First oil change this past weekend at 4525 miles. I did it myself and it took 20 minutes. Drain plug (17mm) and filter are easily reachable lying on your side with your head in front of the left front tire...did not have to shimmy under the car. I did have to use a plier type filter wrench on the filter (picked it up at Wal-mart). Used a Honda filter (Filtertech) and drain plug crush washer that I picked up at the Honda dealership parts counter for under $6. Oil of choice was Valvoline Synpower Synthetic, 5W20 from Pep boys...4.5 quarts for less than $6 per quart. Also added 1 ounce per quart (4 ounces total, a tiny amount when measured out) of Valvoline Synpower Oil Treatment (small silver bottle) to boost the molybdenum to near Honda break-in oil concentrations (there is much positive feedback regarding this product and it's use in many web forums).

This week, I have definitely seen MPG gains over the same usual commute routes with average traffic conditions, etc. The gains aren't huge, but noticible since the commute has been pretty repetitive with regard to attainable MPG in the past. Over the same 20 mile round trip commute in the city (part stop and go and part freeway), I am seeing gains of 2 to 4 MPG. Where I was accustomed to attaining 30 to 32 MPG day after day, I am now seeing a pretty consistent 34 MPG to even 35 MPG, which has never been attainable on the same route, same time of day, same temp, same traffic.

I'm sold on the friction reducing properties of synthetic lubricants.