Insterstate driving is not "hard miles"

[blackman777]

It amazes me how many posts I see where people say "I drove my car 180,000 miles.... and those were Hard miles up and down the interstate." ----- I-5 or I-95 or I-80 driving is not "hard" at all. Perhaps if you get stuck in annoying stop/go every day, then it could be called moderate, but if you're just cruising constant velocity the engine will barely feel it.

I think the reason my K-car Dodge engine kept going another 200,000 miles, even after the headgasket was blown, is because it was nothing but interstate driving..... i.e. easy. (And also I switched to 5w-40 diesel oil; delvac 1.)

 

[Doog]

+1 Exactly. The engine and trans are loafing along in "happy mode" 95% of the time. You hardly touch the brakes. The only thing that gets a lot of abuse is your seat cushion.

 

[apwillard1986]

It amazes me how many people think their high mileage car is worth more than other high mileage cars because they are “highway miles”. It might be easier on a car to sustain a speed and RPM for extended periods than to do allot of city driving but highway miles are no shorter than regular miles.

 

[Panzerman]

The best thing for ANY engine is consistancy, this why generators last forever and why highway miles are better. You stay at consistant speeds(for the most part), consistant temperatures, plus all contaminates get burned off. I would take a new car with high miles, over a old car with low miles, for these very reasons. Our company trucks are a perfect example, we put a 100,000 miles a year on them and they last for 250,000 miles.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
The best thing for ANY engine is consistancy, this why generators last forever and why highway miles are better. You stay at consistant speeds(for the most part), consistant temperatures, plus all contaminates get burned off. I would take a new car with high miles, over a old car with low miles, for these very reasons. Our company trucks are a perfect example, we put a 100,000 miles a year on them and they last for 250,000 miles.



wait....@ 100,000 miles a year, and you run them to 250,000 miles. You only keep them for 2 and a half years?

 

[SLCraig]

Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
It amazes me how many people think their high mileage car is worth more than other high mileage cars because they are “highway miles”. It might be easier on a car to sustain a speed and RPM for extended periods than to do allot of city driving but highway miles are no shorter than regular miles.


Honestly, it would be worth more to me.
2 cars of the same make/model etc, but one is all city and one is all highway, and the highway car is more money... I'm going with the highway car for sure.

 

[apwillard1986]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
It amazes me how many people think their high mileage car is worth more than other high mileage cars because they are “highway miles”. It might be easier on a car to sustain a speed and RPM for extended periods than to do allot of city driving but highway miles are no shorter than regular miles.


Honestly, it would be worth more to me.
2 cars of the same make/model etc, but one is all city and one is all highway, and the highway car is more money... I'm going with the highway car for sure.


Can't argue with you there. I would choose it as well. But it is a tough thing to prove. I guess my point was, there is no highway odometer.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
The best thing for ANY engine is consistancy, this why generators last forever and why highway miles are better. You stay at consistant speeds(for the most part), consistant temperatures, plus all contaminates get burned off. I would take a new car with high miles, over a old car with low miles, for these very reasons. Our company trucks are a perfect example, we put a 100,000 miles a year on them and they last for 250,000 miles.



wait....@ 100,000 miles a year, and you run them to 250,000 miles. You only keep them for 2 and a half years?



Same question, again!

Our trucks can rack up 70-80k miles in one year but it's ALL inner city mileage. The only highway miles we get are running across the Bay to another county or such.

And personally I would be a bit peeved if all I got from a van was 250k miles!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I'd pay more for a highway miles vehicle. Even if it did go over on some routine maintenance, it was never stressed as hard.

 

[A_Harman]

Anybody can say their car has mostly highway miles, but how do you know for sure?

 

[Gabe]

Trav posted a pdf from Mobil 1 that broke down driving styles into categories based on engine stresses.

Interstate driving is 'medium' stating: high oil temperatures and lower viscosity. Immediately stopping afterward a period of high speed driving is 'high' while state road driving is 'low'.

 

[NHGUY]

But think....that K car automatic turned 3000rpm at 65mph.Most of todays vehicles that have an overdrive gear,turn about 2000-2300 rpm at 65 mph.That 3000 rpm is the highest rpm that car saw in normal driving.Actually,to get that kind of life out of an engine thats spinning its guts out on "easy" highway miles is a pat on Chrysler's back.Think....1/3 higher RPMs than todays "miracle" cars that go 300K miles...I agree,todays cars are loafing at 65mph,an old 70s or 80s car is more than equal the miles/wear...by far.

 

[JohnnyZ52]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Anybody can say their car has mostly highway miles, but how do you know for sure?


This is what worries me when I see high mileage. If you see a car that's only a few years old with a lot of miles, you can assume it will be mostly highway...but otherwise, you just don't know.

When buying a car from someone you don't know very well, you have to assume they're lying about a lot of things.

As for interstate driving specifically...it's easier on your car in some ways, but as to how much strain it puts on the engine, it depends on how well it's maintained.

 

[RiceCake]

What I don't get is even if its mostly highway miles, whats to say it wasn't driven by a complete inept idiot who only knew when to change his oil because the sticker said so?

Thats just like cars that were only driven by little old ladies. Okay, sure, she probably didn't cane it, she probably maintained it well, but whats to say she didn't?

Highway miles. Sell the sizzle, not the steak. "Trust me, it says 200,000 miles but you should ignore that, its all highway miles. Those holes in the hood aren't from gunfire either, they're speed holes, makes the car go faster."

 

[andyd]

The way I look at it is that just about any car can go 100k with minimal upkeep. Between 100-150 K all the pesky stuff will have been replaced. A car has to be maintained to make it to 200 K miles. I bought a 20 yr old car with only 75 K on it and it has needed constant attention as things wear out. That is the problem with daily driving a near classic.

 

[blackman777]

Originally Posted By: apwillard1986
It amazes me how many people think their high mileage car is worth more than other high mileage cars because they are “highway miles”.

They are probably going by Kelly Blue Book. Cars that are high in miles but young in years are worth more $$$ than those that have few miles but old age. For example the Beetle I just bought had 100,000 miles but was still worth $6000. In contrast my mom's old Plymouth with just 20,000 but built in 1992 was worth nothing ($200).

My opinion is that this is due to style: Same reason people want brand-new or almost-new clothes, not the old 90s style. Same applies to cars. Style/age matters more than miles. (i.e. A lot of miles won't devalue a car.)

 

[donnyj08]

i sometimes have a hard time buying a high mileage new car. if its 2 years old and has 100k miles on it i want to see proof that it was serviced. if it was a vehicle that had a lease plan it should have records every 5k or so. if it wasnt a lease planned vehicle i worry that it may have been driven so often that its owner never had time for oil changes.

Todays oils will get a car 20k miles on and oil change. it will produce sludge, but most engines can make it to 100k miles on 4 or 5 oil changes, and maybe even still sound ok when running. i ALWAYS bring a led light and open the fill hole and inspect for sludge/coking when looking at a vehicle to purchase.

 

[blackman777]

Originally Posted By: RiceCake
What I don't get is even if its mostly highway miles, whats to say it wasn't driven by a complete inept idiot who only knew when to change his oil because the sticker said so?

My Dodge K car was driven by an inept teenager/college kid (me) who didn't maintain the car but it still lasted 360,000. Highway miles don't put much stress. The oil was changed every 3000 miles but nothing else. One day the car just stopped moving & the dealer towed it to the shop, and said, "You never changed the sparkplugs did you?" You mean they don't just last forever? Huh.

Then a few months later they said the water pump was weeping & radiator low on coolant. Ooops. I'm supposed to check that every half year? Huh.

Then the gasket blew-out and they told me the engine would soon be dead, but I just kept driving it on I95 anyway. Then engine ran hotter than it was supposed to, but still lasted another 200,000 miles with very minimal maintenance (I didn't want to put money into a car that the dealer said would soon be dead).

Oh and I failed emissions, because the exhaust was spitting water. So I half-emptied the radiator. Then it passed.
POINT:
Highway miles are easy and the engine will last a long time on highway miles, even when owned by a young guy who doesn't read the manual. ;-)

 

[Panzerman]

Originally Posted By: lexus114

The best thing for ANY engine is consistancy, this why generators last forever and why highway miles are better. You stay at consistant speeds(for the most part), consistant temperatures, plus all contaminates get burned off. I would take a new car with high miles, over a old car with low miles, for these very reasons. Our company trucks are a perfect example, we put a 100,000 miles a year on them and they last for 250,000 miles.


Acctually we dont even kep them that long, not all the trucks rack up that many, but I got mine last Oct.with 12 miles on it and I just rolled over 50,000. They ussually dump them between 120,000 and 150,000. As employees, we get the option to buy them at Great prices. I bought a 2007 Ford F-150 4x4, last year with 166,000 for $2500.00. Problem is you dont really know what your buying, unless your buying your own truck. But I ve had excellent luck with that one. For that price you cant go wrong.

 

[asand1]

Ok BITOGers, we need to create a ratio system for buying/bragging. Miles driven to age. Higher mile to age would indicate oil stayed cleaner due to sustained operating temps and higher revs. Of course without maintenance records all bets are off.