5w30 ok to use???

i went to walmart to pick up some oil for my 3 and all they had in mobil1 was 5w30.........i have the 2.0 and the manual reccomends 5w20 but i was wondering if it was ok to use the 30

That would be fine. I like to use Mobil 1 0W-20 because you get slightly better mileage with the thinner oil. Mobil 1 is a very good synthetic and 5W-30 will be just fine with your 3.

5W-30 is probably actually better for your car than the 5W-20 that Mazda specifies. The 5W-20 is specified for better fuel economy, and Mazda specifies it so they can claim better fuel economy for the vehicles. It is highly likely that this is the ONLY reason that they specify 5W-20 oil, as it DOES NOT protect the engine better.

If you've ever drained 5W-20 from a vehicle (I have a 2004 MPV that specifies 5W-20), you'll see quickly that it doesn't even LOOK like motor oil.

I'm not convinced that you can run 5W-20 for the long run and not see increased wear rates on your engine at 75k miles. I think that in the long run, you'll protect your engine better using 5W-30 -- especially if you continue to use Mobil 1.

thanks guys i appreciate the help........now to get that oil done

5w-30 has in one case showed increased wear on the mazda 6's. The argument is as follows.

1) Mobil 1 5w-30 is inferior to Mobil1's 0w-20 in sheer stability and additive package. It uses viscosity improvers to maintain its spread, and in doing so, quickly sheers to below a 20 wt oil in only a few thousand miles. One Mazda 6s had 50% more wear on 5w30, then mobil's 0w-20 oil.

2) Mobil1 0w-20 is ALMOST as thick as Mobil1's 5w-30 (Its about 6% thinner), and doesn't sheer down (it actually thickens slightly) over the course of an oil change interval.

Will it harm the engine running 5w-30? Not really. Is it the optimal oil for this application? Maybe, Maybe not. Only a UOA will tell you for sure.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com

If I wasn't running 5w-20 motorcraft semi-syn (an AWESOME oil), and I decided to be ignorant, and ignore the hundreds of UOA's on 5w-20's, and how their actually superior oils to most of the 30 wt's on the market, I'd go with Mobil1's 10w-30 supersyn, which is considered superior to their 5w-30 offering in additives and sheer stability.

More information on oils at...

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com

More information on Mazda 6i/3s UOA's...
http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=26

Remember viscosity is NOT a measure of protection. Thicker is NOT necessarily better.

hmmmmm.....so would u recommend me going and picking up some 0w20.........i want my engine to run long and strong b/c i drive the hell out of my car.......i also want to stay synthetic.......sorry im kinda new to the oil thing

You could always just run the stock oil...the 5w-20 motorcraft semi-syn. Its 1.40/qt at wallmart, or around 2 bucks at advanced or autozone.