On the ay home from work I a stretch on the parkway that is stop and go and about 20 mg average for about 8-9 miles. I can take an alternative route that is clear sailing but it adds about 6-7 miles to my trip but adds no time. What would be better for my car in the long run? Thanks?
I’d take the alternate route for 3 reasons: 1) less abuse on the car; 2) better mpg; 3) a whole lot less aggravation.
EXCEPT…if its a lease and you have to keep the miles down for that reason, OR if you’re someone who regularly (every 2-4 years) swaps for a new car, whether by selling or trading. In those case the sheer number of miles may matter.
The second route is kinder to your car, but you’ll rack up miles a lot faster
If you’re planning on keeping the car for several years and aren’t so worried about higher mileage when it comes time to sell, pick the longer route which is clear sailing
If you want to sell the car with lower miles, go the first route, the shorter one
Generally, I’d say the kind of driving outweighs the amount of driving
My preference would be the alternate route and it would seem to me that clear sailing is better on the car as compared to riding the brakes in crawling traffic; not to mention the aggravation involved.
Take the route that is best for you. The car is supposed to serve you, not the other way around.
Who cares what’s better for the car? It’s just a machine, nuts and bolts and will likely be replaced every few years. It doesn’t get home in a bad mood because of traffic and yell at the kids. It doesn’t complain about having to drive an extra 7 miles and then tell his wife he’s too tired to hear about her day. It doesn’t leave the pile of bills until tomorrow because of the accident in front if him on the way home.
Drive which ever route makes you happiest–even trade off depending on your mood.
Thanks everyone…Ase I have to say that was a stupid response that is not sensible,
tiznow0621:
A very qualified mechanic takes his time to personally answer a question that you asked for help on. And that’s how you show your appreciation?
@tizno0621, I’ll go one farther than JoeMario and say not only was it an odd way to show appreciation, but also that asemaster provided a great answer.
@tizno0621 - not the way to get folks to give you FREE advice. And his was a great answer.
Brakes, transmission etc, all get a big thank you. But, you can negate some of the advantages if you drive too fast. Bottom line though, @oldtimer and @acemaster have the best advice over all if you have to fight high speed traffic and have the potential to get into a high speed accident. OP is really responding poorly as everything we give is just an opinion, as valid as anyone else. . Guess they didn’t tell you what you want to hear…
@tiznow0621…If you want a “diplomatic” answer you will have to visit another forum. @asemaster gave you a truthful answer but you must have wanted something other than that. A vehicle is a machine which is nothing more than a pile of nuts, bolts, sheetmetal, plastic, rubber and glass. Why you want to believe it’s more than that is beyond me.
Ase’s response was not a stupid answer. It was an excellent point. The car (EV? Hybrid? Veyron? truck? motorcycle? RV?) doesn’t care. Only you care.
And how can you possibly expect a technical response when you didn’t even bother telling us what you drive?
I would track my fuel usage going one way for a week and then track my fuel usage going the other way for a week. Whichever way uses less fuel is the way I would go.
I usually pick the route that’s the most relaxing to drive. Being fit at work is more important to me than saving a few dollars on gas.
asemaster, sounding a little like a zen master, said the truth, neat.
tiznow just can’t handle the unfiltered.
@tiznow0621, my response to your post was a bit tongue-in-cheek but the sentiment is the same. However, I did not answer your original question and even went off-topic. So…
All other things being equal, the mechanical wear and tear on the car will likely be less taking the longer route. Steady cruising is generally easier on a car than stop and go. Sure it adds miles to your drive, but as far as putting miles on the car, you state this only a problem on the way home and adds 7 miles. That’s less than 2000 miles per year. It’s pennies, not a factor as far as mechanical wear and tear. So take the clear sailing route. The car won’t notice much difference either way.
Guys your right and Ace I apologize. I actually did not read/see his last sentence . I sincerely apologize !!!
Another way to look at things . . . congested traffic generally increases the possibility of bumper crunches, I worry about that stuff whenever I’m in heavy traffic more than the wear on the car. Maybe it’s my age, but I feel that drivers are getting worse, people have less patience these days, more distractions (texting, phone calls, whatever) and there’s more traffic than there used to be. Good luck! Rocketman
BRAKES are the most prominent wear item on a car. So, the less you use them the longer they last. I used to be driven to the airport by a limousine company. Their cars (Mercury Grand Marquis) went 160,000 miles before they needed brakes.