How Often Should You Really Change Your Oil?

Oil change intervals cause endless debate. The honest answer: it depends on your engine, your oil, and how you drive.

Modern long-life oils can genuinely go 12,000–18,000 miles in ideal conditions. But short urban trips — the school run, the supermarket — are the hardest miles an engine does. The oil never fully warms up, moisture and fuel build up in it, and it degrades far faster than the sticker suggests.

Our rule of thumb for Birmingham driving: every 9,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Diesels with DPFs doing mostly short trips should aim shorter.

It's the cheapest insurance your engine can buy — from £39.99 here, done in under an hour while you wait.