So I am approaching my first 1000 miles and I plan to change the oil then to be safe. What kind of non-synthetic oil should I use for the first couple changes? I plan to go synthetic(as I have with my past rides) but I keep hearing not to do it too soon. Sooo I will wait. So what kind?

 

I used Castrol GTX 5W-30 at 1500 miles following my break-in, then Mobil 1 5W-30 at 5000 and from then on. I've used it in a bunch of cars without issue, I doubt there's a substantial difference between the various dino oils.

 

I personally have used Castrol Syntec since the first oil change on my V6 Nissan Frontier (will get a WRX in a year and a half). The engine runs great and burns no oil. Other Frontier owners that run Castrol products (synthetic, blend, and non-synthetic) all get inredible miles on their trucks with little or no drop in performance, mileage, and oil consumption. My truck has about 61,000 on it, but others' have up to 200,000 and they're running fine.

Not being able to change to synthetic until after a few thousand miles is a myth Your engine will break in correctly whether you use synthetic or not. I would just run whatever was in your car when you got it, then change to synthetic right after. No sense wasting a panful of good oil (even if it is dino).

 

I don't know how important this is on Subaru's, but for our engines its very important to make sure you use an oil filter with a drainback valve. This is a valve that keeps some of the oil from draining all the way back down to the pan when the engine is shut off. It allows for less engine wear on startup (when it is worst). Fram's Xtra Guard oil filters are great. They cost about $4 at Wal-Mart. I wouldn't go with the filter grade above that. I forget what it is called (Tuff Guard I think?). It is similar to the Xtra Guard, except that it has a teflon additive in the filter element that supposedly gets transmitted to the oil and lubricates engine components better. This is true for the first couple of cycles, then the teflon loses its effect...certainly not worth the extra $3-$4.

As for dino oil, I'd stay away from Pennzoil and Quaker State. They contain the highest amount of detergents and "fillers" instead of actual oil. These break down under harsh conditions much faster than Mobil 1 or Castrol oils do.