They didn't use the synthetic. I remember my husband said that they have to tell you if they use synthetic, because once they do, you can't use regular oil again after that, but he could be wrong.

I'm sure it was more expensive because of the tire rotation. And having it done at the dealership vs. a local mechanic was probably a factor, too.

We've never had to have any work done on this car that wasn't a recall (knocking on wood), but I have a good mechanic I use for inspections and oil changes. He worked on my old cars and told me he didn't want to fix the last one anymore because it was time for me to throw in the towel… very good mechanic.