Eastwood Zhao dot COM

Getting an Oil Change in Vancouver… From a Dealer (Free Car Wash)! Not Mr. Lube

I have to admit it, I’m obsessed with keeping my car nicely tuned, in good shape. But the thought of going to the mechanics’ is a huge pain! Com’on… I mean you gotta book and appointment and go there and all… Anyway my car’s about a month overdue for an oil change (not a good thing! - change as soon as the mileage or date comes first on your little windshield) and a few days ago I decided that it was about time I do something about it. Since changing the oil by myself is not any option, I needed to find a reasonably-priced mechanic/oil-change-place in Vancouver that’ll get the job done.

I considered many options. Price, customer service, time…etc. and have concluded that you should always do some research before heading to a local shop. In my case, I ended up going to the Vancouver Downtown Toyota Dealer (free car wash! :D ) :

(Note: the prices listed below are for a single oil and filter change)

Mr. Lube - $43.99 + tax - Do not go there! From all the horror stories I’ve heard while browsing around the net, I’d really suggest you not to go to Mr. Lube. I hear they try to up-sell you like crazy (e.g. create problems that don’t exist), especially if you are someone who seems to not know a lot about cars. Another thing you should keep in mind is that the people who change your oil at Mr. Lube are not qualified technicians. Even through Mr. Lube changes your oil in only 15 min without an appointment, they’re price is way out there. Some people’s thoughts on Mr. Lube:

“The reason for managers leaving Mr.Lube was that Boston pizza bought out Mr.Lube and the only concern they have is high profit returns. The company is now run by Ex- Bell Canada employess who themselves do not know where the oil goes in their cars. ”

“In BC, Lubeworld is now mainly operated by ex Mr. Lube managers.
Lubeworld and Great Canadian Oil Change are actually part of the same company since Great Canadian is the franchise arm of the company. Since the managers left in 2006 there has been a huge turnover of qualified employees from Mr. Lube going to Lubeworld and setting up shop there. My friend included. Morale is just horrible at Mr. Lube which probably explains their 1/2 price next oil change promotion. They are definitely hurting and losing customers. So just be careful where you go. There are some good places around. “

Nah… I guess I’ll pass on Mr. Lube. Look at their price! nearly $50 for an oil change?!

Jiffy Lube - $38.99 + tax - not much to say really about these guys. Just another one of those lube places.

Minit-Tune - $32.88 + tax - now this one really caught my eye. The price is quite reasonable, and the place is a few blocks away. Even better, they have a special coupon on their website that does all the regular oil change plus tire rotations for only $32.88. Not bad eh?

Dealership - Downtown Vancouver Toyota - $34.95 + tax + FREE CAR WASH - now that’s what I’m talking about! Not only is this a dealership with certified, Toyota-trained technicians, not only do they offer a pretty damn good price, but they also give you a free car wash! What else can you ask for? Coffee and paper? I’m pretty sure they got your coffee and paper there too.

So basically I ended up calling and making an appointment with the Toyota Dealer. Their service was quite friendly and professional. Dropped off my car. Picked up my car. Nice and sparkly car. Me so happy

Total charge? $43.06. Considering that the car wash was included free of charge (hand-washed, by the way ), this is a pretty decent price.