Car Question

[HealthyCivic]

Hey guys, I have a non-detailing car question. Anyone here have a big knowledge of cars in general?

Here's the situation:

A) I can take almost all freeways/highways to get to school and that is a 20 mile drive.

B) I can take streets with stoplights to get to the same place and that is an 11 mile drive.

Many times option A actually gets me there quicker even when driving the speedlimit (it also says this on Google maps). I did some math and found out that I use .44 gallons of fuel using option B and .55 using option A (11mi/25 MPG vs. 20mi/36 MPG).

But my question is, what's better for the long-term health and value of the vehicle? I've heard that city driving is harder on the car (as described by the MPGs) but is it worth putting 9 more miles on the car each trip to take the highway? Thanks.

[CieraSL]

Re: Car Question

I would say it would better for your car for you to take the highway. I don't know the mechanics of it, but in my mind, you're only putting more miles on your car, not necessarily more wear and tear. Constant stop and go not only uses more gas, but also puts more wear and tear on your brakes as well. Hopefully somebody with more mechanical experience will chime in.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Car Question

Provided you highway miles are at a fairly steady state and not stop and go - which, from your description, seems to be the case - hwy driving puts less stress on the engine, brakes and transmission.

Obviously the brakes will get more use, and therefore more wear - as CieraSL points out - but the transmission will go through the same cycles, as will the clutch if you have a manual gearbox. As for the engine itself, they are always happiest running at a fairly steady state where temperatures remain pretty constant, oil pressure is up and they're just cruising along. It takes a whole lot less power to cruise at 55mph than it takes to get there in the first place!

Look at your cars owners manual and see how it defines Schedule A maintenance vs Schedule B maintenance (or heavy use vs normal use). You'll see more frequent service recommendations for the heavy use cycle, and that alone should tell you something about what's easier on the car overall.

[the_invisible]

Re: Car Question

Good replies!

Another thing I'd consider is the bumpiness of the roads between A and B. A smoother road is going to put less stress on your suspension and other components in your car. Obviously the interstate should be smoother than the city streets.

But think about it, 9 miles is quite a distance. Over the course of one year, assuming you go to school three days a week, that's 1500 miles. It may not seem much, but that's a lot just from taking a certain route to school over the other.

To minimize the distance travelled, you could consider using the streets at night where there's little car and traffic.

[Zuke]

Re: Car Question

I wonder why they call it Car CRAZY...

[Eddie6th]

Re: Car Question

Crazy...yes.

Did you calculate the mpg's in reality or just by using the manual's guide?

Put simply. A car driven smoothly at a constant speed,as on a highway is much better than a city dweller. There is less wear and tear on the parts,engine and gearbox. Fuel injectors are cleaner and less carbon build up. Oil pressure is always good. The list goes on.....

I've seen better engines at 200k miles driven all the time up and down highways,than engines at 60k miles always driven around cities i.e. stop,start......

If it was my choice,I'd choose the highway.. It should be more relaxing aswell.

[Poki]

Re: Car Question

I know your question was what's better in the long run for your car but.....may also want to consider what's better for you in the stress level. Will you arrive at school more relaxed and calmer using which route? Today's cars and oils are designed to last a looooong time in all types of driving. Do you plan on keeping this car for 10-15 years or longer? I typically keep cars that long and most of my driving is city with occasional highway. All the components seem to last a VERY long time so maybe you want to factor in the personal stress level too.