When it comes to high-quality motor oils, Pennzoil and Valvoline are the creams of the crop. Both boast superior lubrication, greater mileage, and advanced engine performance. It’s no wonder that they’re the preferred motor oil brand for luxury vehicles like BMW, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley.
But if placed side-by-side, is one better than the other? More importantly, which brand should you get?
In this Pennzoil vs Valvoline comparison, we discuss the biggest differences and similarities between the two. Let’s dive in!
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Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Full Synthetic 5W-20 Motor Oil (5 Quart, Single... | VIEW ON AMAZON |
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Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic SAE 0W-20 Motor Oil 5 QT | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Valvoline: Brief Overview
Valvoline, officially known as Valvoline Inc. and VVV in the NYSE, is the second-most largest American motor oil provider in the United States, just after Mobil. It currently owns 10% of the nation’s market share and is sold in over 1,000 locations.
Valvoline was founded in 1866 by Dr. John Ellis, the same man who invented the steam engine petroleum lubricant. Although the company had a slow start, it boomed in popularity in the 1890s when it started being associated with winning race cars.
Today, Valvoline is one of the leading worldwide marketers and suppliers of premium motor oils and lubricants. It’s sold across 140 countries and ranks as the third motor oil brand for passenger cars in the DIY market by volume.
Pros
- Exceptional high-temperature protection
- Improved viscosity stability
- Improved oil breakdown resistance
- Prevents corrosion
- Recyclable
- Features anti-wear additives
- Ideal for light-duty engines and vehicles with high-performance gasoline
Cons
- Can’t be used on diesel engines
- Not ideal for bikes and aviation engines
Pennzoil
Established in 1913, Pennzoil is an American motor oil brand known for its high-value performance.
Upon its inception, Pennzoil quickly became the largest oil producer in Oil City, Pennsylvania, where it was founded.
Soon thereafter, through the Sunday Evening Post ad, Quaker State became a nationally known brand. The advertisement read: “Although the Franklin requirements were severe, Pennzoil met them with ease.”
The article concluded that Pennzoil is the “highest known quality oil” suitable for every engine purpose.
By the 1980s, the company’s sales had risen to $2 billion, making it one of the nation’s biggest motor oil companies at the time.
Pennzoil was purchased by the Royal Dutch Shell Group in 2002. Today, the brand is an official long-term recommended motor oil of all Fiat Chrysler Automobiles companies, including Hyundai, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, BMW, and others.
Pros
- Fantastic fuel economy
- Excellent temperature performance
- Improved wear protection
- Easily surpasses industry standard for piston cleanliness
- Suitable for day to day use
- Made from natural gas
Cons
- Non-recyclable; incorrect disposal may harm the environment
- Not ideal for bikes and aviation engines
Pennzoil vs. Valvoline: Head-to-Head Comparison
Now that we know about how they came to be, let’s compare the similarities and differences between the two.
Environment Performance
As the years go by, oil is becoming more and more scarce. For this reason, oil companies are looking for ways to stretch their resources as long as possible. One of these solutions is recyclability. Both perform decently in this area, but Valvoline went above and beyond.
In 2011, the company launched the Valvoline NextGen, a new line of motor oil made of 50% recycled oil. The goal is to lower emissions, reduce fossil fuel use, and keep used oil out of water supplies. It’s the biggest international brand to have introduced recycled motor oil.
On the other hand, Pennzoil’s motor oils are formulated from natural gas. This results in improved wear protection, extreme-temperature performance, fuel economy, and cleanliness.
Although Pennzoil doesn’t use re-refined oil like Valvoline, its motor oils contain no impurities or deposits, and they don’t dissipate in high temperatures. As such, you can use it multiple times. This makes Pennzoil one of the more environmentally friendly oils on the market.
When it comes to environmental performance, both Pennzoil and Valvoline pass with top marks. However, Valvoline has our pick because it uses recycled oil in its products.
Evaporation
Although both sell synthetic and conventional motor oils, Pennzoil and Valvoline are more known for their synthetic blends.
When run at 400 degrees for around six hours, synthetic motor oils lose only about 4% of their weight. In comparison, conventional petroleum loses 30% of its weight. So, you can’t go wrong with either synthetic brand.
Valvoline delivers full protection against extreme temperatures of -40°F to 425°F, meeting and exceeding the industry standards. Valvoline Full Synthetic, in particular, maintains a viscosity grade of 0 during low temperatures and a grade of 20 in moderate temperatures.
However, when it comes to temperature resistance, Pennzoil takes the crown.
Pennzoil relies on a high-temperature technology called PurePlus, a process that creates base oil from natural gas rather than crude oil. PurePlus base oil doesn’t “gel” or turn into sludge in extremely low temperatures, allowing the engine to pump oil even on extremely cold days.
Conversely, it won’t evaporate or break when exposed to high temperatures thanks to its high oxidation stability rate. This makes Pennzoil, especially Pennzoil Platinum and Ultra Platinum, ideal for turbocharged engines and direct injection engines.
Sludge Build-Up
Although most oils can’t handle temperature fluctuations in the engine, Valvoline and Pennzoil handle fluctuations with ease.
Valvoline’s Full Synthetic oils feature superior sludge and varnish protection, providing up to 25% better deposit protection than industry standards.
On the other hand, Pennzoil’s PurePlus Technology maintains clearer pistons about 65% more than industry standards.
Thus, Pennzoil is better at sludge build-up protection and reduction.
Conclusion
The match between Valvoline and Pennzoil is a close one, but at the end of the day, we believe that Pennzoil is the better choice. Compared to Valvoline, Pennzoil has superior sludge and varnish protection, as well as better temperature performance.
With that said, both are available in 0W-16, 0W-20, 0W-40, 5W-20, 5W-30, and 10W-30 multigrade viscosities. For this reason, both offer fantastic wear protection and are highly resistant to thickening.
The choice between Valvoline and Pennzoil is entirely subjective, though. It really depends on your vehicle, drive, and engine requirements. If in doubt, consult your local mechanic to help you choose the brand best for your vehicle.