Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle

[Jolly]

The turbo four engine in the base Chevrolet truck gets a very small improvement in mpg over the V8 and the V8 will tow three or four thousand more pounds. With direct fuel injection and turbocharging, it carbons up faster than the V8. Is is very sensitive to lack of maintenance and I promise it will burn more oil as it gets older.

That engine will not routinely get 200,000 miles before laying down and dying.

[taiwan_girl]

In my (I will admit limited) opinion, todays cars last longer and longer than previous generation cars, are safer, have more features, and get better gas mileage. (Yes, most of them pretty much look the same however, while old cars were all pretty unique for each other. LOL)

"Follow your manufacturer’s maintenance schedule and they’ll last a heckuva long time. But high mileage totals are even easier with today’s vehicles. A typical passenger car should last 200,000 miles or more, says Rich White, executive director of the nonprofit Car Care Council (which offers a free car care guide).

Another way of looking at it: “The average lifespan [of a car] is now almost 12 years,” says Eric Lyman, chief analyst at TrueCar. “It’s been a slow and steady climb over the past decades.”

That’s because cars are smarter, better designed and better built than they were 20 to 30 years ago. Automated factories have led to high-precision manufacturing. Parts are more reliable. Electric systems have replaced mechanical systems, which reduces breakdowns and improves engine efficiency. Better oil has increased intervals for oil changes — from every 3,000 miles to as high as every 15,000 miles. New coolants can last the car’s lifetime.
Expected Mileage From Today's Vehicles

Standard Cars : 200,000 miles
Electric Cars: 300,000 miles

“Ten years ago, you’d need to change your spark plugs probably every 30,000 miles — now it’s every 100,000 miles,” says Jill Trotta, a longtime mechanic and vice president, industry advocacy and sales, for RepairPal Inc., which certifies repair shops.

Technology, however, is the main reason for longer-lasting vehicles. Most improvements in efficiency, emissions, safety, reliability and longevity are from “microprocessors, microcontrollers and extensive unseen networks on board the cars themselves,” writes Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder. Such improvements are increasing not only cars’ lifespans, but manufacturer warranties. Three years, 36,000 miles used to be standard, but 10-year, 100,000-mile warranties are becoming the norm. "

[Jolly]

Anybody that would put 15,000 miles on their oil is an idiot and not to be taken seriously.

Very few new cars will make 200,000 miles. Many CVT transmissions will barely make 100,000 miles without replacement, which is hideously expensive. Start/stop technology deprives engines of oil at their most needful time. Direct injection carbons up pistons and causes blow-by on the rings.

Turbocharging causes premature engine wear and aluminum blocks are essentially disposable. New engines are quite expensive, as much as $7000-$8000 for many engines. More for high-performance motors.

And besides very few things, work on your car yourself, especially if you don't have the proper scan tool.

Go ahead, try it.

[Mik]

I can get maybe 10,000 on a full synthetic oil change, but I usually go less.

Unless you have tiny little elf hands you can't get in to do much. I used to be able to stand in the engine compartment of my 65 Galaxy to work on it. (Of course it had a truck 240 6 banger in it, but still... )

[Doctor Phibes]

I remember cars in the 60's, 70's and 80's. They were shit.

I'd much rather be driving what I have now.

I have no wish whatsoever to tinker about with engines. My dad used to have to mess about with the bloody car all the time. It was like an ongoing project that never ended. Fergeddaboudit.

[Larry]

@Jolly said in Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle:

Anybody that would put 15,000 miles on their oil is an idiot and not to be taken seriously.

Very few new cars will make 200,000 miles. Many CVT transmissions will barely make 100,000 miles without replacement, which is hideously expensive. Start/stop technology deprives engines of oil at their most needful time. Direct injection carbons up pistons and causes blow-by on the rings.

Turbocharging causes premature engine wear and aluminum blocks are essentially disposable. New engines are quite expensive, as much as $7000-$8000 for many engines. More for high-performance motors.

And besides very few things, work on your car yourself, especially if you don't have the proper scan tool.

Go ahead, try it.

But....... "DATA".........

[George K]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle:

I remember cars in the 60's, 70's and 80's. They were shit.

You're too kind. Not only were they shit in terms of mechanical stuff, they rusted through.

My parents bought a new car every 4-5 years. My first car, a 1968 Mustang, lasted 4 years. Horrible, horrible car.

I'd much rather be driving what I have now.

I have no wish whatsoever to tinker about with engines.

Same here, but I can see it being a hobby for some. Fortunately, they're so complicated that it's becoming impossible to do as "a hobby."

At the season finale of one Top Gear series, Clarkson went on and on about how damn good cars have become. Safe, reliable, and fun to drive, mostly.

I don't miss them either.

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle:

Same here, but I can see it being a hobby for some. Fortunately, they're so complicated that it's becoming impossible to do as "a hobby."

My father in law owns and maintains a 1937 Riley Merlin. It's quite lovely, and it's a wonderful hobby. You wouldn't want to have to rely on it for anything.

[George K]

@Doctor-Phibes said in Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle:

My father in law owns and maintains a 1937 Riley Merlin. It's quite lovely, and it's a wonderful hobby. You wouldn't want to have to rely on it for anything.

Like, transportation, right?

[Copper]

@George-K said in Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle:

@Doctor-Phibes said in Killing Off the Fossil Fuel Vehicle:

I remember cars in the 60's, 70's and 80's. They were shit.

You're too kind.

I don't miss them either.

Way too kind.