synthetic motor oil options head to head. Red Line came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Red Line
Price shown in test: $11.95 per quart
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Supertech (Walmart Super Tech)
Price shown in test: $5.68 per quart, or 5 quarts for $17.47
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Supertech (Walmart Super Tech)
Price shown in test: $5.68 per quart, or 5 quarts for $17.47
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
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 | Lubricity/film strength test | Evaporative loss (heat) test | Cold oil flow test (new oil) | Cold oil flow test (cooked vs new oil, 4-way) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Red Line$11.95 per quart | narrator says 'Clearly, the Red Line won this competition'; no scar-size or weight-loss numbers spoken, shown on screen only | weighed 404.62 after 2 hours at 375-400F; starting/tare weight never stated so this figure alone can't confirm the amount lost | finished behind Supertech; no time spoken, only relative order | finished behind Supertech again; cooked Red Line flowed nearly as fast as new Red Line, no times spoken |
| 2Supertech$5.68 per quart, or 5 quarts for $17.47 | narrator says it 'did a terrific job,' close second behind Red Line; no scar/weight numbers spoken, shown on screen only | weighed 414.5 after 2 hours at 375-400F; see Red Line's note on the missing starting/tare weight | finished ahead of Red Line, winning this event | finished ahead of Red Line again; cooked Supertech flowed nearly as fast as new Supertech, no times spoken |
How it was tested
- lubricity tester (bearing wear scar / film strength)
- Noack-style evaporative loss (oil heated to 375-400F for 2 hours, weighed before/after)
- cold oil flow test on new oil (24 hours in a freezer at -15F)
- cold oil flow test comparing cooked (post-heat) oil against new oil, 4-way race
“Red Line actually won two of the three events. Red Line had a little bit better film strength and showed a little bit less evaporative loss. However, Supertech did very well with the cold oil flow test.”
Data notes and caveats
Two of the three sub-tests (lubricity/film-strength scar measurement, and both cold oil flow races) had their actual measurements shown on screen only, never spoken in narration; logged to data/onscreen-only.txt for possible frame recovery. The evaporative-loss test gives spoken final weights (Red Line 404.62 vs Supertech 414.5) but never states the starting/tare weight needed to compute which lost more; the narrator's closing verdict credits Red Line with less evaporative loss, which is preserved as the narrator's claim rather than derived from the two raw numbers. Despite declaring Red Line the winner by event count, the narrator's closing sentiment is notably even-handed ('I would trust either one of these brands in my vehicles'). Part of a channel-wide oil elimination bracket per the description (AMSOIL previously beat Royal Purple and advances with Red Line to an Elite 8).