Wear & Tear Parts - Highway vs City Miles

[HTSS_TR]

Many wear and tear parts are needed to be replaced much sooner than normal/average if the vehicle is used mostly in city streets.

Let look at few wear and tear parts: tire, brake pad and rotor, clutch master cylinder and clutch disc of manual transmission

In city streets you need to top at red light and or slow down because of traffic, therefore you need to use the brake and engage/disengage clutch at lot more than when you are on highway. It looks to me 1 mile of city driving is worse than 5 miles highway for brake and clutch parts.

Tire, especially the rear tires of rear wheel drive cars, wear out about twice as fast for city driving because of deceleration and acceleration constantly.

In general, highway driving at reasonable speed is much easier on most parts of any vehicle, including oil and other vital fluids.

 

[GenesisGuy70]

I hate city driving in my car. I always make an excuse up so we have to take the girlfriend's car.

 

[oilpsi2high]

This is why I never mind driving on road trips. When car pooling around town I never use my car, lol.

 

[mclasser]

Sometimes I consider buying a beater to use only for short city trips and the winter.

 

[GenesisGuy70]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
Sometimes I consider buying a beater to use only for short city trips and the winter.


Amen to that. I keep regretting selling the an old Grand Am I had when I bought the car in my sig. Would've made a great winter/beater car. But the 2g's I got out of it was the down payment on the new one, so I didn't really have a choice.

 

[Pontual]

Traction tires get more wear at highway speeds.

 

[gregk24]

Originally Posted By: Throt
I hate city driving in my car. I always make an excuse up so we have to take the girlfriend's car.

Why is that? Just to cut down on wear?

 

[GenesisGuy70]

Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: Throt
I hate city driving in my car. I always make an excuse up so we have to take the girlfriend's car.

Why is that? Just to cut down on wear?


Yea. I mean I do all the repairs on her car but I'd rather repair hers than repair mine.

 

[donnyj08]

^ if she only knew lol

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: Throt
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Sometimes I consider buying a beater to use only for short city trips and the winter.


Amen to that. I keep regretting selling the an old Grand Am I had when I bought the car in my sig. Would've made a great winter/beater car. But the 2g's I got out of it was the down payment on the new one, so I didn't really have a choice.


No way will you come out ahead after paying for the car and then registration/tax/insurance. And then if something breaks or wears out (brakes, tires) there's more money to spend. I'd rather just have one car that I know is safe and isn't a pile of garbage than rolling around in a "beater" but I will admit that the most fun you'll have behind the wheel of a car is when you're behind the wheel of a beater lol.

 

[HerrStig]

Although I've probably put a million miles or more on manuals, city driving is one place where a good automatic can save some money, at least of it's like the Toyota autos that I have seen go 300K with just fluid changes.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Although I've probably put a million miles or more on manuals, city driving is one place where a good automatic can save some money, at least of it's like the Toyota autos that I have seen go 300K with just fluid changes.


The at has to shift as many times as the manual. I guess there are more clutches.

That said, many ATs only last 160k before pricey overhaul, even with highway use.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Although I've probably put a million miles or more on manuals, city driving is one place where a good automatic can save some money, at least of it's like the Toyota autos that I have seen go 300K with just fluid changes.


The at has to shift as many times as the manual. I guess there are more clutches.

That said, many ATs only last 160k before pricey overhaul, even with highway use.
That's why I mentioned Toyota. I have heard horror stories about other brands, although my wife got 200 K out of the old Borge Warner 3 speed autos in a SAAB 900 in mostly city driving. Went through a few mufflers though.

 

[Silverado12]

I've never seen harder miles than West Virginia miles, and my old Chevy held up really well mechanically. It was a rust bucket when I traded it. But anyway, I never had brakes last longer than 35K miles, tranny fluid was nasty every 25K mile change, etc. A beater is probably best if you have a car that's too pricey and nice to drive in the salt. I wouldn't think that, with the possible exception of the clutch, city miles will really hurt the car much. Brakes are easy to change, and the oil, trans, rear axle fluid should be changed more often. But to each his own, I have two cars just because I can.

 

[eljefino]

City miles are hard if you have stiff tires and suspension as it rattles things further up the line... like strut mounts and interior dash pieces held in with clips.

An 80s Buick Century is the perfect urban assault vehicle. Large inside, small outside, and probably still has 5 mph bumpers though the end of its model run.

I was parked at a gas station in my Ciera behind a geezer in a Century and he got in, didn't look, and backed right into me. No damage and we all laughed it off.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Although I've probably put a million miles or more on manuals, city driving is one place where a good automatic can save some money, at least of it's like the Toyota autos that I have seen go 300K with just fluid changes.


The at has to shift as many times as the manual. I guess there are more clutches.

That said, many ATs only last 160k before pricey overhaul, even with highway use.


Yep. Heat kills AT's along with improper maintenance.

Improper driving is what kills MT's.

 

[silvercivicsi]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Although I've probably put a million miles or more on manuals, city driving is one place where a good automatic can save some money, at least of it's like the Toyota autos that I have seen go 300K with just fluid changes.


The at has to shift as many times as the manual. I guess there are more clutches.

That said, many ATs only last 160k before pricey overhaul, even with highway use.


Yep. Heat kills AT's along with improper maintenance.

Improper driving is what kills MT's.


Yep! The two automatics that my family own both have aftermarket transmission coolers installed.

 

[Fordtrucktexan]

Originally Posted By: oilpsi2high
Originally Posted By: Throt
Originally Posted By: mclasser
Sometimes I consider buying a beater to use only for short city trips and the winter.


Amen to that. I keep regretting selling the an old Grand Am I had when I bought the car in my sig. Would've made a great winter/beater car. But the 2g's I got out of it was the down payment on the new one, so I didn't really have a choice.


No way will you come out ahead after paying for the car and then registration/tax/insurance. And then if something breaks or wears out (brakes, tires) there's more money to spend. I'd rather just have one car that I know is safe and isn't a pile of garbage than rolling around in a "beater" but I will admit that the most fun you'll have behind the wheel of a car is when you're behind the wheel of a beater lol.


I beg to differ. I've saved a considerable amount by putting around town in the Saturn versus firing up the diesel for every trip to the store. The recurring expenses (gas, oil, insurance, registration, etc) are relatively cheap. I don't think about a parts cost because I have spares of just about everything, including two extra sets of wheels with new-ish tires on them.