Are K&N Air Filters Worth It?
- Mar 30, 2012
As a writer for K&N I’ve interviewed hundreds of racers around the world and from every conceivable motorsport. Be it the undisputed Drift Racing Champion of Ukraine, the Mud Nationals mud racing champion, Italian Grand Prix Rookie of the Year Champion, Baja 500 and 1000 champions, monster trucks and snowmobiles, X Games gold, Peaks Pike winners, motocross champions and beyond – every single one credits K&N filters for being a part of their success. I’ve even written stories about K&N filters stopping bolts, bugs and rocks from getting sucked into engines. Are they worth it some may ask? Are you kidding me I retort? I don’t shop much for birthday presents, especially not for old friends that say “you shouldn’t have bought me anything,” but then would sulk if I don’t. So this year I got my friend Mike Tuohy a K&N air filter for his 2008 Ford F-150. Seriously, it was the only way to stop him from constantly asking for one. I also feel pretty strong about my gift selection being that it’s something he’ll actually use.
The K&N high-flow air filter Mike installed cost about $45.00 and took him about 5-minutes to replace, with the first couple of minutes wasted looking for his car keys. Applying some rudimentary ciphering, and using the 20,000 mile filter change timetable, Mike will have already saved money from his K&N filter after only two scheduled air filter changes. Then 10,000 miles later, after a normal 50,000 miles of driving, he can simply wash his cotton gauze K&N reusable filter and slide it back in place for another 50k. In fact he could probably drive more than three F-150 trucks into the ground before he’d ever have to buy another air filter. How is that possible you ask? Because his K&N air filter comes with a Million Mile limited warranty. Some people have a tough time fathoming an air filter can go up to 50,000 miles between cleaning intervals, or will last for up to 1,000,000 miles, but since 1969 K&N has built a reputation as the world’s foremost leader in high-flow air filter and high-flow air intake system technology. Millions of drivers have made the one-time filter purchase, and when they immediately noticed the improvements in horsepower and acceleration, they told a million more people. Generally positive recommendations among friends are reserved for good movies and restaurants, yet once he installed his K&N air filter, it was like an automotive epiphany, and Mike just couldn’t help from telling the next person. I had nearly the same experience last year, only days after installing a K&N air intake system on my wife’s Honda Element, I found myself texting friends about it. I even had an answer for the question “yeah, but what about my warranty?” If a dealership hasn’t done their homework and gives you a hard time, K&N provides a phone number the dealership can call, and they will resolve the issue so you won’t have to. Such a simple act of vehicular kindness can have you standing out like the smartest guy at the auto parts store. Even if you don’t know the difference between a crankshaft and a muffler-bearing, it’s easy to understand that K&N air filters are engineered with quality materials and a design for virtually unrestricted air flow while maintaining filtration levels that allow your engine to run long and healthy. Think about it, if K&N were purely looking to make money wouldn’t single use filters every 20,000 miles make more sense. The secret to their success lies in the long-term achievement of their filters, and the people that use them. If winning racers around the globe swear by K&N filters, they’re plenty good enough for our vehicles. Besides, it really is the gift that keeps giving. A million miles is a long interval between sales, and a very long time for Mike to dwell on how to out-present me on my birthday. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
