What Is The Best Oil Filter For A Car

Best Oil Filters: Engine Protections

At that place are some things all-time enjoyed without filters – Instagram photos, discussions about pay with your boss, and those Camel cigarettes from the '80s. What definitely does require a filter is the oiling organization on your auto'due south engine. We've gathered a few of them here.

As a programming note, know that for purposes of making a vaguely apples-to-apples comparison in this post, we selected a common vehicle nosotros figured would be roughly representative of the atrocious cars efficient daily drivers pressed into service by the readers and authors of this site. In this case, nosotros've specified a ten-year-old Honda Civic.

You'll exist glad (and unsurprised) to learn we've all had our name on the title of some terrible rotbox at some point during our driving careers. We bet you have, as well.

Editor's Choice: Genuine Honda Oil (Honeywell) Filter
FRAM Extra Guard Passenger Auto Spin-On Oil Filter
PurolatorONE Advanced Engine Protection Spin On Oil Filter
Royal Purple Oil Filter
Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filter
Ecogard Synthetic+ Oil Filter
Pennzoil Regular Spin-on Oil Filter
Champion Spin-On Oil Filter

ane. Editor'due south Choice: Genuine Honda Oil (Honeywell) Filter

Ages ago, Honda used to have a tagline when advertisement their service departments that said "Don't open your hood to strangers". With all the unmentionable double entendres that the phrase implies, there'south no manner that line would wing in today'south gild. But information technology still makes a good bespeak: the visitor that built your car probably knows a matter or two about the parts it requires.

Selecting a gen-u-wine OEM function goes a long way even when your car is well out of warranty. Subsequently all, wouldn't you look more than kindly upon a used auto you were inspecting if information technology featured all-Honda replacement parts compared to ane that was mended and serviced cheaply? Some reviewers are disquisitional of this product and openly question if it is an actual Honda item but the vast majority seem happy, leading to a four.8 out of five-star rating.

Pros /Bodily item from Honda, excellent reviews

Cons /Be sure to check those part numbers

Bottom Line /Don't open your hood to strangers

Going from genuine OEM manufactures to the rex of aftermarket filters, we find this Fram filter to exist priced in the basement and found on the shelf of just about every major retailer in the nation. Priced less than iv bucks, it's virtually a guarantee than many people beat out more cash than that for their morning coffee on the style to work.

There are plenty of uncomplimentary anecdotes well-nigh Fram filters but your author has had adept luck with them for at least the terminal xx years. That pavement-like gripping surface on its posterior works as advertised, providing a place on which to grasp the matter and torque it off. The balance of information technology is slathered in bright orange paint, which can be proficient or bad depending on your opinion.

Pros /Cheaper than the clay it filters from your engine oil

Cons /Easily spotted past nosy used car shoppers

Bottom Line /Hard to beat this price

iii. PurolatorONE Advanced Engine Protection Spin On Oil Filter

Several different filters from Purolator presented themselves when we specified a ten-yr-former Honda Civic and its 1.8L engine. However, this Purolator 1 filter falls somewhere between their deal filter and more expensive offerings.

In a fit of scientific statement, Purolator says this filter has a silicone anti-drain-back valve that lasts longer than traditional nitrile to protect against dry starts and oil leaks. They also say their metallic end caps concur up better in the long term. Whether you think this is a dig at Fram or non is up to you lot.

Pros /Allegedly practiced for 10k miles, bodily selling points in the ad copy

Cons /Gasket complaints

Bottom Line /FYI - the new top-of-line Purolator is chosen BOSS

four. Royal Purple Oil Filter

When the make Royal Purple showed up on the scene it was, at to the lowest degree in my circle of gearhead buddies, worth the actress cash. By most accounts, that seems to remain true today fifty-fifty if nosotros've all grown up – notice I didn't say matured – and now driving SUVs. The filter linked here, of form, fits our sample Honda Borough.

Similar any good marketer of motor oil, Majestic Purple has expanded into a line of ancillary items including oil filters. Slathered in their trademark purple color, these filters patently boast a 15k-mile lifespan when used with full constructed motor oil. For the scientists in the room, this thing claims to accomplish a 99% filtration efficiency at 25 microns or larger when combined with synthetic oil.

Pros /Brand snobbery, long service intervals

Cons /College-than-boilerplate cost tag

Bottom Line /Relive yer yute (or simply enjoy a good filter)

v. Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filter

There was a time when your author would base of operations his purchasing decisions with a critical eye at which racing team they sponsored. If they were on the flanks of a driver I didn't like, there was little chance they'd snag me equally a customer. Put it this way: I exclusively drank Coke for this very reason.

If you're in that military camp, we promise y'all similar either Stewart-Haas Racing or Aston Martin Ruby Bull Racing. Porsche Supercup series too, by the way. As for the filter, it's hard to get a more recognized oil make than Mobil 1, though the visitor does seem to offer different levels of filters. This is the mid-grade model.

Pros /This crowd knows what they're doing

Cons /Amazon'southward compatibility tool may exist off

Bottom Line /Tough to go incorrect here

half dozen. Ecogard Constructed+ Oil Filter

Marketed as an enviro-friendly product (hey, it'due south in a green box and has 'eco' in its name), this filter is said to be designed to maintain performance for the longer oil alter intervals on vehicle engines using synthetic oil.

According to the ad copy, it will provide long-lasting engine protection with 2x the filtration capacity compared to conventional oil filters. Without going into details, they say it's been 'proven' to drive up to 10k miles between oil changes. Like others on this listing, they promote their solid metal finish caps.

Pros /The veneer of econess, decent toll

Cons /EcoWho?

Bottom Line /Best for use with synthetic oils

7. Pennzoil Regular Spin-on Oil Filter

If there was a prize for the well-nigh traditional and plainest-looking oil filter, Pennzoil would win hands down. Non that oil filters need to be sexy, of grade, relieve for the ones being affixed to the majority of rigs showing upward at a place similar Barrett-Jackson (and Bring-a-Trailer soon, we think). This filter merely flies the brand'due south colors, bears its proper name, and is stamped with a unit number. That's it.

Pennzoil says their filter is amid the highest efficiency units on the market with efficiencies of 97 percent or higher when scrubbing particle sizes to a higher place twenty microns. They besides claim a larger filtering surface area and advanced media to provide boosted capacity. Mayhap nosotros should run one of these things through the official TTAC band saw and detect out.

Pros /Just the facts ma'am

Cons /Not as inexpensive as it used to be

Bottom Line /Sail with the Pirates of Pennzoil

viii. Champion Spin-On Oil Filter

In the by, your author has associated Champion with electrical items like spark plugs and rotor caps, not oil filters. However, they seem to take cracked the nut with this i, claiming it platonic for OE recommended change intervals up to 12,000 miles when paired with constructed oil.

Champion says their filter is made with high-strength filter media, helping it conditions harsh driving atmospheric condition and longer change intervals. Marketing hyperbole bated, ratings from real-earth customers – while few in number – are stellar.

Pros /Long life, plays well with synthetics

Cons /Terrifying lack of reviews

Bottom Line /It's another filter

FAQs

What oil filter make is all-time?

Every brand is unique in its own way and oil filters from each vendor have their pros and cons. With that in heed, it'south up to you equally to which manufacturer y'all prefer when it is nearly an oil filter, and what level of efficiency does that particular piece of equipment offers.

Nevertheless, some about reliable oil filter brands are:

Bosch
Purolator
Mobil 1
Motorcraft
Amsoil

As well note that while buying, you must always check if the oil filter is uniform with your vehicle, and what other alternatives do you have.

Are K and N oil filters good?

Honestly, many users claim that they heard simply bad things about K&N oil filters. Nevertheless, a few points that are a plus include:

They can be used with both traditional and constructed oils
They are washable and therefore tin be reused
They are good for off-road and racing cars

As for cons, some noteworthy factors are:

Filtering power is average
They can terminal simply upward to 11.2K kilometers to 16K kilometers
The efficiency level is around 85 percent at 20 microns

With the higher up merits and demerits, you demand to exist quite calculative and see which boxes the Chiliad&N oil filters check before y'all invest your money in them.

Are WIX oil filters good quality?

When compared, WIX oil filters are meliorate than K&N. Some factors where WIX filters win the race include:

Extremely adept filtering power
Tin concluding for up to 24,000+ kilometers
Efficiency level is as high as 95 per centum at xx microns
Designed to exist used in regular cars which makes these oil filters useful for the bulk of people

As for the downside, the points include:

They are not-washable and must exist replaced
Can be used merely with the constructed oil
Not recommended for off-road or racing cars

Keeping the above pros and cons in listen, WIX oil filters could exist considered of good quality.

Are Fram oil filters bad?

Despite all the negative reviews that many people have shared on several portals, at that place are a few consumers who say good about Fram oil filters.

A couple of factors that make these oil filters worth it include:

They use resin-based finish-caps that are considered to be better than those made of a metal
They are tested with ISO 4548-12 standard which is an industry-grade figure for testing purposes
Fram Tough Guard or above series filters offer up to 99 per centum efficiency at 20 microns which, at the time of this writing, is only advertised by Bosch and merely a few more vendors

With those figures and facts, you lot tin count on Fram oil filters as they are non as bad as they have been portrayed before the masses.

What oil filters have the highest efficiency of filtration?

Although every brand claims that they are the all-time, those that accept received a decent number of positive reviews on Amazon are listed below:

Mobil 1 M1-110/M1-110A (Buy hither!)

This oil filter claims to take around 99.6 percent filtering efficiency.

FRAM Ultra Constructed (Buy here!)

This oil filter offers more than 99 percent filtration efficiency.

Bosh 3323 Premium FILTECH (Buy here!)

The oil filter is capable of offering up to 99 pct filtering efficiency.

Note: The products the to a higher place links redirect to are but for references and brand comparison. You tin can check the efficiency percent and pick your preferred oil filter blazon from any of the brands according to your vehicle.

From fourth dimension to time, TTAC will highlight automotive products we remember may exist of interest to our community. Plus, posts like this help to continue the lights on effectually hither. Acquire more almost how this works.

(Editor's note: This post is meant to both help you be an informed shopper for automotive products only also to pay for our '~~90s sedan shopping habits~~ operating expenses. Some of you don't discover these posts fun, but they help pay for Junkyard Finds, Rare Rides, Piston Slaps, and any else. Thanks for reading.)

[Primary photograph credit: Paman Aheri / Shutterstock.com. Product images provided by the manufacturer.]