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the main difference between regular oil and synthetic, besides the obvious chemical differences, is that synthetic oil lasts much longer. synthetic oil does not breakdown as fast as regular oil. otherwise it is similar. Mobil 1 synthetic, in my opinion (and in GM's opinion) is the best oil available. the oil is more expensive, but you can go longer between oil changes (just be sure to check your oil regularly, because saturns do burn oil). as far as viscosity, 5w-30 is what saturn recommends. they recommend it for a reason, at lower temperatures it acts as a 5W oil, very thin, good for cold starts, the oil is easy to circulate through the engine. at higher temperatures it acts as a 30W oil thicker and better at dissapating heat. oil also has a great impact on fuel economy, the thinner the oil the better the gas mileage, it really does make a noticeable difference. i bet your van did not get very good gas mileage....if you read the owners manual that came with your car, its all in there
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