The brand of the air filter may not necessarily matter, as the goal is to achieve a good filter that prevents dirt and dust from accumulating on the engine. However, some brands in the industry have been tested and trusted to only supply high quality products. You will get about 1 BHP more from a good quality filter, but unless you're the princess who slept on the pea, you won't notice. What they do have better quality filters is that they take longer to clog, so they don't really give you more power, they're better at PREVENTING energy loss once you've driven a few thousand miles.
It all depends on the application. I paid good money for a K&N air filter for my old traveler, an 18-year-old Subaru 4-cylinder. After installation, I heard a fairly sharp grunt from the engine when accelerating, but the idle, mileage and gasoline mileage were the same. On the other hand, a K&N air filter installed on my Kawasaki Concours not only gave me that cold, growling noise when accelerating, but I noticed a smoother idle and a small, yes small, increase in maximum speed performance above 7,000 rpm.
So there you have it, I think they're worth it and the time spent cleaning them every few thousand miles if used in a performance application, but for a normal old car, the standard and cheap paper filter is the way to go. Buying a premium air filter for your car will provide optimal air flow, maximum engine performance and best fuel efficiency. The ability of the air filter to remove dirt, debris and harmful foreign matter from the engine air intake is directly attributed to the long service life of the engine. Often referred to as OEM filters or original equipment manufacturers, they are produced by the branded company.
There are also many aftermarket or discounted home air filters available for purchase. So what is the difference? Honestly, the biggest difference you'll see is the cost of air conditioning filters. OEM filters are usually much more expensive because you pay for a brand. When comparing the material from which each air filter is made, they will look and feel identical.
The only difference you may occasionally see is whether the OEM filter material is limited or has a patented design. The other difference you may notice is simply the brand and name of the oven filter. Both brands are the best in the car air filter business. It all comes down to price and maintenance.
If you don't mind the extra cost of buying oil (which will degrade when not properly stored) to recharge the air filter, or if you have an off-road truck or SUV that does serious work on land, you can place your bets on K&N. The oil filter in your car filters out dirt particles in the same way that a filter sieves ground coffee in a coffee maker. It is a popular mistake to think that dirt particles in an automotive filter are not filtered differently than through a filter in a coffee maker. This is not how an oil filter works.
The design of the filter media in an automotive oil filter forms a kind of labyrinth through which the fluid must 'negotiate' its way. With careful engineering, a filter manufacturer like Purolator designs the medium as a kind of labyrinth through which the fluid will pass, but the particles do not. You don't need to change your engine air filter as often as an oil filter. Most vehicle owners have heard of the need to change oil and filter at regular intervals, but few understand the value of changing their car's engine air filter.
A vehicle ingests 10,000 gallons of air for every gallon of fuel it consumes - in other words, the volume of air entering the engine is ten thousand times the volume of gasoline! Imagine if this unfiltered air contains contaminants such as soot, dust and dirt - what is needed for this to damage critical engine components and possibly cause cylinder wear? While you may not notice these effects right away, over time they can cause major repairs or even require a new engine - making it so important to change your engine air filter at least as often as recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. However, if you're driving in particularly dusty conditions or off-road it's wise to change your air filter more often than usual. Always follow your owner's manual's “normal” service schedule when changing your oil filter - however most of us drive short distances which really requires us to follow a “severe” service schedule instead! This is because if your vehicle isn't driven on roads for long distances then its oil won't get hot enough for water condensation and crude fuel to evaporate from its crankcase - over time this condensation builds up and can cause costly damage to its internal parts! All types of filters require unique media to function properly - nothing can be done about unpleasant odors on roads such as construction areas or agricultural countries - however if your vehicle is 2001 model or newer then it's probably equipped with cabin air filters designed to keep its interior clean and free from dust smoke and even odors entering through ventilation grilles even when windows are rolled up!.
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