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Top rated for oil quality, Nulon won the Finder Award for the best engine oil brand this year. It also rated well for peformance, packaging design and value for money.
Before we go any further, we should point out that the most important thing you can do when choosing engine oil is to check your car's owner manual. This will tell you which oil to use. This information can also sometimes be found on the oil reservoir cap on the engine. If you still can't find what you're looking for, the service department of your local dealership should be able to help.
There are a few different types of oil available:
The other main way to distinguish between oils is to check their viscosity. Viscosity refers to the oil's thickness, and you can see this listed on oil labels with classifications like "5W-30".
These number-and-letter formulas reflect an oil's Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) rating – the higher the number, the thicker the oil. An oil that's low in viscosity will flow faster, particularly when you first start your engine, but high-viscosity oils cope better at high temperatures.
So if an oil has a 5W-30 rating, the 5W reflects how the oil will flow at cold temperatures – the W stands for winter – while the 30 refers to its viscosity at hot temperatures.
There are several factors you should consider before choosing an engine oil. Take the following factors into account when comparing your options.
Check the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) recommended engine oil. You may be able to find this in the car owner's manual, on the oil reservoir cap or through the service department of your local dealership.
Retailers also make it easy to find the right oil. Browse engine oil online with a major automotive store and you'll be able to filter your search to find oils suitable for your car's make, model and engine type.
An oil’s SAE viscosity rating is always prominently displayed on the label. Check this rating to make sure it fits the recommended oil viscosity for your engine.
The oil you choose will vary depending on whether your car runs on petrol, diesel or LPG. Check the label to determine whether an oil is suitable for your fuel type.
Check the label to see whether there's an API or ACEA classification standard listed. This rating allows you to determine whether the oil is suitable for use in your engine, and standards are regularly updated as technology improves. We'll explain these standards in more detail further down the page.
The safest option when buying engine oil is to choose a recognised brand. This will ensure that you buy a high-quality product to maintain your engine and improve performance. You'll typically need to spend a little extra to choose a quality brand, but that added cost is still a whole lot cheaper than replacing an entire engine.
If you’re buying mineral oil, you can expect to pay approximately $25-$50 for 5L for most products. Semi-synthetic oils are generally in the $30-$60 range for 5L, while synthetic oils are the most expensive of the bunch and are usually priced between $40 and $90 per 5L.
As if engine oil labels weren't already confusing enough, there are a couple of other acronyms to keep an eye out for on the bottle. These are API, which stands for the American Petroleum Institute, and ACEA (which is the European Automobile Manufacturers Association). For example, you might see the terms "API SN/CF" and "ACEA C3/B4" on a label.
These terms refer to oil classification standards determined by these two organisations. These standards set minimum oil performance requirements, and they're regularly updated as oil and engine technology improve.
Under the API standard, which is most commonly used in Australia, the letter "S" is used for petrol engine oils and "C" is used for diesel. For petrol engines, SP is the latest standard and was introduced in May 2020. SN oil is for 2020 and older automotive engines, SM is for 2010 and older automotive engines, and so on as you work through the alphabet in reverse order. You can check out the full classifications here.
ACEA uses a different rating system, so check the latest classification on the organisation's website.
There are a few other important factors to consider when choosing and using engine oil:
Ready to start shopping? Check out our guide to the top sites to buy automotive accessories online.
| Total Score | Overall rating | Value for Money | Performance | Packaging/Design | Oil quality | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nulon | 8.38 | 4.64 | 4.24 | 4.52 | 4.4 | 4.62 |
| Penrite Oil | 8.23 | 4.49 | 4.2 | 4.51 | 4.27 | 4.57 |
| Other | 8.2 | 4.56 | 3.88 | 4.56 | 3.96 | 4.64 |
| Valvoline | 8.17 | 4.43 | 4.12 | 4.59 | 4.41 | 4.61 |
| AMSOIL | 8 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Castrol | 7.93 | 4.31 | 4.08 | 4.37 | 4.12 | 4.35 |
| Gulf Western | 7.9 | 4.26 | 4.43 | 4.57 | 4.13 | 4.39 |
| Shell | 7.86 | 4.26 | 4.06 | 4.26 | 4.18 | 4.28 |
| Mobil | 7.79 | 4.29 | 4.08 | 4.27 | 4.06 | 4.18 |
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