fuel economy vs. oil changes

My dealer charges $35 for an oil/filter service, and had a special for $29, plus the upcharge for 0W-20 was $16 ($6.66 for 0W-20, vs. $3.38 for conventional oil), so I paid $45 + tax.

There's no way it should cost $90--find another dealer.

 

Wow, if I drove 50K+ miles per year in one car then as soon as it went off warranty I'd stop using the 5000 mile interval. I can't see the synthetic oil breaking down or getting that dirty in a month from long distance highway driving (I'm assuming you are not putting 1000 miles a week in the city, that would be difficult). You should be good for a 10K or 15K interval for changes.

 

I agree 100%! Most upscale cars have sensors that tell you, based on your driving, when to change the oil. Toyota just pulled a conservative number out of the air. I have not changed my oil yet but I am anxious to see just how dirty my oil is at 5,000 miles. I have not made it past the 2,500 first change yet. Just because oil is black does not mean it is not working. But my guess is that we are changing our oil before it gets a chance to change color.

 

Using the synthetic oil will also extend the life of your motor.

 

My dealer charges $35 with no upcharge.....seriously, look for another dealer. Sounds like you are being gouged.

 

Are you sure the oil is 0 X 20 100% synthetic oil?

alfon

 

I was at Wal-Mart and saw Mobil 1 0/20 W. fully synthetic for $22. It's in a 5 quart container so its a little more oil than we need since I think the 2010 Prius takes 4.7 quarts. I'm thinking of changing my own oil because I simply don't trust the dealerships always getting the right weight oil in my engine.

 

Its always best to change it yourself, why pay a premium at a dealership. And the oil change and tire places are usually ran by idiots that want nothing more then to upsell you and still do it wrong.
I never have to worry about problems like overfills, underfills, forgot to put the oil plug back on, stripped the oil plug with air tools, put the filter on too tight not tight enough, wrong weight or type of oil, etc..
I do my own oil because its easy, cheaper especially since I prefer premium oil, and it only takes about 30 minutes including cleanup. I also enjoy the piece of mind knowing it was done right.

 

I just asked the service department at the dealer where I bought my car (Toyota of Escondido) how much they charged for the 5K service and was told $191, including a $40 upcharge for the synthetic! Talk about gouging (this is the same dealer that charged me $268 for the USB kit instead of $240 MSRP). I called another dealer and was quoted $110...$90 for the oil change and $20 for the tire rotation. Looks like I have a few more calls to make.

EDIT: Made some more calls, and got quotes ranging from $85 to $191. Called back on the $191 and found out (only after mentioning that other dealers were significantly less) that it is for a "premium" service including a fuel additive, brake cleaning, and idle adjustment. Are they serious? Guess which dealer just lost all my future business.

 

Folks,

Why on earth would you pay this kind of money to a dealer when you can have it done for so much less at an independent shop? (or better yet, just do it yourself) We're talking about something very basic: changing the oil and rotating the tires. It doesn't get any simpler that that...

Bryan

 

an "idle adjustment" lol :loco:

 

I agree with your points, but some of us city-dwellers live in places (apartments, on-street parking only, etc.) where it is impractical at best, and often illegal, to work on our cars ourselves. Regarding the Gen III, I think a lot of us don't want our car to be the first one any shop sees--from what I understand, there are some changes regarding oil requirements, oil filter type, access, etc. from the Gen II. The way I see it, I have a lower probability of being the 'guinea pig' if I take it to a dealership, at least right now, given the Gen IIIs have been on the street less than three months.

FWIW, I called two independents and was quoted prices of $79.95 and "about $90"--which is pretty much exactly what the dealers are saying. Personally, when it's been around awhile, I'll start taking it to my favorite independent shop, because I like them, want to support them and have been treated well by them for years in the past with other cars. But I won't be surprised if the cost is more than I'd like. That's the way it goes, I guess. The best solution would be a longer (i.e., reasonable) OC interval, given the de facto synthetic requirement.

Cheers,
Tim