Franchise opportunities compared
Tuffy Auto Service Centers 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.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Valvoline Instant Oil Change 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 (Tuffy Auto Service Centers: 12, Valvoline Instant Oil Change: 31). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure |  Tuffy Auto Service Centers |  Valvoline Instant Oil Change |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $227,700 – $938,500 Total estimated initial investment: $227,700 to $938,500 2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17 | $192,375 – $3,483,550 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | Not available No single standard fee identified | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | 2% Royalty first12months AGR 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 5% In some markets, advertising fund contributions are less than 5% of gross sales — 5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16 | Not available No reviewed brand or advertising fund fee |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 133 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47 | 4,078 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | +33 Calculated: 100 at end of 2023 → 133 at end of 2025 | +632 Calculated: 3,446 at end of 2023 → 4,078 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | 1988 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Description Average High Low Median Gross Sales - 202 5 $1,366,987 other Description Average High Low Median Gross Sales - 202 5 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 45 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Tuffy Auto Service Centers in operation for at least two full calend… 63 units other Annual Car Count-2025 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 45 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Annual Car Count-2025 891 vehicles other Annual Car Count-2025 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 45 +9 more groups in the full report | 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.
Tuffy Auto Service Centers vs Valvoline Instant Oil Change: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Tuffy Auto Service Centers or Valvoline Instant Oil Change?
- Tuffy Auto Service Centers: $227,700 – $938,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17); Valvoline Instant Oil Change: $192,375 – $3,483,550 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Valvoline Instant Oil Change. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, Tuffy Auto Service Centers or Valvoline Instant Oil Change?
- Tuffy Auto Service Centers: 133 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47); Valvoline Instant Oil Change: 4,078 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do Tuffy Auto Service Centers and Valvoline Instant Oil Change disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Tuffy Auto Service Centers has reviewed Item 19 figures for 12 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.