I really have to wonder what makes one oil filter better than another... Is [aftermarket brand x] really going to clean the oil that much better, or really make that substantial of a difference in the long run? Come time at the 10,000mi / 15,000km oil change, is the oil going to be any cleaner with brand-x filter?
And then comes oil... Same thing... Is [after-market synthetic brand x] really going to perform any of oil's 3 basic functions (clean, lubricate, cool) any better then regular OEM oil? Any modern car engine these days should last well beyond the life of the rest of the car. Only very rarely do you ever hear of the engine itself failing or having serious problems, and even then it's usually not caused by oil not doing its job.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for using better components when they make a difference... But when it comes to shelling out significantly higher $$ for premium/synthetic oil and oil filters, I'm just not sold. But I'm more than happy to be shown the light on this one, if anyone has any hard proof that these things make a difference. I'll be the first to buy if that's the case. Otherwise, not sold.