Synthetics's are a sure fire way to help protect your engine. Mobil 1 boasts being the synthetic oil supplier in such new cars as MB, BMW, Porsche, Jag etc. Yes, those are high performance engines and tend to consistently run at higher rpm's, but the added protection is always welcome in any vehicle. The price of the oil and lubes, usually about 25% more depending on what deal you can find is offset by more protection and less wear from your drivetrain. If you plan on keeping you car to high mileage, then it is an added benefit and peace of mind that will pay off. It isnt some hyped up product, but is actually for real. Consider it as being skid plates and rocker guards for your internal mechanical components; it will prevent damange short of catastrophic failure and prob save you money. I switched to mobil synthetic in my VQ35 path, and run it in all of my other vehicles (its the standard manufacturer oil but still).