Not only is Valvoline a brand of products for your car, but it is also a place where you can go to have your car serviced.
The company is really like a one-stop shop for anyone who owns a vehicle.
There are many solutions for car owners under the Valvoline name, but there are some issues with how expensive these products are.
The Valvoline products are some of the higher-priced on the market, and it may have you wondering why this is.
Let’s look at a few of the reasons that could be causing this.
Why Is Valvoline So Expensive? (Top 10 Reasons)
1. Brand Name
Valvoline is, without a doubt, a top brand name in the car industry.
The product that Valvoline is most well-known for is motor oil.
Their motor oil products are known to be of higher quality because of the way that the brand name has been promoted.
Some people will agree that this is true and that this brand really is better.
However, others think that this is simply a marketing tactic by a brand name company.
Whatever you choose to believe, there is no question that brand name companies can ask for more money for their products.
The idea is that people trust the brand, and they have been using it for many years.
They know what they are getting, and most of the time, people like the consistency they get with a product they have been using their entire lives.
The brand name Valvoline is always going to be known as a quality option, and that is what they want to be known as.
Until that changes, you are not going to see much movement in the pricing of the products or services.
2. Necessity
If you own a car, chances are Valvoline will have a product that you need.
We all know that when we purchase a car, it is an exciting day, but cars are not smart financial investments.
When you own a car, you have to maintain it.
Even while you are maintaining it, the value of the vehicle will continue to decrease.
There is nothing great for your bank account about owning a car.
However, if you want your car to retain its value for as long as possible, you need to take care of it.
One of the most important ways to take care of the car is by completing routine maintenance.
The maintenance of a car is not a highly complex process, but something like an oil change needs to be completed often.
Many cars will need them done every 5,000 miles.
If you drive a lot for work or for travel, this is going to come up quite often.
When you change the oil, you should be considering changing filters as well.
These simple maintenance steps are going to make a big difference in the total price you can sell your car for in the end.
Since the products and services that Valvoline offers are a necessity, they can charge a bit more for them.
3. Purchasing Small Amounts
When you buy Valvoline, you are going to be purchasing it in small containers.
These containers cost money, and dividing the oil into these smaller amounts to fulfill the needs of customers adds both labor and materials to the overall cost.
If you were purchasing barrels of oil, your price per gallon would likely be quite a bit less expensive.
However, when you look at having to purchase such small amounts of higher quality oil, the pricing goes up.
Of course, one of the ways to help you keep the price down is to buy in bulk whenever you can.
This means that you sometimes can purchase four quarts of oil and get the fifth one for free.
If you know you are going to be using it within the recommended period of time, this is a smart decision to make.
The more you can purchase at once, the lower the price you will pay per quart.
Also, you can look for coupons and discounts to help you save money when you buy Valvoline.
4. Crude Oil Prices Are High
The oil that you purchase from Valvoline to fix up your car and get it ready for the road will be directly tied into the crude oil prices that you see.
In addition, if you are going to get an oil change on your car and you notice that the prices have just recently gone higher, it has everything to do with the price that Valvoline is paying for the oil.
Since the price of oil is going to continually move up and down, the prices of the products and the services are going to go up and down.
There is not much you can do about this but pay attention to the pricing and how it fluctuates.
Start taking a look at the prices of Valvoline a month or two before you need to purchase it for your car.
If you see the price drop or a sale on certain products, pick it up and install it when necessary.
Holding on to the oil in your garage for a few weeks before you put it in your car is completely acceptable and could end up saving you a bit of money in the end.
5. Marketing
Companies have no choice but to pay for marketing.
If they want to stand out among their competition, they will need to market themselves as being better.
Valvoline has spent quite a bit of time and money to make sure that its brand stands out among the best.
This, of course, has led to increased costs within the organization.
When you pay for a product, you are essentially paying a small portion of the operating expenses of the company.
With Valvoline, you will end up paying for a part of their marketing expenses.
A company of this size that has been around for so many years markets quite heavily.
This is also why you will sometimes notice that the non-name brand products that you see in the stores are typically sold for less money.
This is related to the fact that their overhead expenses on things like marketing are not nearly as high as they are with other companies.
If you have a way to test the non-name brand products so that you are not worried about the vehicle you are putting them in, it may be worth a shot.
Another idea is to talk to a local mechanic and see what they believe about the quality of a non-name brand oil.
6. People Will Pay
Sometimes when a company charges a lot of money for their product, it is simply because people will pay for it.
This is similar to a kid setting up a lemonade stand.
When they try to sell their lemonade for a dollar a glass, people don’t purchase it, but when they lower it to 75 cents, everybody starts buying.
Meanwhile, the kid down the street is selling for 25 cents without realizing he’s missing out on quite a bit of profit for each glass he sells.
Essentially, Valvoline has found the price point where they can make money and, at the same time, sell to people without it being an issue.
The fact that people will pay for the product at its current cost means the company does not need to do anything to lower the pricing.
This is all that is necessary for them to be profitable, so they are likely to stick with it.
People are going to pay reasonable amounts for a product they think highly of, which leads us to our next point: the perception of quality.
7. Perception Of Quality
You may say it’s related to the look of the packaging or the way the advertisements are developed, but people think Valvoline is a high-quality product.
You can purchase lots of different oils for your car or choose to go to other oil change or repair shops, but people think that Valvoline does a better job.
This did not come easy for the company, and they had to work quite hard to establish this reputation.
Overall, the perception of quality is something that all brands hope to get to at some point.
One thing that is fairly well known about Valvoline is that the quality does go beyond just perception.
For the most part, this company is well respected, and people believe in the quality of their product because they continually do a good job.
Chances are the Valvoline name would have never gotten as large as it is, should the quality of the products not have been as good.
The only way for you to really test this as a customer is to purchase Valvoline or use their services for one of your car’s oil changes, and go with another brand for another time.
See what the differences were and whether or not it made sense to go with the more premium company.
8. Products And Services
Depending on where you are located in the country, you may have a Valvoline service center near you.
These are areas where you can go in and have your car’s oil changed, filters changed, tires rotated, even have your air conditioning serviced.
All of the basic issues that come along with the maintenance of a vehicle are going to be able to be handled at a Valvoline location.
These locations are often very clean and neat and have a very specific system which they follow.
Inside the service center, the products used are going to be genuine Valvoline products.
The bottom line is that, because Valvoline has both products and services to offer its clients, they are considered to be a premium company with premium pricing.
When a company can offer both products and services to a customer, they can get away with charging a higher amount.
When you take the expense factor out of this, the fact that Valvoline has both products and services is actually a positive.
You will know that your car was given consistent service and treated with quality products the entire time that it was in the care of the Valvoline experts.
9. Long-Standing History In The Business
Valvoline is not a new company.
In fact, people who have been in the business for as long as Valvoline have almost earned a right to charge some higher prices.
When you want to talk about experts in this industry, this is a name that will continually come up.
In 1866, a man by the name of Dr. John Ellis made a lubricant that was to be used in steam engines.
The concept continued into lubricants, cleaners, and motor oils.
The first cars in the country were treated with Valvoline products more than 150 years ago.
The company has developed new technologies and systems.
They have learned how to train staff properly, and they are becoming one of the most trusted names out there.
One of the things that you have to give Valvoline credit for is that, as cars have changed, they have also had to change their products.
This is not a company that was able to stand still and let the world around them evolve.
They had to get in the trenches, learn the new technology, and change their product to work with the newer technology.
It’s impressive to think about how far Valvoline has come and what they have made it through during the years.
Clearly, having this kind of knowledge, product research and development, and history, the pricing of their products and services is going to be a bit higher.
This really should be understandable for most potential customers.
10. Competition With Other Companies
Last but certainly not least is the fact that Valvoline has to compete with other companies to gain your business.
At first, you may think that this would lower the pricing of their products and services.
However, that is not entirely the way the world works.
People don’t always go for the company that offers the cheapest product.
The reason is that cheap tends to be associated with being lower in quality.
Those who are getting their oil changed in their car or putting in a new filter to make their $40,000 SUV run better are going to want something that is both affordable and durable.
The Valvoline product has established itself as this company.
Therefore, the pricing is a bit higher, yet people still want it.
Valvoline is always looking at the companies around them and assessing how they need to compete and maintain their position in the market.
For the most part, this company has held a strong position at the top for many years.
You won’t have to look long or far to find a Valvoline product in a local auto store.
As long as they need to compete with other companies for business, you can expect to see the pricing fluctuate quite a bit.
How To Save Money On Valvoline Products And Services
We have hopefully helped you to understand why Valvoline is so expensive.
There are lots of important reasons here that explain the product and its effectiveness.
Certainly, Valvoline has worked hard to get to this position in the market, and they can charge a bit more.
However, if you want to try and save a bit of money, there are ways that you can do so.
The easiest way is to start looking for coupons in your local area.
Many stores will offer a percentage off, and they will often take care of repeat customers as well.
The great thing about oil changes on your car is that you should have a general idea as to when they are coming up.
If you know you have one coming in the next few months, start to scope out a great deal.
In addition, you are going to save quite a bit of money by doing the work on your car yourself.
There are guides online that you can follow.
As long as you have some basic knowledge of how a car operates, you will likely be able to complete this process on your own.
Try and take advantage of any loyalty discounts that Valvoline offers.
If you believe their products are better, staying loyal to their brand could help you save some money in the long run.
Overall, many people are impressed with this product and will use it for years to come.
NEXT: 20 Types Of Snowboards (Differences, Size, Color, Appearance)
Gary says
I had a coupon for 25 dollars off . They told me I needed a battery . Checked out battery at auto zone . More expensive and not as good a warranty as Valvoline , and they installed it .