Royal Purple Max ATF
The best transmission fluid is used to lubricate, maintain the right pressure, and cool your transmission. While both manual and automatic transmissions use fluids, when most people talk about the best transmission fluid, they are talking about automatic transmission fluids because manual transmission fluid only lubricates.
The best transmission fluid helps not only lubricate, but also as a hydraulic fluid and a coolant. A majority of automatic transmission failures are due to overheating problems. Without transmission fluid, your transmission will break down and transmission repairs can be extremely costly. Unfortunately, transmission fluid does not last forever and will need to be replaced.
It is crucial to replace your transmission fluid because overtime, the fluid will lose its ability to cool and lubricate due to contaminates and prolonged heating. It recommended that you change your transmission fluid once every 40-60k miles or every 2-4 years. Most manufacturers today use the Dexron/Mercon series of transmission fluids, but it is also important to refer to your owner’s manual to see the best transmission fluid recommended for your car.
Best Transmission Fluid Reviews
- Red Line Automatic Transmission Fluid
- ACDelco Dexron VI Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Royal Purple Max Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
- Castrol 03518 Transmax High Mileage Transmission Fluid
- Mobil 1 112980 Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
Red Line Automatic Transmission Fluid
We think Red Line is a serious contender for the best transmission fluid on the market today. The Red Line D4 can be used with Dexron II, III, VI, or Mercon fluids. As a fully synthetic product, it has improved cooling effects which will be incredibility useful to preserving your transmissions shelf life. It has a GL-4 level gear protection, which basically means this is great for your protecting your gears, transaxle, and transmission. And because it is a synthetic based fluid and not petroleum based, there is lower viscosity at lower temperatures.
This mean that you can shift quicker in cold weather. This best transmission fluid is highly stable, which means your valves and clutches will be well preserved in a high temperature environment. We often find that the Red Line performs better than the recommended best transmission fluid by the manufacturer. It works with many car models and you can feel a huge difference in shifting when you use Red Line, which turns out to be a lot smoother. Although it is a bit more than your standard complete ATF change, it is great insurance on your transmission, which is arguably a lot more expensive. Even though you are paying more, you are buying a premium ATF. Â All in all, Red Line is a great product and you should get it if you want to save lots of money on your transmission.
ACDelco Dexron VI Automatic Transmission Fluid
The ACDelco Automatic Transmission Fluid is the best transmission fluid on the market if you are looking for a value solution. ACDelco is a name we can all trust in the auto OEM world, as it is the Original Equipment Manufacturer for Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac parts. ACDelco ATF is a Dexron VI based fluid that is backwards compatible nad  works with any Dexron based fluids. It offers superior performance over the previous Dexron fluids in terms of friction durability, a stable viscosity, and oxidation resistance.
What this basic means is an improved fuel economy and longer transmission life. Per quarter, this is one of the cheapest fluids on the market for the name brand. We think the price on amazon is a great deal, even with the shipping, which comes out to be cheaper than if bought in a store, especially if you plan on doing a full ATF change at around 3 or 4 gallons. This is a licensed fluid made by a reputable company in the auto world. You cannot go wrong here. With the best transmission fluid in your car, you will feel a difference in your shifting and in the end, your transmission will live way longer, which will be the real big saving.
Royal Purple Max ATF High Performance Multi-Spec Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
Royal Purple is the best transmission fluid if you are looking for a fluid that is pretty much compatible with any car model. Â It is a synthetic automatic transmission fluid that has a low coefficient of friction, a high film strength, and is more stable from oxidation. What this means this that it has reduced heat and wear, and it will last longer than your generic transmission fluid.
Since heat is what causes your transmission to fail in the long run, Royal Purple does a great job acting as a coolant. And the best part about Royal Purple is that it can be mixed with other transmission fluids. Obviously, the best thing to do would be to completely flush your transmission oil and replace it entirely with royal purple. But if you want to save some of your old transmission oil, or do not know which transmission oil to buy with your car model, you cannot go wrong with Royal Purple max.
In terms of performance, Royal Purple max is at the top of its pack. We have tested this fluid against those recommended by manufacturers and found that the Royal Purple works the same if not better at half the price. We took two of the same cars with the same amount of miles on them, gave one the Royal Purple and the other the recommended manufacturer ATF. After two years, we compared the performance and found that Royal Purple holds up to its name. If you want a versatile transmission fluid, look no further and get the Royal Purple max.
Castrol 03518 Transmax High Mileage Transmission Fluid
The Castrol 03518 Transmax High Mileage is great transmission fluid for those who have used cars. This automatic transmission fluid is designed for transmission with over 75,000 miles. It is made for transmissions that are already experiencing leaks and rough shifting. There are also extra seal conditioners in this transmission fluid to help prevent leaks. Castrol has also included cleaning agents to help reduce tarnish. All in all, we recommend the Castrol 03518 Transmax to those who want superior performance while extending the life of your transmission.
The Castrol 03518 is a multi-vehicle transmission fluid and can be used in Hondas, Acuras, Toyotas, Nissans, Volvos, and all other imported cars. This particular fluid has met the most stringent requirements set by international standards. Castrol is a reputable brand name in this industry and a name that we trust. We think the Castrol Transmax helps make your car feel much smoother after changing the fluid. Although it is optimal to be used on older cars with older transmission, it can certainly work well on new transmissions.
Mobil 1 112980 Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid
The Mobil 1 112980 Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid is a great multi-vehicle general purpose ATF. It helps improve and extend transmission efficiency as well as boost gas mileage. Additionally, the Mobil 1 will help you shift faster. We think this is where Mobil 1 outshines its competition. After rigorous testing in our lab, we have concluded that this particular transmission fluid makes gear shifting much more smooth than others. It also does a great job keeping your transmission clean, which does a great deal for performance.
The Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF is better than traditional transmission fluids in terms of cleaning out your transmission. It helps reduce oil breakdowns and deposits. And because it has a higher viscosity index, the Mobil 1 Synthetic breaks down at higher operating temperatures. It allows your transmission to last longer when you are under abnormal driving conditions. This includes but is not limited to heavy traffic, hot weather or trailer pulling.
We recommend replacing your transmission fluid with the Mobil 1 Synthetic every 30,000 miles. But it definitely doesn’t hurt to change it more often. Mobil 1 is a solid player in this industry and this particular transmission fluid is used by many auto shops. It is fast acting and you can definitely feel the difference in performance right away.
