The manufacturer's oil weight recommendation for the '13 ES 350 is 0W-20 synthetic. As everyone knows, this weight is difficult to obtain (at competitive prices), and currently not stocked by suppliers, like COSTCO. My inclination is to simply use the 5W-20, but would appreciate any comments, pro or con, prior to stocking up. Thanks for your input.

 

Just FYI - this is posted in the 2007-2012 ES section. (I don't know anything about oils, sorry )

 

Very sorry.

 

You're right about COSTCO which is where I get my Mobil 1 oil as well.
No 0w-20 on the shelves EVER !

My ES happens to be a 2010 so 5w-30 is still the correct oil for me.

On the newer models, they swapped down to 0w-20.

Keep one thing in mind however.
On the newer models, the 0w-20 change interval is actually 10k miles.
On the older Lexus with 5w-30, the interval is actually 5k miles.

So while you may spend more money buying the "correct" 0w-20 , you are not actually changing it as often.

If i recall, the owners manual says something to the effect of "if you put in a viscosity of oil other than the recommended 0w-20, you should change it as soon as possible".

All in all, you're better off going with the recommended 0w-20 to avoid any potential issues down the road IMHO.
The cost difference in the long run is really not that much...especially as I imagine you're changing it yourself which certainly saves money right there.

 

0w-20 is much, much thinner oil than a 5w-30 and thinner than a 5w-20. Thinner oil is usually used because of tighter tolerances. Thicker oil causes drag on engine internals, especially in cold climates. You're in NV, so you don't have to worry about cold weather, but you do have to worry about following the maintenance manual to the letter. Use the 0w-20.

It's more expensive but the interval is longer.

 

And if there is a warranty issue with your 2013 vehicle, you will need proof of correct oil changes. If you can't provide, then poof goes your warranty protection.

 

Mobil 1 has a 0W-40 that's the same price as its other weights

 

The key number here is the 20. Whether you get 0W-20 or 5W-20 is not a significant difference. The 20 is related to the viscosity at normal operating temperature. The 0 or 5 is the start up viscosity which won't make much difference. As to the oil change frequency I still will not go the 10,000 miles between changes. I stick with 5000 miles without any problems in engine life.

 

For 5qt of full synthetic, you can probably get away with a little more than 5,000. 6,000 is about the minimum I'd go on full syn. If you do mostly highway or are very easy on the car, you can probably go 7500.

I go 5000 on dino oil for god's sake, and I'm not exactly easy on my car. Every time I have the oil changed I've sampled the oil and checked it, and I have an analysis done after the 3rd change after buying the car to ensure the interval is working. Every time I've done it, the oil after 5000-5500 miles has been just fine, if just about near the point of NEEDING to be changed.

 

Walmart carries it in both the 5 qt jugs and qts. I've been buying it for two years now from them for my Honda.

 

We just bought my wife a 2009 ES350, so I'm relatively new to the forums. We've been using Mobil 1 full synthetic in her turbocharged Mitsubishi Eclipse and we've ran the oil 12,000 miles between changes, with a K&N filter change at 6,000. That's a pretty extreme environment for oil, but we've had no problems and currently have over 184,000 miles on the vehicle and it runs perfectly. This regime of oil changes started when the vehicle had roughly 90,000 miles. I plan to do a similar regime with our ES350, change filter cartridge at 5,000 miles and Oil with new filter at 10,000 miles. The Mobil One oil is among the best on the market, and they've tested it in excess of 18000 miles with no problems or break down. As long as you change the filter, you shouldn't have any problems going another 5,000 miles on the oil. (Just my 2 cents worth, except for those of you still in warranty)

 

I use dino 5W30 on mine every 5000 miles and it is still as clear as when new.

 

Not true. I buy 0-20 mobile one all the time at Costco. I pay $27 for 6 quarts. You should not use 5-20 if the manufacturer calls for 0-20. The engine was engineered fo 0-20 and that is what needs to be used. Any other weight will cause the engine to wear sooner than later.

 

 

Yes or you could even use 5W-30 year round. Even use as thick as 20W-50 if you live where winter temps don't dip below 20 degree F above zero. How do I know this? Because the 2GR-FE and 2GR-FKS V6's are used in Toyota vehicles in multiple areas around the world and except fot the USA owners manuals, the owners manuals of those vehicles sold elsewhere allow oils as thin as 0W-20 and as thick as 20W-50 to be used. The only reason USA manuals insist on 0W-20 is for a political reason (fuel economy) . Example: a New Zealand owners manual: