If you’re interested in buying a used car, you’ve probably seen sellers or dealers advertising certain vehicles with all-highway miles. At first, this may seem confusing: Since highway miles are at high speeds, wouldn’t this be a bad thing? Or is it the other way around: Are city miles more challenging because of the constant stopping and starting associated with driving in town? We have the answer.
Highway vs. City: Which Miles Are Easier on a Car?
There’s no question that highway and city miles affect a car in different ways. In city driving, for instance, vehicles constantly stop and start, which means they use more fuel. City driving also typically involves rough roads and potholes, giving a car’s suspension more of a workout. On the highway, roads are smoother, but speeds are higher, so the engine is constantly working and never at rest.
Then, which is easier on a car? The answer is highway driving. While it might seem like the low speeds and occasional idling associated with city driving are gentler on a car than high-velocity highway travel, the truth is the opposite.
One reason is that city driving has a wide range of varying road conditions. While most highways are fairly smooth, city roads can be pockmarked, potholed, and full of issues and problems you’ll never encounter on a highway. From rocks to speed bumps, a jarring ride gives the suspension a workout, and the same goes for other parts of a city-driven car as it bounces around on the street.
Stopping and starting are also very taxing on most cars. While an engine typically sits at one cruising speed on the highway, city driving requires constant speeding up and slowing down. As a result, a city-driven car’s engine, brakes, and transmission are constantly working.
City driving is also challenging for a car because of all the potential issues when you own a vehicle in a large city. Intersections and heavier traffic mean more possibilities for fender benders. Parallel parking spaces increase the potential for wheel damage, and regular parking lots threaten door dings. And, of course, you won’t encounter vandalism and theft on the highway.
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What Is Considered Highway Mileage?
We identify highway mileage as traveled miles that aren’t in the city, with its stop-and-go traffic, red lights, stop signs, potholes, and other hindrances interfering with a vehicle’s smooth, continuous operation. Like sled dogs, vehicles are at their best when running unimpeded.
How Do You Know if a Car Has City Miles or Highway Miles?
Now that you know highway driving is better on a car, you might be curious how to find out which vehicles have spent more time on the highway or most of their lives in the city.
Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to tell. One is the odometer reading. A relatively new car with unusually high mileage will usually be a highway vehicle. For instance, a year-old car with 50,000 miles on it probably spent those miles vastly on the highway. Few drivers can rack 50,000 miles in one year solely within stop-and-go traffic unless they’re driving a taxi cab or a police vehicle.
Another way to tell is to check the body of a high-mileage car. Are there any dents? Is there any curb rash on the wheels? Are there any body scrapes? If the answer to these questions is no, the car probably hasn’t spent much of its life in the city, where it would be subject to parking lots, curbs, and other drivers.
But if you want to be sure that a car has mostly covered highway miles, check with a mechanic. A qualified inspection is a good idea any time you’re buying a used car, and it’s especially recommended if you’re considering a high-mileage example. A mechanic can examine the car’s suspension and other components to determine wear, and they can let you know whether the car has been babied on the highway or thrashed on city streets.
Is a Car With 300,000 Miles Bad?
Not necessarily. When talking about car mileage, how a car has been driven and maintained has more to do with its longevity than the miles it has traveled. Meticulously following the car’s maintenance schedule as outlined in the owner’s manual and not aggressively driving can add thousands of miles and years to its useful life. Driving a car primarily on the highway rather than in the city can also significantly affect its life expectancy.
Related Used Car Buying Articles:
- Buying a Used Car: Does Mileage Matter?
- What’s More Important When Buying a Car: Miles or Age?
- Buying a Car: How Long Can You Expect a Car to Last?
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated for accuracy since it was originally published.
