I switched to Castrol Edge (another synthetic) from Mobil 1 in both vehicles (VX and Axiom) about 6 months ago, because it supposedly has better wear protection than M1. The VX consumes about the same oil as before, but the oil seems clearer/cleaner now whenever I change it. The Axiom, which is a much bigger oil guzzler than my VX ever thought of being, seems to consume less though. But I recently changed from a M1 filter to a K&N filter on the Axiom, so that might be it too. Castrol Edge never went on sale when it first came out and ran like $8 a bottle. But now AutoZone/Advance seem to alternate their sale prices on Castrol Edge and Mobil 1, with 5 quarts of either + a K&N filter running about $30.

FWIW, I personally have come to believe that checking your oil frequently (every fill-up or even after every drive) makes a far bigger difference in preventing a problem than any oil/filter combo you choose.