Is driving long distance bad for the car?

I simply hate being in a car that revvs too high at highway speeds. A buddy of mine has a 2002 Mazda Protege (manual) and it was doing around 3500 rpm at 120 km/h (70 MPH). Even though it was a short trip, I hated it because of constant engine boom inside the cabin.

My mom's matrix does a little better (3000 rpm at 120 km/h) with it's auto tranny. My next car will probably be a 2001/2002 Corolla because I found out that that thing only does 2400 rpm at 120 km/h (auto tranny). Another thing, if an engine revvs high for a long amount of time (over 3000 rpm), it gives me the feeling that it's just working too hard, I don't like that.

Basically, the lower RPM at a certain speed, the better for both efficiency and lifespan of the engine. I high-revving engine also produces more friction in the air, which also isn't good for efficiency.

I can also point out that the 2010 Civic you want to get also revs quite low because it's auto is a 5-speed unit.

You would hate my Dad's MGB. ~65hp four pot with no overdrive or roof. 3500 RPM freeway. Though you can't hear it as much with the wind buffeting.
 
Too much overthinking going on. Just drive.

We take our beater Festiva on 200-250km highway drives every month or two. A constant 125-130kph in a three speed automatic mated to an engine with about 50 peak hp on a car with 280,000kms and it still drives the same as it did when we bought it. Only difference on highway trips is we use more fuel and are deaf from wind and engine noise.
 
My CJ7 does 3000 at 75, which is a lot when the redline is 5,200. That said, I have no problem driving a long way like that.
 
I simply hate being in a car that revvs too high at highway speeds

Get a diesel... 60mph = 1900 rpms :D

heck, I normally keep it at 3000 rpms which is 145 kph or 90mph
 
I sometimes wish my car had a taco metre. I guess they figured that the average Mercedes-Benz owner didn't wish to be bothered with matters as trivial as what the engine is doing.:rolleyes:

I'd like to switch my MPH speedo for a KPH one so maybe if I do that I could switch the whole cluster for one that has a tacho. I know there was a tach in most of the SL's.

Anyway, my car is meant to cruise around 80mph with relative ease but that's above the speed limits here. I usually sit at about 70 and from the sound of it it's barely revving at all. It's hard to hear above the wind noise, tho.

Still, my car is absolutely in it's element on an open road. It feels like it could just effortlessly waft across the entire nation without missing a beat.

I love my car.

Wait, what was my point again? Ah yes; All modern cars can cruise at high speeds without drama. What with all the silicon chips and such! But some are just geared for high speed more than others.
 
I do long-distance driving quite a lot. My car is pretty much made for it :) My normal autobahn speed is about 150-160km/h (95-100mph), the engine revs a stable 3000 at 160, and in 2 years I haven't had any problems. As long as you don't stress the engine too much by accelerating and braking all the time (as some highway drivers tend to do, for reasons unknown) and drive at a steady speed, it's the best mode for the car.
 
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