Best type oil and filter for my new car?

Hi Men,

Just ordered a new Xlimited Forester, and I’m curious as to the best oil filter and oil I should use when my first oil change is due, ie, synthetic or coventional? Also, is using synthetic in the car for 6000 miles better than using conventional for 3000 miles? Also I read Fram filters are sub par, so what is your thought on a good type filter?

checkout bobistheoilguy.com for lots of information on oil and filters, far more than you’d ever know what to do with.

Much more important that any website is the car manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.

As soon as you get the car, start by reading the Owner’s Manual in order to familiarize yourself with the controls and the break-in procedure. The manual will also list the type of oil that is required in order to maintain warranty coverage.

After skimming thru the Owner’s Manual, then you should take a look the Subaru Maintenance Schedule, which is in a separate booklet. That will list both the odometer mileage and elapsed time intervals for oil changes and all other maintenance procedures.

If this Forester is turbo-charged, it will require oil changes every 3,750 miles or X months, whichever comes first. If you don’t use the type of oil specified for a turbo, and if you don’t change the oil at least as often as specified, you can look forward to a sludged engine, a blown turbo, and no warranty coverage for those repairs.

Read what the mfr provides, and you will know what you need to know.

Agree, do what VDC suggests. This is one of many posts on the subject, and NO, just because you paid twice as much for synthetic, you CANNOT extend the drain interval by 100%. Do what the owner’s manual says.

Synthetc oils are for high stress operation, extremely low temperatures, and are specified on some high performance and turbocharged engines.

After reading the owner’s manual, please post back and we can explain under what circumstances we would recommend synthetic for your vehicle.

Yes, if you are going obsess about oil and filters (more than you already have) bobisthe oilguy is the place to go…

use the factory recommended oil and filter and change it according to your owner’s manual(that book in that storage compartment in front of the passenger seat

The Subaru OEM is usually fairly priced and gets good reviews on Subaru forums, regardless/despite their real manufacturer. I tend to use Purolator, Purolator Pure 1 and Wix on our Subarus. It is simply more convenient for me to get these after market filters than to go to a Subaru dealer. If you follow the Subaru oil break in cycle, then switch to synthetic if you wish. I currently run 5K miles on conventional oil and 7.5K miles on synthetic, depending what’s on sale, etc. My driving habits are not considered severe service. Our Subarus have done well with this regimen.

If your driving is mostly of the short hop variety then you should go with a 3000-3500 miles/4 months or so interval; no matter if you use conventional or synthetic.
Especially true if you live in a dusty or humid area.

There is nothing wrong with Fram filters. The part about Fram filters being sub-par is simply another old wives tale circulated on the internet.

I agree; Frams are good; have been using them for many miles and many years. Got one old car in use yet with over 230k miles with Fram oil and air filters. Any nationally recognized name brand filters will work.

As others have said, the Owner’s Manual is your and your vehicle’s friend.

Fram has four grades of filter for sale in the same store, Wal-Mart. There is nothing wrong with moving up a notch.

You can buy the regular oil filters from NAPA and get one with a better reputation but it probably won’t make a difference as long as you don’t get a counterfeit filter. You probably will never get a fake one anywhere unless you buy it in a really strange place.

You could use any Castrol oil, Mobil One or Valvoline.