The best motor oil 2022: test and comparison

In order for your vehicle engine to work well at all times, a good motor oil important. But what is the job of engine oil in a combustion engine anyway? This lubricates all important moving parts and is the working fluid of the engine lubrication system. All the important parameters of the approved motor oil/motor oils are specified in the vehicle operating instructions. But how do you find the perfect motor oil from the huge selection of manufacturers and products? We’ll take you by the hand and help you do the best for your vehicle engine.

Good motor oil: An investment in the future

There are many differences between engine oils and engine oil quality depends on a number of factors. First of all you should ask yourself the following question: „Which motor oil do I need?“ You will find information on this either on the oil change note in the engine compartment or in your technical vehicle operating manual. You can then look for a suitable, inexpensive engine oil that still offers a high engine oil quality. You can rely on our test for the best engine oil and get an overview of the best engine oil manufacturers.

More on the topic: How do you top up engine oil?

The classification of engine oil

There is a whole range of different engine oils. In principle, a distinction is made between mineral, fully synthetic and semi-synthetic oils. While the former are cheap, you have to spend more money for fully synthetic oils. Nevertheless, their advantage is obvious: they have a precisely defined chemical composition and their quality is always at the highest level. In addition, the viscosity class is one of the most important differentiators when comparing engine oils. We will then introduce you to various brands and specific products so that you can find the best motor oil. In terms of engine oil viscosity, for example, the designation 0W40 can be found today. The number before the „W“ (here the 0) the engine oil viscosity at low temperatures (e.g. during a cold start). The number following the W, on the other hand, describes the value at high temperatures. A higher number (here 40) indicates a higher resilience of the lubricant. In the following we will first show you the best motor oil brands.

The top motor oil manufacturers

 In the following section you will find out the most important key data the best motor oil brands. 

• Castrol. The Castrol brand originally comes from Great Britain. In addition to vehicle lubricants, products for industry are also manufactured and sold. The company, headquartered in Liverpool, was founded in 1899 and has since become part of the BP group. Many people also know the company as a major sponsor for various motorsport competitions and teams.
• Mobil 1. Mobil Oil is the motor oil brand of the US mineral oil company Exxon Mobile. That’s why its headquarters are in North America.
• Liqui Moly. The German company Liqui Moly was founded in 1957. Today it is the market leader on the German motor oil market. In addition to motor oils, the company also sells gear oils, fuel additives, special lubricants, car care products and motor oil additives. Motor oil is produced in Saarlouis by the subsidiary Megiun.
• Total. The Total Group has its headquarters not far from Paris. It is the fourth largest mineral oil company worldwide with almost 100,000 employees in well over 100 countries. On the European market, this group is best known for operating more than 12,000 petrol stations.
• shell. This motor oil manufacturer is one of the big players on the market. The brand comes from the Netherlands. This belongs to the Royal Dutch Shell group.
• i< /i> Motul. Motul is a 150-year-old expert in lubricant production. The company advertises that it offers products that meet the most demanding market requirements. The brand thus stands for excellent lubricants of the highest premium motor oil quality.
• Aral. The Aral company was integrated into the British BP group years ago. The company is based in the city of Bochum.
• Ravenol. Ravensburger Schmierstoffvertrieb GmbH has been selling motor oils under the Ravenol brand in Werther/Westphalia for over 70 years. The products are characterized by high engine oil quality.
• Valvoline. The motor oil brand Vavoline has been selling lubricants used in vehicle engines since 1866. The Ashley Inc. group is the owner of this lubricant brand.

The best motor oils in test and comparison

In the following section we discuss some examples of products that offer a particularly high motor oil quality. Oils with the addition „Longlife“ slightly longer oil change intervals. This type of oil is therefore also used as standard by some vehicle manufacturers.

• <Castrol Edge Professional Longlife III 5W30. This synthetic motor oil is a so-called long-live product. However, the service interval display must be set to „Longlive“ to be set. This engine oil meets the specification with the designation ACEA C3. Castrol names 504 00 and 507 00 (Volkswagen) and C30 (Porsche) for approval.
• Mobil 1 ESP Formula 5W-30. This product also impresses with its high engine oil quality. It can be used for many different engines. It has the following approvals, among others: 229.31 and 229.51 (Mercedes-Benz), 504 00 and 507 00 (Volkswagen), Dexos 2 (General Motors), C30 (Porsche) and B712290 (PSA Group). The other specifications are also at least met: SN, SM, SL and SJ (API) as well as C2 and C3 (ACEA).
• Liqui Moly 5W30 Top Tec 4200.This oil is a year-round motor oil. It can be used for both diesel and petrol engines. The corresponding release codes (engine oil specifications) are 507 00 and 504 00 (Volkswagen), C30 (Porsche), 229.31 and 229.51 (Mercedes-Benz), as well as API SN and ACEA C3. The manufacturer also recommends this engine oil as a replacement for Longline-01, Longlife-01 FE and Longlife-04 (BMW up to 2018), but also 9.55535-S1 and 9.55535-S3 (Fiat).
• Total Quartz 9000 5W40. This product from our engine oil comparison is characterized by a particularly low viscosity at low temperatures and an extremely stable engine oil film, even at the highest engine temperatures. In this way, the engine can be protected against wear for a long time.
• Shell Helix Ultra 5W30. This synthetic engine oil meets the specifications of ACEA A3/B3, ACEA A3/B4 and APU SL/CF. You can use it if one of the following approvals is required in your vehicle: RN0700 or RN0710 (Renault), 502 00 or 505 00 (Volkswagen), 226.5 or 229.5 (Mercedes-Benz) or Longlife-01 (BMW) .
• Motul 8100 X-CLEAN+ 5W30. This is a synthetic engine oil. This primarily meets the specifications CF and SM (API) as well as C3 (ACEA). The manufacturers have given the following approvals: Longlife-04 (BMW), 229.51 (Mercedes-Benz), 504 00 and 507 00 (Volkswagen), but also C30 (Porsche).
• Aral Supertronic Longlife III 5W30. The product achieves the engine oil quality of the ACEA C3 specification. The release includes 507 00 and 504 00 (Volkswagen), 229.51 (Mercedes-Benz), C30 (Porsche) and Longlive-04 (BMW).
• Ravenol VST 5W40.This synthetic oil meets A3, B4 and CF (ACEA) as well as SN (API). In addition, the manufacturer has the following approvals: RN0700 and RN0710 (Renault), 502 00 and 505 00 (Volkswagen), A40 (Porsche), 229.5 (Mercedes-Benz) and also Longlife-01 (BMW).
• Valvoline SynPower 5W30. For this synthetic product with motor oil quality CF and SL (API) as well as A3 and B4 (ACEA). The releases are RN0700 (Renault), 502 00 and 505 00 (Volkswagen), GM-LL-A-025 and GM-LL-B-025 (Opel), 229.5 (Mercedes-Benz) and Longlive-01 (BMW) .
• Fuchs Titan GT1 Pro C-3 5W30. This semi-synthetic engine oil does not meet any special API or ACEA specifications. Nevertheless, it has the following approvals: 507 00 and 504 00 (Volkswagen), C30 (Porsche), 229.51 (Mercedes-Benz) and Longlive-04 (BMW).

<Conclusion

Do not save money at the wrong end! Of course, a high-quality engine oil is significantly more expensive than a cheap oil; nevertheless, it is worth paying a certain extra charge. However, if you invest in good engine lubrication today and always pay attention to the change intervals, you will be able to enjoy your vehicle for a long time and not have to complain about serious engine damage.

A tip from CarTipsandmore:If you are not sure whether a modern engine oil can be used in your vehicle, you should look at the so-called replacement lists. It states which products may be replaced with which new oil. Please also ensure that you do not mix engine oils with different properties, as this can lead to sticking and deposits in the engine or the engine lubrication system.