Cheapest Oil Change: Jiffy Lube vs. Valvoline vs. Walmart and More - Cheapism.com

_{* Oil and filter only; not including the cost of startup supplies}

_{Walmart offers the same prices nationwide for its cheaper Pit Crew service or a Lube Services package more comparable to competitors' services. Other quotes are sourced from auto service centers in western Ohio, a fairly representative market. Our sample vehicles were a 2015 Honda Civic and a 2016 Ford Escape. Prices may vary in your area, as well as across franchises and based on car model.}

What You Need to Know Before You Go

Getting an oil change used to be simple. Service options were limited, and $20 to $25 every three months or so covered the costs for pretty much any car. Today, things are much more complicated. For car owners who don't want to roll up their sleeves and do it themselves, there's an almost endless array of choice. Aside from your local mechanic or car dealership, a slew of popular national and regional chains offer quick oil changes. Some auto-parts stores go beyond selling supplies to provide basic maintenance services, and even some big-box retailers, such as Walmart, have gotten into the oil change game.

Photo credit: Sherelle H./Yelp

Before getting an oil change, it pays to call ahead to get a full estimate for your specific vehicle (among the chains we surveyed, only Walmart posts national pricing online). Prices can vary significantly based on the type of car and the type of oil required. For example, certain European cars and many exotic models can be a particular pain to service, with panels and dozens of screws and bolts that need to be removed to perform even basic maintenance, so it may cost more. If, instead of the steel canister "spin-on" oil filters more commonly installed, your car has a cartridge filter — also referred to as an "eco oil filters" because they're metal-free and more easily disposed of — you may also pay more for service, as working with these filters requires additional tools, parts, and (ideally) technicians who've had special training.

Keep in mind, as well, that while a "standard" oil change typically includes up to 5 quarts of oil, larger vehicles demand more: 8 quarts in a late-model Chevy Silverado, for example. Expect to pay extra if your vehicle requires additional oil. At Valvoline, for example, you'll pay $5 to $10 per quart, depending on the oil used. (And don't expect to get a discount on your service if your car needs less than the allotted 5 quarts.)

Synthetic oil, synthetic blends, and high-mileage oil, which may be necessary to meet car-specific needs or manufacturers' recommendations, also cost more than conventional, "organic" motor oil. (Most new and late-model cars now come from the factory with full synthetic oil. While some manufacturers say you can use any oil that meets recommendations for oil weight and viscosity, others stipulate the continued use of synthetics only. Use of non-factory-specified oils can potentially void your car's warranty.) The good news is that full synthetic oils have higher resistance to breaking down, extending their useful life from the typical 3,000 miles to 7,500 miles or even 15,000 miles between changes. Over time, then, synthetics can prove more cost effective — or at least not any more costly — than conventional oil.

Finally, when changing a vehicle's oil, changing the oil filter at the same time is a must. Filters come in a variety of grades. A basic oil filter is fine for a conventional oil change, but for synthetic oil — especially if you plan to push the boundaries of those change intervals — a higher-quality filter, with finer filtration, is the better choice.

In addition to changing the oil and swapping out the filter, most oil change services also include a chassis lube, and usually a fluid and tire-pressure check, although that varies. Some even top off fluids where needed, rotate tires, clean exterior windows, and vacuum floors.

How Much Is an Oil Change?

While coupons and special offers can often reduce the price of services, on average you can expect to pay between about $20 and $100 or so depending on the vehicle and the oil selected. In our survey, Walmart came out on top as the best place for a cheap oil change. With an everyday price of few pennies under $20, Walmart's Pit Crew oil change supplies up to 5 quarts of Quaker State Advanced Durability conventional motor oil (5W-20, 5W-30, or 10W-30), an oil filter, a chassis lube, a battery performance check, and tire pressure adjustment. For $10 more, Walmart's Lube Services oil change package substitutes a "featured" conventional oil for Quaker State and adds some function and fluid checks, along with top-offs and vacuuming, etc. This service is more comparable to a conventional oil change at the major chains but still cheaper than most: While Firestone manages to match this price, you'll pay between $40 and $50 at the other places.

Photo credit: Sundry Photography/istockphoto

Prices for Walmart oil changes using full synthetic motor oil ($45) and synthetic blend/high-mileage oil ($36) fall well below the retail prices at the other outlets, especially for the full synthetic change. Its most expensive competitors, Jiffy Lube and Valvoline, charge more than twice as much for that service ($94 and $100, respectively). Firestone also handily undercuts the other chains for the pricier oil option, charging $70 for its basic "Gold" full-synthetic service ($100 for the "Premium" option), but Walmart still charges about 36% less.

Oil change prices we were given by a local garage definitely fell toward the lower end of the spectrum, and the $35 quoted for a conventional oil change beat all but the cheapest of the national chains. We could get a high-mileage oil change for the same $35, which would even edge out bargain-basement Walmart. While our mechanic couldn't undercut Walmart for a full-synthetic oil change, charging $20 more, the cost still came in $5 less than next-cheapest chain Firestone's relatively low-priced Gold service.

While the dealership was more expensive than the local mechanic and many of the chains we consulted — and you may not find the option for a conventional oil change there, as was the case with the Honda dealership we spoke with — it was still competitive. The $59 we were quoted for a high-mileage/synthetic blend oil change bested both Jiffy Lube and Valvoline.

Of course, mechanics and dealerships often keep their oil change prices low hoping to get consumers in the door, so they'll return when something major needs to be done. Oil changes are a loss leader, if you will. At the same time, a dealership may be the preferred choice for consumers who want to be certain they're following the manufacturers' specifications. A dealership mechanic will be extremely familiar with your particular make of car — cutting the risk of snafus that could lead to serious problems later on. Chain service centers are notorious for hiring workers who may or may not have extensive prior experience in automotive maintenance and repair, and in our research, we read stories of oil spills, overfills, leaks, and worse due to poorly replaced or forgotten plugs.

Also, if your car is under warranty, you may be eligible to get free oil changes and regular maintenance from the dealership for the first few years. Just watch out for potential upsells, especially in the current landscape where many dealers have had lower sales due to inventory shortages during the pandemic and may be even more inclined than usual to push additional services. (Note: A manufacturer cannot void a warranty because you've gotten a vehicle serviced outside a dealership. Just be sure to save receipts to prove that regular recommended maintenance was performed.)

Oil Change Coupons and Deals

While Walmart appears to be the clear winner in our survey based on its walk-up pricing, determining where consumers will get the best deal every time is nearly impossible. Discounting is the norm in the oil-change industry, and virtually every outlet from the largest national chain to the local mechanic usually offers some type of special deal to lure customers. For example, we saw coupons and special offers from chains like Pep Boys, where customers could get 25% off conventional and high-mileage/synthetic blend oil change packages, and Firestone had a coupon for a $25 standard oil change. Over the phone, Jiffy Lube told us we could get half off the price of an oil change for a second vehicle. The local dealership actually had one of the best deals around, with a special on a full synthetic oil change for just $50, dropping its price by more than half, to within $5 of the cost at Walmart.

Photo credit: Valvoline Instant Oil Change/Yelp

Gauging prices at specialty chains is a bit more complicated. For example, Jiffy Lube is exclusively a franchise operation, while Valvoline has a mix of company-owned locations and franchises. Both companies give their outlets a bit of latitude in setting prices based on costs and competition in the areas where they operate. As a result, while our survey prices are representative of the local market, and pulled from multiple locations, we saw quite a bit of price variation among stores. In addition, chains sometimes offer specials both on the national level — we found a Valvoline oil change coupon for $7 off a full-service full synthetic or synthetic blend change — and from specific franchise holders. One Jiffy Lube oil change coupon promised a $10 discount on its Signature Service, but it was good only at participating locations. Pep Boys' Carlife Rewards program used to offer some money-saving perks to loyal customers, but the program is currently undergoing a revamp and has been on hiatus since September 2020. Keep an eye out, however, as the company promises new programs in 2021.

Don't forget to check the mail for circulars and search online coupon sites for promotions.