OK, I went and bought one of those $75 dipsticks that are well-recommended here because I never was able to read either my Coupe or Roadster oil level with the stock dipstick. I even let my Coupe get dangerously low between oil changes once because I wasn't paying enough attention to the oil level between oil changes.

In the past several days, I have checked the oil when the engine was cold, about an hour after driving, and about 3 hours after driving. The newfangled dipstick has all its holes filled, indicating a full oil reservoir. (No longer nice and clean, of course, but that's not the point.) It's been 3+ months and 3000+ miles since my last oil change. I find it hard to believe that this engine seems to be defying its oil-eating reputation.

Or in my cluelessness about car mechanicals am I missing something obvious to those in the know?

 

There is a good read here on the dip stick reading. The n18 engines (your engine) don't seem to consume oil near as much as the higher mileage N14s.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3760342

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3639300

 

Yeah, 34k or more (I can't remember the exact reading) but ours doesn't eat any oil.

 

The OEM dipstick is not a problem to read and is accurate. I never had an issue to figure. Most of this is a myth.

As for the N18 engine, it doesn't use oil. I never even filled 1/2 quart in 10K between oil changes and I am mostly at 30K.

 

It's hard to say it's a myth when that's the experience people have had...

I'll say this instead. It works perfectly fine if you now how to use it.
To be fair it is not the most straight forward dip stick for quick and fast reading under low lighting condition. But if you follow the simple steps of 1. remove it + wipe it. 2. wait long enough for the oil along the tubing to fall down at the bottom 3. put it back gently in and out and read the smooth oiled surface level from the grainy rubber texture, than it works perfectly every time.

Short answer: I'd rather spend my money else where