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I don't know about "most" of the cars not having an oil temp gauge. My 2015 F30 does. (I wish it had a coolant temp gauge as well.)
If the oil is black, that means it's doing its job. Oil in diesels, for example, turns black very soon after it's changed, absorbing soot and other byproducts. Doesn't mean it's burned out and ready to change.
I've gone from the 3K mile oil change in the '70s through the '90s, to 4000 and now ~5000, which is about what I cover in 6 months of mixed driving. The proper oil for my BMW is only a little more expensive than the synthetic I ran in the 2011 Buick Regal's 4-cylinder NA engine, and the number of quarts per change is almost the same. So a change at 5K/6 months is not unreasonable -- for me. If I had a 45-minute all-highway commute every day, I'd have to re-evaluate the whole business.
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