0W-16 is nothing new, it's been used in Japan for approximately 20 years, it's just found it's way to the US in the last couple of years. I always chuckle when I read the "water thin" comments about oil. Water has a viscosity of less than 1 at 40c (104F) while 0W-16 is around 35 and 0W-20 is around 45 so they are both much thicker than water. 0W-16 has an operating temperature of around 6.8 so on those starts it Arizona when the ambient temperature is around 100F the 0W-16 is around 5 times thicker than operating temperature. The same holds true for XW-20 oils. At 100F a viscosity of 45 is also roughly 5 times thicker that their designed operating temp of around 8.6.
People always get fixated on an oils viscosity, but it's only part of the whole package. The synthetic base stocks that 0W oils are formulated with are better than ever as are the additive packages made by Chevron, Infineum, Lubrizol and others. There is no reason to doubt that 0W-16 when used in the appropriate engine it's been tested in won't perform satisfactorily. People have wrung their hands and ran around shouting CAFE! CAFE! and predicting widespread engine failures one day after the warranty runs out since XW-20 oils were introduced 20 years ago, and yet millions and millions of trucks and SUV's drive millions and millions of miles towing large trailers or hauling heavy loads without any issues using XW-20. Not to mention the millions and millions of regular, every day vehicles that have lasted well past their warranty in the last 20 years on the "water thin" oils.
Also, 0 and 5W oils of the same grade are virtually identical in viscosity until the ambient air temps reach the -25F range, and at those temps the 0W is only marginally less thick than the 5W. At "normal" temps there is simply no real difference between 0W and 5W oils, that's one of the most misunderstood concepts concerning oil, people seem to think 0W-20 is thinner than 5W-20 for some reason.
