Highway vs city driving?
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,479
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From: Nyack, NY
C300 Sport 4Matic
Highway vs city driving?
So I always wondered how true this thing is about highway miles is half of city miles. Is it really that much of a difference when it comes to wear and tear of the engine?
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A gaggle of MB's
Longevity on a new generation engine (the reverse of wear/tear) if affected by three things - break-in procedure when new - # of startup/shutdown - proper maintenance .... literally you can drive a properly broken-in/well-maintained new generation engine forever....
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Joined: Feb 2016
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From: Portland, OR
C450, GLC43
If the city miles are urban then yes.
City miles represent 2-5 times the the amount of running hours on the vehicle.
Think of it this way... the motor is just as happy running at 2500rpm in 1st gear as it is in 9th. But in 9th gear at 2500rpm on the highway, you'll be covering many more miles in 1 hour of driving than you would in the city.
Another obvious consideration is acceleration and stops.
City miles and dense traffic are always harder on a car than hwy cruising is.
However, most cars are driven mixed mileage and usually when someone claims that it's all hwy miles that person is lying.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,577
Likes: 264
From: Portland, OR
C450, GLC43
Most new engines are broken in at the factory. Run in period is primarily for the rest of the drivetrain components and is not nearly as big a deal as people think. A MB passenger vehicle is not a sport bike. I go easy on new vehicles for the 1st 500 miles but I never baby them.
Something that I think is waaaayyy more important than the break in period is to always avoid wide open throttle before both the oil and coolant are up to temp. The ECU in a modern MB will try to keep you from being stupid but it may still be possible to redline it cold if you are manually shifting. I won't let my MBs run over 4000rpm until the oil is up to temp. Sometimes I need to manually upshift the 9g in my GLC43 because it loves to hold 2nd. Once the oil is up to temp I'll bounce off of redline without a worry.
Many new engines are trouble prone and no engine will last forever. Most modern engines are way more reliable than engines from 10 years ago. And don't forget that 25 years ago, 100,000 miles used to be considered the end of the service life for a motor and that was when you were expected to either rebuild it or be prepared for major failures like exhaust valves or head gaskets. Modern engines are more complex AND more reliable.
Member
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 182
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From: Austin, Texas
W213 AMG 2019 E63S Wagon
When I really want Comfort mode with exhaust flaps open, I actually put in Individual mode, set this same way, because in Individual mode it is the only way the car will go in Gliding Mode when coasting (the sail boat icon comes up). This was discussed on a past post but some people report being able to get Glide in Comfort and others like me have to be in Individual Mode. I think of Glide as somewhat offsetting the times in Sport plus (in regards to gas mileage)...
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 368
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From: Mississauga Canada
2025 CLE 53 Cabriolet
Its common sense :
In the city , the engine is constantly being pushed from idle to high rpms and back again ,whereas on the highway its generally just cruising at around 2,000 rpm. Also the brakes and transmission are being activated way more in the city . This is also reflected in the fuel usage which can be as much as double in the city . All things being equal I would rather buy a highway driven car than city driven .
In the city , the engine is constantly being pushed from idle to high rpms and back again ,whereas on the highway its generally just cruising at around 2,000 rpm. Also the brakes and transmission are being activated way more in the city . This is also reflected in the fuel usage which can be as much as double in the city . All things being equal I would rather buy a highway driven car than city driven .
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Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 337
Likes: 45
From: Seattle
2016 C300 4MATIC
Its common sense :
In the city , the engine is constantly being pushed from idle to high rpms and back again ,whereas on the highway its generally just cruising at around 2,000 rpm. Also the brakes and transmission are being activated way more in the city . This is also reflected in the fuel usage which can be as much as double in the city . All things being equal I would rather buy a highway driven car than city driven .
In the city , the engine is constantly being pushed from idle to high rpms and back again ,whereas on the highway its generally just cruising at around 2,000 rpm. Also the brakes and transmission are being activated way more in the city . This is also reflected in the fuel usage which can be as much as double in the city . All things being equal I would rather buy a highway driven car than city driven .
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