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There is a lot of hype about synthetic oil, but one thing is for sure, synthetic works for cold starts. It doesn't get nearly as thick as standard oil at extremely low temps. so the engine turns over easier. So a weak battery (cold makes a battery weak) is more likely to be strong enough to turn over an engine with synthetic oil. I used synthetic oil one winter in a previous car (93 Saturn SW1), and even at -10 F the engine cranked nicely. With normal oil below 0 F the starter would turn the engine over very slowly, slowly enough that I would wonder if it was fast enough to get the car started at all. It always started, but the slowness of the crank was worrisome. But with synthetic the cranking was much more normal. Above 10 F I couldn't tell the difference between normal and synthetic - the engine always turned over just fine.
In my 04 Matrix XR I have only use regular oil. The first winter I had no trouble even below 0 F. It just turned right over, but of course it had a brand new battery too. Last winter it was in a garage above freezing, so of course no problems. It always cranks for 3-5 compressions before starting (it's always the same number, but I have a hard time counting that fast :-), but that's the way this engine is in every season.
FYI, if your engine won't turn over in extreme cold, here is a trick:
1. If the starter engages but won't turn over, let it push for a few seconds before turning the key back.
2. Let it rest for 20 seconds with the key all the way off.
3. Try again.
It might just work the 2nd or 3rd time. Why? Because the battery actually warms itself up while it is working. A warmer battery has more power. So after 20 seconds, it has had time to recover chemically, and is still a bit warmer than the first time, so can deliver more Amps.
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