Franchise opportunities compared

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash vs Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    $122,347 – $11,846,697

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    $192,375 – $3,483,550

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 1

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    2%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    2%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Tommy’s Express Car Wash discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Tommy’s Express Car Wash: 39, Valvoline Instant Oil Change: 31). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    $122,347 – $11,846,697
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    $192,375 – $3,483,550
    Cover singlecenter total
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 1
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    2%
    h the Royalty Fee The Brand Development Fund is described in Item 11. Local Marketing — 2
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    2%
    Royalty first12months AGR
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    1%
    hdrawn by EFT from your designated bank account, as applicable. Brand Development Fee — 1 — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    Not available
    No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    260
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    2,039
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    +85
    Calculated: 175 at end of 2023 → 260 at end of 2025

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    +316
    Calculated: 1,723 at end of 2023 → 2,039 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    2016
    From a verified franchisor listing

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    1988
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Valvoline Instant Oil Change

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second Year Outlets open 12 to less than 24 months and open 12 full months in 2…
    0.6 percent
    other Second Year
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Fourth Year Outlets open 48 to less than 60 months and open 12 full months in 2…
    $9,579
    other Fourth Year
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Third Year Outlets open 36 to less than 48 months, with 12 full months in 2025
    $1,793,602
    other Third Year
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    +36 more groups in the full report
    Valvoline Instant Oil Change
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — High25%
    177 centers
    other Fiscal 2023 company-operated comparable centers, High: 177
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 59
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Low25%
    $1,026,757
    other Fiscal 2023 company-operated comparable centers, Low group Average Center Net Sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 59
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Mid50%
    173 centers
    other Fiscal 2023 company-operated comparable centers above ACNS, Mid: 173
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 59
    +28 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Tommy’s Express Car Wash vs Valvoline Instant Oil Change: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Tommy’s Express Car Wash or Valvoline Instant Oil Change?
    Tommy’s Express Car Wash: $122,347 – $11,846,697 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Valvoline Instant Oil Change: $192,375 – $3,483,550 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 1). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Tommy’s Express Car Wash. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Tommy’s Express Car Wash and Valvoline Instant Oil Change royalties compare?
    Tommy’s Express Car Wash: 2% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18); Valvoline Instant Oil Change: 2% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Tommy’s Express Car Wash or Valvoline Instant Oil Change?
    Tommy’s Express Car Wash: 260 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68); Valvoline Instant Oil Change: 2,039 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Tommy’s Express Car Wash and Valvoline Instant Oil Change disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Tommy’s Express Car Wash has reviewed Item 19 figures for 39 location groups; Valvoline Instant Oil Change has reviewed Item 19 figures for 31 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

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