Which Motor Oil (tournament Semifinal Round) Brand Wins?
This head-to-head test of 4 motor oil (tournament semifinal round) options has the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Bracket path (per this video's own recap)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
advanced to the final four by beating Royal Purple and Kendall in earlier rounds
- 2Penrite Vantage
the transcript states this brand advanced to the final four by beating 'Mobil and Amazon' (likely a further ASR mangle/compression of its actual Elite Eight wins over Amazon Basics and Motul, per sibling videos vjtksfRR3_k and WrR7-kQulao)
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
advanced to the final four by beating Mobil 1 and Quaker State in earlier rounds
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
the transcript states this brand advanced to the final four by beating Lucas and Red Line (matches the real Pennzoil's confirmed bracket path in sibling video WrR7-kQulao, where 'Pennzoil beat Lucas', and rPLrknPf3Do, where 'Pennzoil' beat Red Line)
All measurements (23 more)+
Anti-wear additives (pre-test lab comparison)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
slightly less than Penrite, but very close
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
more anti-wear additives than Pennzoil in this matchup
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Detergents/dispersants
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
contains more than most of the other previously-tested brands (qualitative, tied with Penrite as the two strongest in this comparison, no exact numbers given)
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
fewer than Pennzoil in this matchup, but both brands have more than most of the wider field previously tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Total base number (TBN)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil11.5
higher than Penrite's 8.7 in this matchup and higher than average versus most other brands previously tested in the series
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Evaporative loss test (200g oil, ~425F for 80 minutes)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
started at 430.2 g, ended at 426.27 g, a loss of 3.93 g - won this test outright against Penrite (6.15 g loss)
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Lubricity/wear test (cooked oil reheated to 260F, 10 minute bearing test)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
wear scar clearly smaller than Penrite's; won this test (only a qualitative visual comparison given, no exact wear-scar measurement stated)
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Cold flow race test (new and cooked oil, -40F overnight, 4-lane race)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oil
both new and cooked Amsoil samples were quick out of the gate and unfazed by the cold; cooked Amsoil barely finished ahead of new Amsoil within its own pairing; team Amsoil (new+cooked combined) finished ahead of team Penrite by about 4 inches
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Amsoil -- anti-wear additives
- 2Penrite Vantage
slightly more than Amsoil, but very close
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Amsoil -- TBN
- 2Penrite Vantage8.7
lower than Amsoil's 11.5 but still described as higher than average versus most other brands in the series
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Amsoil -- evaporative loss test
- 2Penrite Vantage
started at 411.31 g, ended at 405.16 g, a loss of 6.15 g - lost this test to Amsoil
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Amsoil -- lubricity/wear test
- 2Penrite Vantage
wear scar clearly larger than Amsoil's - lost this test
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Amsoil -- cold flow race test
- 2Penrite Vantage
new Penrite finished about an inch ahead of cooked Penrite within its own pairing, but team Penrite (new+cooked combined) trailed team Amsoil by about 4 inches - lost this test
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Amsoil match result
- 2Penrite Vantage
lost all three tests to Amsoil in this specific pairing; eliminated from the tournament
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Evaporative loss test
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
started at 394.67 g, ended at 388.59 g, a loss of 6.08 g - lost this test to Pennzoil (4.19 g loss)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Lubricity/wear test
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
an extremely close result ('about as close as I've seen it before'), but had a slightly smaller wear scar than Pennzoil - won this test
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
TBN
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
slightly lower than Pennzoil in this matchup, but both described as above average (no exact numeric figure given)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Cold flow race test
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000
team Schaeffer's trailed team Pennzoil throughout and lost the team race by about 4 inches; within its own pairing, new Schaeffer's finished about an inch ahead of cooked Schaeffer's
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oilnot tested
Vs Schaeffer's -- anti-wear additives
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
fewer anti-wear additives than Schaeffer's in this matchup
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
Vs Schaeffer's -- detergents/dispersants
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
quite a bit more than Schaeffer's; both brands have more than most of the wider field previously tested
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
Vs Schaeffer's -- TBN
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
slightly higher than Schaeffer's; both described as above average (no exact numeric figure given for this specific matchup)
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
Vs Schaeffer's -- evaporative loss test
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
started at 404.59 g, ended at 400.4 g, a loss of 4.19 g - won this test against Schaeffer's (6.08 g loss), about 2 g less loss
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
Vs Schaeffer's -- lubricity/wear test
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
'about as close as I've seen it before'; had a slightly larger wear scar than Schaeffer's - lost this test narrowly
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
Vs Schaeffer's -- cold flow race test
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
team Pennzoil built a 4-inch lead and won; cooked Pennzoil crossed the finish line first, about an inch ahead of new Pennzoil
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
Vs Schaeffer's match result
- 4Pennzoil Ultra Platinum full synthetic motor oil
won 2 of 3 tests (evaporative loss, cold flow), lost lubricity to Schaeffer's; advances to the championship game
- 1Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30 100% synthetic motor oilnot tested
- 2Penrite Vantagenot tested
- 3Schaeffer's Supreme 9000not tested
How it was tested
- anti-wear additive comparison (qualitative, from independent oil-lab analysis)
- total base number (TBN) comparison (from independent oil-lab analysis)
- detergent/dispersant comparison (qualitative, from independent oil-lab analysis)
- evaporative loss / thermal breakdown test: 200 g of oil heated to approximately 425F for 80 minutes, weighed before and after to determine evaporative loss
- lubricity/wear test: the heat-cooked oil reheated to 260F, used in a 10-minute bearing wear test comparing wear-scar size and bearing material weight loss
- cold flow race test: both new and heat-cooked oil samples cooled overnight to -40F, then raced down an inclined track to compare cold-flow speed
Data notes and caveats
This video is a tournament semifinal round (part of a multi-video 'oil playoff' series), not a single-winner comparison: it runs two separate matches (Amsoil vs Penrite, and Schaeffer's vs Pennzoil) and produces two different brands advancing to a future championship video, so the schema's single winner/runnerUp/budgetPick fields are left null rather than forcing one brand into them; each match's result and verdict quote is preserved in the relevant product's own notes/results instead. CORRECTED 2026-07-09 (QA worker F1, data/qa-followups.txt item 1): the products array previously merged the Amsoil match's opponent and the Schaeffer's match's opponent into one 'Pennzoil' entry, based on the transcript's ASR captioning both as 'Pennzoil' (audibly similar to 'Penrite') and the reused affiliate-link description block. This was wrong for the Amsoil match: the video's own video-specific description sentence ('Amsoil ... competes against Penrite Vantage and Schaeffer's ... competes against Pennzoil Ultra Platinum') and its chapter titles ('Penrite: 6.15g loss (Amsoil wins)', 'Testing Penrite') both name Amsoil's opponent as Penrite, not Pennzoil, and the championship finale (TWuKvnCq1js) independently corroborates this via its own bracket recap ('Amsoil then won against Kendall and Penn Rite'). The products array now correctly lists four brands: Amsoil and Penrite (first match, Amsoil wins, Penrite eliminated) and Schaeffer's and Pennzoil (second match, Pennzoil wins 2-1, advances to the championship final against Amsoil). This also resolves the file's own previously-flagged 'duplicate appearance' oddity: it wasn't one brand reaching the final four via two different paths, it was two different brands (Penrite and Pennzoil) each reaching the final four via their own separate path, both ASR-captioned identically as 'Pennzoil.' chapterMap is true: the meta chapters correctly mark the evaporative-loss result timestamps with figures that exactly match the transcript (6.15g loss for the Penrite/Amsoil match, 4.19g loss for the Pennzoil/Schaeffer's match).
