A downside to natural oil is that it contains manyimpurities such as sulfur which can slow down the flow of oil throughout theengine. Over time contaminants can also build up and create deposits or waxwithin the engine. With this in mind, syntheticoils were developed with specific chemical properties in order to create a moreconsistent substance. While natural oils can break down quickly at extremelyhigh temperatures, synthetic oils are made to withstand this heat. There areeven synthetic oil blends developed for specific purposes such as lubricating ahigh-performance or high-mileage vehicle. Despite its higher cost, synthetic oiloffers the benefits of improved lubrication, better stability, reduced oilbreakdown and fewer deposits.
However, just because synthetic oils offer these advantages does not meanthat you need to switch up the type of oil at your next oil change. In mostcases conventional oil does the job just fine; synthetic oil is only requiredfor specific vehicles. If you are thinking of switching up your oil be sure tocheck with your manufacturer before-hand for vehicle-specific recommendations.