Oil is oil as long as it meets spec , I never bought branded or MB oil , always run on cheap one , No issues at all even on high milers
I agree with 'any oil that meets the spec', but I would elaborate.
I am sure that there are differences between oil products, and that some are better than others. Oil companies independently invest large sums of money in R&D, and it's likely to yield different results for different manufacturers.
There are two points to note, however.
The first is that it can be nigh-on impossible for consumers to know which product is actually better. We go by brand reputation, and opinions of 'oil experts', but ultimately the only way to find out is by running a controlled tests on a number of identical engines using different oils then take them apart and check the engines for wear. And, the results will likely be different for various driving scenarios, e.g. motorway miles vs city driving or cold starts, etc, so will also depend on how the car will be used. These experiments have been done, but in very small numbers and the little information that currently exists in the public domain won't help you choose when standing in front of a shelf stocked with various oil brands.
The second is that even so, whatever differences that may be found between oils that meet the MB spec, will mostly be irrelevant. Does it really matter if the engine will be good for 200,000 miles or 220,000 miles? In the majority of cases the answer will be No. Whatever differences there are in protection against wear, they will (again, in the majority of cases) not be noticeable under your ownership. How many cars these days outlive their engines? Very few. Cars get scrapped well before the engine reached the end of its service life (as result of normal gradual wear).
As long as the oil meets the spec (and bought from a reputable source, so it's not fake) it will do the job.
. I never thought my post would generate so much healthy debate so thanks all for your input.
