By Erich Reichert / Originally Published November 4, 2015 / National Automotive Parts Association /

From horoscopes to home decorating, telltale signs of our personality types are all around us — whether we’re aware of it or not. Although it may never show up on a dating site profile, which of the oil types is right for you and your car can be quite revealing. Don’t believe us? Check it out.

High Mileage: The Artist

High-mileage oil is the best fit for those with an artistic temperament and lifestyle. The Artist doesn’t worry much about viscosities. Brands aren’t important to Artists, nor would it occur to them to pay more for “better” oil. They are happy with whatever they find as long as it’s “close enough” to what their car needs to run. The Artist’s pouring style verges on reckless abandon — they may forego the funnel all together, figuring that most of the oil will get it in there, somehow. Since their vehicle is most likely older and not much of a priority compared to their creative pursuits, high-mileage oil is also the best choice to protect the vehicle’s aging bones. It’s a perfect lifestyle fit: If artist types choose oil that’s designed to protect older engine parts, time isn’t wasted worrying about the little things. The artist is free to throw caution to the wind and enjoy life, rather than focusing on trivial car maintenance.

Full Synthetic: The Obsessive

There’s no two ways about it: The Obsessive is so organized about oil that he or she most likely keeps tidy records of the last oil change, the viscosity used, the price and where it was bought. Obsessives don’t just use a funnel; they use the correct one and know the difference. For this personality type, changing the oil is a ceremonial process, complete with cleaning the valve cover and laying down shop towels in case there’s a spill. Obsessives use nothing but the best in their engine, so its full synthetic every time. The high performance protection of synthetic gives Obsessives the sense that they’re not just putting premium in their engine — they’re pouring in a tiny bit of perfection.

Extended Performance: The Distance Runner

Distance Runners respects the need for regular oil changes but their busy lifestyle often makes them forget until well past the 5,000-mile mark. Because Distance Runners prefer to spend their time hiking, biking and doing active things rather than sit in an oil change joint, extended performance oil is best. Not only is it a sentiment Distance Runners can get behind, that type generally doesn’t mind spending extra money as long as it saves them time. Considering the that extended performance oil goes as long as 15,000 miles between oil changes, that should certainly free up Distance Runners’ schedule to do things like train for a marathon or three.

Purpose Made: The Aficionado

The most discerning of oil personality types is the Aficionado. They know oils better than anyone and accept nothing less than the best for their engines. Synthetic is just the beginning. Aficionados delve deeper and go for blends that offer specialized benefits such as advanced fuel economy for hybrid cars or high power output protection for sports cars. They drive down the street smiling because they know that their engine isn’t just protected — it’s spoiled rotten.

Our personality is reflected in just about everything we do, including the car we drive, how we maintain it and the products we consume. Whether we admit it or not, everything down to the oil we pour into our engines says a lot.

For more information on oil types, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo Credit: step 5 by Robert Couse-Baker (CC BY 2.0).

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