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Today’s Most Popular Motor Oil Viscosity Rankings

Here are our best-selling passenger car engine oil and diesel motor oil viscosities for the past year. These statistics are based on our sales only, so these numbers are not indicative of sales in the overall motor oil market.

Passenger Car/Light-Truck Motor Oil Sales Rankings

One of the first things we looked at is how much market share 5W-30 still holds. Automakers have been steadily moving to 5W-20 and 0W-20 motor oil for several years. If one adds the market share of 0W-20 and 5W-20, they eclipse 5W-30 by 12.59%.

The 0W-16 viscosity was introduced in 2018, but sales literally didn’t move the needle. It was suggested for only a couple of Honda and Toyota models in 2018. It will be interesting to see if 0W-16 starts to make strides in 2019.

Chart Passenger Car Viscosity 2018

Diesel Engine Oil Sales Rankings

The story in the diesel engine oil space over the past few years is 5W-40 replacing 15W-40 as king of the hill. The 5W-40 grade is now a common (and very viable) all-season choice in many diesel engines. Again, these stats are based on our sales and not the overall diesel engine oil market.

Chart Diesel Oil Sales By Viscosity 2018

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Customer Wants “Straight Grade” SAE 50 Diesel Engine Oil

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A reader asks: Do you have an SAE 50 heavy duty Diesel Engine Oil for trucks that meets the API CF-2 specification?

AMSOIL Synthetic 20W-50 Premium Protection Motor OilOur answer: We do not have a “straight” SAE 50 diesel engine oil. But we do have a heavy-duty 20W-50 that would be ideal for any application requiring SAE 50. AMSOIL SAE 20W-50 Premium Protection Synthetic Motor Oil covers the API CF-2 specification along with a multitude of gasoline and diesel engine specifications. This is a heavy-duty engine oil that is suitable for older diesel truck applications.

Although it is labelled as a 20W-50, this product is very shear stable and can easily be used for applications suggesting SAE-50. “Straight-weight” oils have been supplanted by multi-grade engine oils.

Straight grade oils were once specified because early renditions of multi-grade oils were prone to shearing. They would thin-out and break down under stress, heat and long service. This is why some older heavy-duty applications suggested straight grade oils.

High-quality, modern synthetic engine oils (such as AMSOIL SAE 20W-50 Premium Protection Synthetic Motor Oil) do not use “viscosity index improvers”. Viscosity index improvers are motor oil ingredients that expand with heat to prevent the thinning of some lower quality multi-grade motor oils. Viscosity index improvers are still used by some lesser oils. AMSOIL 20W-50 has world-class resistance to shearing, boil-off and consumption, so it will stand up as well as any straight grade SAE 50 motor oil.

AMSOIL SAE 20W-50 Premium Protection Synthetic Motor Oil pours down to -36°C, providing remarkable cold weather oil flow for a 50-weight oil.

Long Service Life

AMSOIL SAE 20W-50 Premium Protection Synthetic Motor Oil is formulated for long service life of up 15,000 miles (24,000 KM) for severe service. Up to 25,000 miles (40,000km) for general use.

Covers Many Diesel And Gasoline Engine Industry Specifications

  • API CI-4 +, CH-4, CF, CF-2
  • ISO-L-EMA
  • Caterpillar ECF-1
  • JASO MA (Motorcycle)
  • MAN 271/3275
  • MTU Type 2
  • Cummins 20071, 20072, 20076, 20077
  • Volvo VDS-2, VDS
  • Mack EO-M+, EO-M
  • ACEA A3/B3, E3, E5
  • MB 228.1, 228.3, 229.1
  • Detroit Diesel 93K214

We can sell AMSOIL SAE 20W-50 Premium Protection Synthetic Motor Oil at wholesale prices in Canada and the United States. Contact us for prices using the form on this page.

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Best Selling Engine Oil Viscosity Grades For 2015

What were the best selling motor oil viscosities last year?

If you’re wondering if 5W-30 motor oil still outsells 5W-20 in gasoline-powered vehicles or if 15W-40 diesel oil is still relevant, we’ve compiled our sales number for the past year. Let’s examine the market share for each viscosity grade in the categories listed below. Plus we’ll list our top 15 best selling motor oil products of the last year.

  • Passenger Car/Light Truck/Gasoline Engine Oils
  • Diesel Engine Oils
  • European Formula Engine Oils

Please keep in mind that this data is based on our sales and may not necessarily reflect the motor oil market as a whole.

The Most Popular Engine Oil Grades For Passenger Car/Light Truck/Gasoline Engines

While 5W-30 is still the most popular viscosity, 5W-20 and 0W-20 are quickly gaining ground. Compared to last year’s numbers, 5W-30 has lost roughly 7 percentage points, while 5W-20 gained a single percentage point and 0W-20 gained about 4 points. We’re seeing 0W-20 being recommended for more vehicles every year. Note that when the numbers are combined, 0W-20 and 5W-20 are commanding more market share than 5W-30 overall. As car manufacturers are turning to lighter engine oils for fuel economy gains, expect 5W-30 to be specified in fewer new vehicles going forward. In fact, if industry rumblings are correct, we could see 0W-16 engine oils being specified for new cars in the next year or two.

Graph of Motor Oil Grade Sales 2015

The Best Selling Diesel Engine Oil Viscosity Grades

The classic 15W-40 diesel engine oil grade still put up very strong sales numbers in 2015. This was based on the sales of three different 15W-40 products in our line-up. The versatile 5W-40 diesel grade took almost 40% of sales based on the strength of “DEO” Premium 5W-40. This full synthetic 5W-40 is a great choice for year-round use in most diesel applications.

Graph Of Diesel Engine Oil Visocosity Popularity 2015

The Best Selling European Formula Engine Oil Types

Mid-SAPS 5W-40 still outsells Low-SAPS 5W-30 by a significant margin, while Full-SAPS 5W-40 sales are still very strong. Here is an explanation of the proper applications for each European engine oil type.

Graph of European Motor Oil Viscosity Sales 2015

Top Selling AMSOIL Motor Oils At Oildepot.ca In 2015

  1. (XLF) XL 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
  2. (XLM) XL 5W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil
  3. (DEO) Premium 5W-40 Synthetic Diesel Motor Oil
  4. (ASL) Signature Series 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
  5. (DME) Premium 15W-40 Synthetic Diesel Motor Oil
  6. (ALM) Signature Series 5W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil
  7. (AFL) 5W-40 European Improved ESP Synthetic Motor Oil
  8. (AEL) 5W-30 European Improved ESP Synthetic Motor Oil
  9. (OEM) OE 5W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil
  10. (OEF) OE 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
  11. (ASM) Signature Series 5W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil
  12. (AME) 15W-40 Heavy-Duty Synthetic Diesel and Marine Motor Oil
  13. (AZO) Signature Series 0W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
  14. (OED) OE 15W-40 Synthetic Diesel Motor Oil)
  15. (OEZ) OE 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil
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Using Gasoline Motor Oil In Diesel Engine?

A Reader Asks: Is it OK to use a motor oil that is meant for a gasoline car engine in a diesel motor? If the diesel engine calls for 10W-30 engine oil, can most any good 10W-30 be used?

Our Answer: In most cases, you should not use a motor oil designed for gasoline engines or passenger car service in a diesel engine. The exception would be motor oils that carry the correct diesel oil specification as suggested by the diesel engine manufacturer (more on that in a bit). A common mistake we see people make is that their diesel engine calls for a 10W-30 engine oil and they assume that any 10W-30 will suffice. This is definitely not the case. We carry some of the best synthetic oils for passenger car/gasoline engine service on the planet and would never recommend that these products be used in a heavy-duty diesel engine.

The reason being is that the combustion that takes place in diesel engines generates a significant amount of soot that is not found in gasoline engines. Soot is an abrasive carbon substance that results from incomplete diesel fuel combustion. Heavy-duty diesel engine oils are fortified with additives that hold the soot in suspension and strong detergents to keep engine internals clean.

Also, diesel engine oils tend to have a higher total base number or “TBN” than gasoline engine oils. This TBN number represents the motor oil’s ability to counteract acids that can build up in the motor oil over the service life. These acids are also a result of the combustion process.

What Would Happen If You Used Gasoline Engine Oil In A Diesel Engine?

It would not be an instant disaster, but over time the oil would become loaded with soot and would not have the capacity to deal with it. Deposits will start to form in the engine and would be especially severe in the upper valve train area. Eventually excessive engine wear would start to occur.

Can You Use Diesel Engine Oil In a Gasoline Engine?

Provided that it meets the diesel motor oil meets the correct motor oil specification for your vehicle, diesel engine oils will function perfectly in a gasoline engine. If the specification matches, there is no downside to using a diesel engine oil in a gasoline engine.

Engine Oil Specifications Explained

We’ve mentioned motor oil specifications several times, so let’s briefly touch on this important component of the discussion. The manufacturer of every modern gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle or piece of equipment will prescribe that the motor oil used in the engine meet a particular industry specification. These specs are always marked on the label and should be noted when choosing a motor oil. Here are some examples of API (American Petroleum Institute) motor oil specifications.

Gasoline Engine/Passenger Car Service

  • API SN (newest specification)
  • API SM (previous specification)
  • API SL (previous specification)
  • API SJ (previous specification)

Diesel Engine Service

  • API CJ-4 (newest specification)
  • API CI-4 Plus (previous specification)
  • API CI-4 (previous specification)

Most motor oils are formulated to cover multiple specifications, so take special note to make sure that spec required for your vehicle is on the label. European car makers usually have their own unique motor oil specifications which should be observed.

Bottom line: Do not fixate only on the viscosity or grade when choosing a motor oil. Make sure that the correct industry specification is on the label when shopping for motor oil and you won’t go wrong.

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