Does my Volkswagen Use Synthetic Oil?

There’s a lot to like about owning a Volkswagen. They are refined, uniquely German, and boast a certain understated badge snobbery.

As Jeremy Clarkson once said; “The beauty of owning a Volkswagen Golf is that your neighbours will never really know how well you’re doing. If you’re a banker who doesn’t want the world to know you have just received a massive bonus or the chairman of a beleaguered plc who doesn’t want to send the shareholders into a frenzy of mutinous hatred.”

And despite a rather controversial last few years, Volkswagen sales in Australia have continued to soar in the wake of the now defunct Ford and Holden Australian manufacturing plants. In 2018, Volkswagen was ranked the 10^th most popular car brand in Australia and the most popular car brand from Europe.

The answer varies from model to model, but generally speaking, Volkswagen vehicles from model year 2004 onwards require fully synthetic oil. Volkswagen recommends Castrol Edge Engine Oil which is a synthetic formulation designed to provide consistent performance across a range of operating conditions and temperatures.

Castrol Edge Engine Oil is also a technical partner of the Volkswagen Motorsport division. Castrol and Volkswagen have used racing as a catalyst for testing oil in the most strenuous conditions – motorsport racing. In conjunction with Castrol, Volkswagen Motorsport have achieved victories in the Dakar and the World Rally Championship.

The use of turbochargers and superchargers to supplement smaller displacement engines across the Volkswagen range can be credit with the move towards fully synthetic oil. Generally speaking, synthetic oils keep engines cleaner and do a better job of providing stability and lubrication across a wider range of operating conditions.