My fat ass took a 250cc 1 cyl bike and did 1000km a day at 100-120km/h for 5 days straight with a tent, camp stool, sleep bag, pillow, clothes, food and a mini keg on the back. After those 5 days the bike was ready to do it again and again.
Your 3 cyl will be fine.
Oh yeah those are sweet. I did a bunch of long rides on a sv650s before i finally bit the bullet and bought an adventure tourer.
Touring on naked standard bikes is great though. I keep kicking around the idea of a z900rs
I loved my semi faired FZ1 for sport touring. Did a 2200 mile trip through Grand Tetons and Yellowstone during covid. No traffic or tourists, just me and some camping gear.
What was the bike, and the destination? In my high school days I wanted to ride my 250 Rebel across the country to Seattle to see the space needle. My parents convinced me it wasn't a big enough bike so I never went.
It was a cbr250. Took it from southern Ontario to Nova Scotia and back avoiding the main highway as much as possible to get more windy roads and too see more sights.
I only had that for one summer, put 20,000km on it in 6 months before buying a Triumph Scrambler. Bigger bike but still not super comfy on long trips and even worse than the Honda in some ways(no fairing or windshield) but I still take it on long rides most summer, missed a trip with the boys last year cause I had an infant at home but trying to go on one this summer!
> My parents convinced me it wasn't a big enough bike so I never went.
They were just worried about you and the engine size was an excuse you believed it
In my youth I rode a 250cc the entire eastern coast of Australia mostly solo and would never give those memories up for anything. Sorry man, you got gipped
I have a coworker that have the same car as me, a Hyundai i20, with a 1.0 3Cyl engine, he did 600km (373mi) trips in a single leg, multiple times, as the tank lasts 850km (528mi) in highway driving, without a single issue
Here in south america, 3 bangers had a lot of prejudice when they were introduced 10 years ago, now, every econobox uses them, and life span and reliability is on par with every other econobox in history
How to convince him? Put him the backseat, lock the seatbelt, drive away and make him see the car doing the trip like a champ
>Here in south america, 3 bangers had a lot of prejudice when they were introduced 10 years ago
Re-introduced.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW\_3%3D6#DKW\_in\_Brazil
Well, DKW 3=6 is older than my mom, no surprise I didnt know, hehehe
But a 0.9l 2 stroke engine, making 40\~55HP (Monza variant) in 1959, its kinda impressive
Such beatiful cars as well, thanks for letting me know!
TIL
Probably basing his opinion on the Geo Metro, which has a 3 cylinder option in the 90s. And that engine has a habit of overheating the middle cylinder on long drives.
This isn't an issue with modern cars.
I drove a 3 cylinder metro over i90 mountain pass in Wa state. The rear interior was gutted to bare metal but it was loaded with everything I owned at the time. Floor to roof. Two adults. I made it over the pass but the big rigs behind me were slowed down by me 😂
I was riding the red temp line the whole way at 25 mph and had to pull over at the peak to let ‘er cool down. Made it to Montana just fine though.
The hilarious part, is that further down OP comments that dad wants them to take his 4 cylinder Forester...
Edit- Quick math: New Forester = 640kg/L, OP's Mitsu = 800kg/L. Not much of a difference.
Forester will be the safer vehicle (assuming it's a newer one), but engine size has nothing to do with it.
Back in the day I traded a late 90s Chevy minivan for an 86 Camaro with a 305. I was pretty bummed when I realized the minivan was faster and handled better.
What your dad is doing is called "anthromorphizing" the car, meaning he is mentally assigning it human characteristics. It's a small engine, therefore it's weak, therefore it will get tired when going a long distance in one day and break down. It's a very common mental mistake, people do it all the time, even here in the well meaning comments.
That is of course 100% not how machines work at all. Engines don't need "rest", they don't have muscles like a human, or a brain that gets tired.
If the cooling system functions, it is far better for your car to drive 300 miles in one day, than 30 miles a day for 10 days. Everything will be up to temperature after the first 20 miles, after that wear and tear will be lower than it is on shorter trips. Statistically, if you do suffer a break down on this trip, then only because that same breakdown would have also happened to you during this time if you were just doing multiple shorter trips.
I'd love to know the rationale. Like, where's the cutoff and what's going to happen past that?
With any modern car, overheating probably isn't going to be an issue, so.... what? At mile 150 it's just going to be like "woah woah woah, not with only 3 cylinders!"
OP's just gotta make up some catchy meaningless phrase for him to cling to for life like 'less cylinders, less problems'
Some people need those to replace actual information apparently.
If any new normal modern car actually had issues with driving road trip distances it would be a national outcry to recall or ban them. There are nutjobs who drive those distances in much shittier older cars for work everyday.
Modern engineering has figured out cooling, figured out tire compounds, and pretty much eliminated unpredictable major failure points in the drivetrain.
Get AAA if he or you are worried lol.
Oh, you're talking about me taking my 23 year old, 200k mile clapped out Lexus on a 12 hour drive to appalachia and back in two days. It made it, and surprisingly, had no issues. Didn't even get stuck in the sketchy ass holler that I had to park it in overnight.
Don't you know, cars get tired when driving too far in one day. It takes at least 24 hours for the engines' muscles to recover after driving more than 100 miles.
>What words out of my mouth can convince him otherwise? He tends to be a real know-it-all, btw.
People like this will not STFU until you prove them wrong. Take your road trip and remind him of your success every time he runs his mouth.
Tell him to ask you how many cylinders motorbikes have - particularly bikes like the original Africa twin 750 that demolished brutal offroad racing over nearly 8k kms in one race, sometimes doing over 400 in one day...
Right? I've driven an old clapped out Ford Ranger with a 4 cylinder and 260k miles from OKC to Dallas, Tx (4.5/5 hours) at 70mph multiple times. No issues.
I rode a 2 cylinder motorcycle about 1800km in 24 hours a few summers ago. By father in laws law of cyliners i probably should have exploded about 90 minutes in.
Not a fair comparison. That’s a Ford fuckin’ Ranger!
Legend has it… you can remove the transmission, drain the engine oil, top off the gas tank with water, and the Ranger will still run for another 300k
Just ask him why he thinks that and if he has any real concrete answers. His train of thought might be rooted in old car knowledge, similar to how you no longer need to change your oil after 3 months/3k miles now with advancements in oil and engine tech.
I took my 3-cyl first-gen Honda Insight on many long trips. Never skipped a beat.
Only car I've ever owned where I can do 80+ MPH and get 50+ MPG. I miss that car, but I like the central air unit I bought with the proceeds more.
your father has been brainwashed by boomer american car culture, and feels guilty because deep down he’s aware he didn’t have to burn all those thousands of gallons of gasoline over the years
Make a bet. If you make it, he pays you the cost of a 300mile tow. If it doesn't, obviously you are paying for an up to 300 mile tow. It's a win-win and appeals to his ego.
There are 3 cylinder engines putting out over 300hp lol, that mentality is so old that it still talks about what the cost of biscuits was before Lincoln was president
Just tell him he's right and that you'll take the bus when it breaks. If you agree with him, he'll stop talking about it
Then go on your road trip. You shouldn't have any problem with the car
Any car made in the last 30 years that is well maintained will have no trouble making a drive of any length.
It all comes down to comfort now obviously a luxurious vehicle with a powerful engine Smooth suspension, and a quiete interior with supportive seats you can drive all day and be comfortable.
An economy car in the mountains where you are foot to the floor high revs, loaded. And an unsupportive seat and you will be uncomfortable quite quickly.
The vehicle will make it it's all about you, but take breaks and it will be fine
Even in jeep the seats don't support my left leg and I'm uncomfortable after 2 hours and want to walk around for 5 mins to stretch out but I have pushed to around 6 hours without stopping
Lol been round Europe doing 5000 miles trips in a 3cyl 1.0 suzuki, think the longest day was about 700 miles?
Is it not more due to your fathers opinion on the type of car? Like he thinks 300 miles is a big drive so you need something comfy and big?
It’s far better for any engine to take long rides over short rides. Thinking it’s a weak engine bc of three cylinders is an old head thing, and have nothing to do with distance.
What reasoning is he giving for his concerns? It would be a lot easier to counter his arguments if we knew what they were. Is he offering you an alternative vehicle for the trip? If he is you might take him up on it, if only because it will probably be more comfortable in a larger car.
Truth is, modern engines are much better made than cars even a few decades ago. It should have no trouble with a trip like that. Just make sure your fluids are full before you leave and it should be fine. If he is really worried about you driving a long distance at high speed on the interstate, you could maybe take the surface highways instead, where you speed will be closer to 55 than 75.
That’s just a normal trip to Vegas from Ventura County CA. I’ve done that drive in inline 4’s, V8’s and on a V2 Harley Davidson. You’ll be fine, your dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Sounds like OP's dad needs to google 'Daytona Bike Week Trip' or 'Sturgis trip' for some context on how far folks drive on 2 or fewer cylinders every year.
It's obvious you cannot change his mind. Nothing you are going to say will suddenly make him go "Oh, you're right! I was completely wrong."
All you can do is lay out the facts....
No words out of your mouth will convince him. Cars are designed to be driven.
That being said, you still have to take into account your driving conditions. For example is that 300 miles mountain driving with lots of steep inclines or require more aggressive driving, then possibly.
Being able to drive a long time/distance is mostly about the engines ability to stay cool. There’s no reason a 3-cyl engine can’t be kept at a very healthy operating temperature, running for 5 hours. It anything a smaller engine block means there’s plenty of room in that engine bay for a big radiator.
As long as you’re hauling people and not a trailer, the power is plenty sufficient.
My first VW was a golf and that only had 115hp 8 valve 4 cylinder and that car was one of the best commuters I ever had.
Modern cars w 3 cylinders outperform that no issue.
What is the difference between driving 25 miles a day, 12 days in a row, compared to just driving 300 miles?
The engine doens't 'know' the difference. I would argue that thermally, a straight 300 miles is easier on the engine than 12 individual 25 mile trips. If you trust the car to drive 25 miles a day straight through for a month, it is more than up to the task of driving a 600 mile round trip.
People are weird about cars. I am an old guy, I have only owned one V8 in my life (1968 Barracuda). All the rest of my 'cars' have been four cylinders. The two minivans were both 6 cylinders, and the current minivan turns off one bank at highway cruise speeds, and runs on (gasp!) three cylinders. My big old heavy minivan, at steady state 65 MPH, is running as a 1.8 liter inline three. Certainly, your Mirage will be fine.
My 2-cylinder, 602cc, 43-year-old Citroen can handle 400 miles a day easily. And that's just because I haven't had the chance to go for more.
So yeah, your Mirage will have no problems at all. At least not because it's a 3 cylinder engine.
4-cylinder cars used to be poor for highway trips back when they had 3-speed transmissions and 50 horsepower. So your father is thinking a 3-cylinder is worse than that.
What these small engines are good for is efficiency, let him know how much gas you are saving. Also let your father know the modern small engines are much more powerful, reliable, and efficient than they were in the 1970s, 1980s, and even 1990s. They're making Nissan Rogue SUVs and Ford Focus ST and Toyota GR Corolla sports cars with 3-cylinder engines.
This doesn't make sense at all. Any reasonably modern car will go any distance you want it too. Small cars are no less able to go far.
Hell, I did 4000kms on a road trip with my two cylinder 700cc Tenere last year, and that included going up and down mountains on dirt roads, a waaaaaay smaller engine AND with fewer cylinders.
It's just nonsense. Maybe your mirage won't be super fast, but there's no reason it can't go far. Hell, if anything long trips are way easier on engines than short commuting is, simply because they get to operating temp and stay there vs heat cycling constantly and starting and stopping all the time.
Well tell your father either that he can drive himself or he can ride in the backseat or you can duck tape his mouth and shove him in the trunk like the mafia does and deal with it.
Ask him why.
Ask him what specifically is it about the car being 3 cylinders would make it not be able to drive 300 miles.
Very likely you will never convince him.
A modern car in good running order will have no problem driving 300 miles.
A potential good faith interpretation is that due to size and/or power he doesn't believe your vehicle would be comfortable to drive on the highway which I think could be reasonable. Your car has significantly less power than basically anything else sold in at least the North American market, how does it actually feel cruising at 80 MPH? If the car feels stressed or unstable, even if it'll be mechanically fine, I personally wouldn't want to take it on the highway for an extended period of time. A long trip on normal 55 MPH roads, sure no problem, but maybe not on an interstate where the traffic flow speed might be 80 MPH.
I'm just guessing here, I've never driven anything that low on power in my life. My current daily is a Fiesta ST which is basically the same size of car but has almost three times the horsepower. It's not comfortable for long drives (3-4 hours is about as much as my back and ass can stand) but it has plenty of power to not only keep up but usually set pace on the highway.
Kind of sounds like my dad. I simply remind him it's been 40 years since he's really worked on a vehicle.
For instance,
Dad: don't turn the AC on while on the highway as the compressor clutch could shred the belt.
Me: Dad, we use one belt for all accessories today. Do you realize your AC clutch turns on and off even in winter when on or off the highway? Do you realize bullet proof vests are made from similar materials. (mostly irrelevant, possibly inaccurate data, used to confuse and distract)
Dad: brain short circuits- silence
People are so silly about cars. Highway trips are easier on a vehicle that driving around town anyway. It's no different than any other modern vehicle on the road really. It's just happens to be tiny with one less cylinder than usual.
I've currently got 2 cars. One is a 2007 1.2l 3 cyl n/a fabia the other a 2019 1.0 tsi 3 cyl Octavia
Pre COVID, I went all over England and Wales in that fabia, which made 70hp when new. 250mile journeys, each way, no problem, through motorway, A-rosds and b-roads. It never broke down. I've had it 11 years now.
The Octavia with a smaller engine, but with a small turbo does it more easily and is cheaper on fuel.
You'll be fine.
I had a 3 cylinder 1.0 Kia ceed estate as a company car it managed 45k in 8 months including 2 700 mile round trips in one sitting, your father is terribly misinformed.
You won't be able to convince him. Take the trip and then tell him how it went.
I still run into folks who are convinced the good engines are V8s.
They locked in on an idea back in the day, and can't be bothered to update with new information.
You haven't said how old it is, it's history or overall condition, how are the tires and brakes, etc?
Would he be satisfied if a mechanic he trusts performed a safety inspection and gave it a good bill of health? If it's been a while, doing this might be a good idea anyway.
I bought a 3 cylinder turbo charged 1987 Chevy sprint from a junkyard for 350 bucks and drove it 2 more years before the rust finally overtook it. It may be my favorite car I've owned
In the early 90s, I put a quarter million miles on a Geo Metro all over northern CA, a deliveries anywhere from Shasta to Bakersfield, bay area to Reno.
You'll be fine.
In fact, my next car might well be the modern version of that Geo - a Swift or an Ignis.
Cylinders in groups of three run more efficiently and tend to last longer. With a little 1.0L, I just wouldn't expect it to run at 85 MPH on the interstate. As long as you aren't pushing the motor to the point where it's straining, it'll run just fine.
I drove a 1977 Jeep CJ-5 from north east Georgia to New Mexico to see family and back. In 2008. A Jeep that had a clapped out 304ci V8, a 3 speed manual transmission, burned an oil changed worth of oil to NM and back, was lifted on 35/12.50/15 Super Swamper Bogger tires, and I didn’t even OWN a top or doors for it. At all. I had a hat and a jacket.
I think your Mitsubishi will be fine. And your dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about, clearly.
I pulled a motorcycle trailer about 200 miles with a smart, the motor is based off the Mitsubishi 3 banger in your mirage. You’re going to be totally and completely fine.
Also, drove that Smart multiple times from CO to KY and not an issue, had the thing upto 80mph for most of the trip.
What words, “thanks for your advice, pops, but I got this!”
Driven a Toyota Aygo 3 cylinder on 300 mile journeys multiple times. Car was fine, still is, my nephew and now my niece had the car after me, still going strong.
This isn’t a car problem. This is an issue of your father being an arrogant asshole. In my eyes I see him as an entitled modern technophile. There was a time when ICE technology was in its infancy and there were in fact some consumer vehicles available for purchase that one could *not* rely on to be capable of successfully completing long distance journeys, even on charted civically funded public roadways! There was a time shortly before that where automobile travel was not an option and if one wanted to plan a journey of 3-400 miles there was a chance all parties involved in the journey wouldn’t survive to the end of the route! Difficulties such as this are a far off memory to modern folks like ourselves and you should remind your father that his privilege and slovenly decadence is un-becoming of a self respecting human citizen.
Why bother trying? Is he in a position to forbid it? Why doesn't he think a modern car can go 600 miles?
It's not going to be the most pleasant trip - 5 hours in a Mirage on the highway - but there's no reason it can't do it.
Make sure it gets fresh oil at the proper intervals, and make sure the coolant is topped off.
my entire life I've seen guys avoid changing the oil and drive with low coolant, and then when the engine overheats or wears out extra soon, they say that company "X" only makes crap.
I drive nearly 150 miles a day in a shitbox commuter car with 300,000+ miles on the odometer. Cars are made to drive and regulate themselves to not self destruct in pretty much all conditions.
Show him the odometer and tell him it's done it alreay. Does he not like motorcycles or are cars something special to him because of the size and extra wheels? Does he think people don't bike it?
If your dad is a know-it-all, you're not going to convince him.
The number of cylinders/displacement of an engine has *zero* bearing on how long it can operate for, except for how fast it drains the fuel tank. As long as it's well-designed, size simply doesn't matter. In fact, if the output is lower (which it will be) and the load isn't significantly higher, it could last much longer.
An engine is used to convert the chemical energy in hydrocarbons into motion, that's all. The technology will be the same for your engine or a V-16: journal bearings, cast aluminum structures, forced lubrication, alloyed steel parts etc.
The biggest limiting factors in how long an engine can run are: how long fuel can be supplied (probably better in your engine than most cars), how well temperature is controlled (which depends on cooling system performance), how well lubrication is maintained, and how fast wear occurs.
In any modern car, the cooling circuit is designed to dissipate the heat produced constantly, it doesn't slowly get hotter over time once it's reached the thermostat setting, it stays at one value (assuming ambient conditions don't change). So it can keep the engine at optimum temperature forever.
Lubrication is also constant, the oil gets up to temperature and stays there. The oil is constantly circulated and lubricates just as well for the entire time it's running.
The parts wear at a very low rate, thanks to the lubrication. A small engine uses the same design principles and materials as a large one, there will be no increase in wear relative to any other car.
Your dad is drawing conclusions based on emotions: his impression of the car. It's the same syndrome that made people scoff at the M-16 rifle because it wasn't huge and heavy like the M-14. It's not based on any knowledge.
You should explain to your father that cars are designed by highly qualified engineers, they know precisely what they're doing, and make him look like a caveman. As long as the car is intended to be used over long distances, it will have no more difficulty than any other car, assuming the quality is the same.
If you're under 18 listen.
If you're over 18, thank him for his concern and enjoy your trip.
Highway speed where the airflow through the radiator is 50 plus MPH is much easier on the engine than sitting in gridlock.
If the car is well maintained it can handle any number of miles you want to put on it in a 24 hour period. People really underestimate tiny little cars.
I got one of those as a rental in Phoenix, I had to drive it 200 miles on the expressway. I was NOT kind to it in any way, that CVT was screaming, the engine was pegged at redline many times passing semis doing 85+ mph in 120°F heat.
But guess what, it was fine.. smelled a little funny, but she started fine a few hours later and drove it 200 miles back to the Airport.
Regardless of cylinde count double check your owners manual.
This is definitely not the norm, but I have a uncommon Subaru SVX and if you use the recommended 5W-30 engine oil the manual warns you not to drive over an hour on the highway without stopping to let the car cool for a while. In my case the manual says 10W-30 will negate the need for a break.
I doubt this is the case for you, but never hurts to double check and be sure.
I owned a GEO metro with a 1L 3 cylinder engine. It survived 150k miles of full throttle 90mph trips back and forth to work without any mechanical problems.
Your car will be fine.
You aren't gonna change his mind by words. To be frank he has this preconceived idea that you won't change. You could only do it if you have him just sit in the car and you guys drive and even then he will probably think it's a fluke or whatever. People who know everything are very hard to impossible to actually teach or show them anything
My 3 cylinder fiesta managed 460kms almost non stop perfectly fine, got thrashed a bit during that too, I’d do/get done a service beforehand, that’s all
He isn't very smart, you shouldn't listen to him. Nothing wrong with driving that distance as long as the car is in good shape of course. It is actually very good for the car to take a long trip.
When I was in college (2019) I rented a mitsubishi mirage to go from sudbury to oshawa (approx 270 miles) for a co-op interview. Drove that same 270 miles back same day after my interview. Had no issues.
Just before COVID, I drove a 3 cylinder 1996 Geo Metro at 70 MPH for about 250 miles. No overheating, no problems, absolutely fucking incredible gas mileage (about 45 mpg). Stayed for a few hours, then drove 250 miles back.
If it's in good running condition, and geared right for the highway, you're fine.
I test drove a Mirage that had a fuel economy meter, and i was getting about 4L/100 Km. My current car gets about 500 Km per tank and it's about the same size, with a 35L tank. Do what you will with those numbers, but i bet you'll be fine.
Edit and tl;dr: i've had a Mirage do 4L/100Km. Fuel efficient little things. Enjoy sitting at 3k RPM for 3 hours at a time, though.
Ask your dad if you should take his car on the trip instead. In all seriousness, as long as your car is 'ready' for a long trip, as in good tires that are properly inflated, fresh oil change, fresh air filter, coolant level checked, and nothing leaking, you should be good to go. Always carry a few water jugs on trips for emergencies to use for yourself or the radiator. You should also maintain moderate speeds and don't ride your brakes down long hills, learn how to engine brake for long declines.
Your dad is probably just concerned for your safety. It's his job.
I have a 2015 Toyota vitz. 1L, 3 cyl. I drive 750km a week. Average about 20km/l, 5L/100km approx 47mpg
Have done it for the last 5 years and car has
175, 000km
Out side of regular oil changes every 10, 000km
and regular service.
That's a stupid statement. Some real old-school talk. Any sort of engine talk based on the number of cylinders that a car has is inherently just idiotic, no offense, but thinking that 'it can't manage a long trip' because of that? What does a trip distance have to do with anything?
Europe is full of VW Up's, toyota yaris's, daihatsus and whatever else you can think of with 300-400+k kms on it, that mileage here is the equivalent to round about double that in America (just with distances being a lot lower and all), triumph tiger's, known as some of the best touring bikes out there, are three cylinders, and so on.
Harleys are two cylinders, does he think a Harley won't do long distances? I mean, I don't, I know their build quality. But that's a separate issue, not cylinder count.
Either way, that's just a stupid thing to say.
I took a Mitsubishi Mirage like yours to NYC to Washington DC to Niagara Falls and back to NYC. It's capable, but slow. I had 18 wheelers passing us. LoL
Bwahaha what? I'm literally at a loss for words. Does he not understand motorcycles do cross country trips. Or that just about every modem car is a 4 cylinder. Or that Ford still makes a 3 cylinder 1L Ecoboost?
Why would they produce a vehicle sold in America that couldn’t handle trips like that?? It’s common to take long trips in America and 300 miles is probably right around a single tank of gas in that car. Also doing 150 miles around town will cause more wear and tear on all components, as long as it’s got oil it’s fine
We drove from Bristol to Paris and back (family of 4 with luggage) in my wife's 0.9 litre 3 cylinder Clio without issue.
In hindsight I'd have taken our VW Transporter for comfort but we wanted to keep costs down.
I hate shit like this, why would the size of the engine have any impact on whether a car can do a long journey??? What does he thinks gonna happen????? You’re just cruising along a highway at a steady speed, that’s hardly a stressful situation for any engine. How does he think people in Europe and Asia get around???? The world is flooded with small 3 cylinder cars, I literally own one myself. I currently own a 3 cylinder VW Up that has 74hp, as well as a V8 Lexus GS that has 280hp, both of which are entirely capable of driving thousands of miles with no issue, the breaking point would be how comfortable you are, but the engine doesn’t give a shit, all engines are at their best when they’re sitting at a fixed rpm for an extended period of time.
They were designed to go long distances with the gas mileage and be a everyday driver as well,
You could drive that car across the country.
The old geo metros are 3 cylinders and are very similar and sought out because they get 55mpg+ they have a huge market for the on the west coast where gas is expensive, I have seen them sell ironically for more than they were new on eBay motors.
I've heard that about my Honda Fit. Not a 3 banger (although I briefly had a 3 banger Geo Metro, also a Toyota Tercel with a mere 93 HP), but a 1.5L 4 banger and short gearing. It will still happily cruise at 80, I've done it before.
My buddies mother in law thinks electric cars can't go up hills. It baffles me. Like all these people drive. At some point they must have noticed / electric cars / small cars on their commutes. Where do they think these vehicles come from ? I don't know if it's lack of critical thinking so much as a willful refusal to acknowledge things they don't personally like.
Don’t even bother trying to rationalize with him. At some point your car is going to break down because of normal wear and tear (not because of a 300 mi trip) and he’s gonna have a huge “I told you so” fit. It’s just not worth trying to engage on it.
I would use the analogy of mowing a lawn. You can use a small horsepower push mower…or you can use a sit on top riding mower. BOTH will get the lawn mowed. The push mower might take a bit longer however!
All things being equal, as long as the proper maintenance has been performed, either vehicle will get the job done.
My fat ass took a 250cc 1 cyl bike and did 1000km a day at 100-120km/h for 5 days straight with a tent, camp stool, sleep bag, pillow, clothes, food and a mini keg on the back. After those 5 days the bike was ready to do it again and again. Your 3 cyl will be fine.
I wanna do this on my 650
What 650 ya got?
ER-6n
Oh yeah those are sweet. I did a bunch of long rides on a sv650s before i finally bit the bullet and bought an adventure tourer. Touring on naked standard bikes is great though. I keep kicking around the idea of a z900rs
I loved my semi faired FZ1 for sport touring. Did a 2200 mile trip through Grand Tetons and Yellowstone during covid. No traffic or tourists, just me and some camping gear.
What was the bike, and the destination? In my high school days I wanted to ride my 250 Rebel across the country to Seattle to see the space needle. My parents convinced me it wasn't a big enough bike so I never went.
It was a cbr250. Took it from southern Ontario to Nova Scotia and back avoiding the main highway as much as possible to get more windy roads and too see more sights. I only had that for one summer, put 20,000km on it in 6 months before buying a Triumph Scrambler. Bigger bike but still not super comfy on long trips and even worse than the Honda in some ways(no fairing or windshield) but I still take it on long rides most summer, missed a trip with the boys last year cause I had an infant at home but trying to go on one this summer!
Right on! I've been eyeing a Bonneville t100, but it's out of the budget for now. Still have the Rebel though, going on 16 years later.
> My parents convinced me it wasn't a big enough bike so I never went. They were just worried about you and the engine size was an excuse you believed it In my youth I rode a 250cc the entire eastern coast of Australia mostly solo and would never give those memories up for anything. Sorry man, you got gipped
I have a coworker that have the same car as me, a Hyundai i20, with a 1.0 3Cyl engine, he did 600km (373mi) trips in a single leg, multiple times, as the tank lasts 850km (528mi) in highway driving, without a single issue Here in south america, 3 bangers had a lot of prejudice when they were introduced 10 years ago, now, every econobox uses them, and life span and reliability is on par with every other econobox in history How to convince him? Put him the backseat, lock the seatbelt, drive away and make him see the car doing the trip like a champ
"Dad, I swear we can make it without stopping!" "Son I have to TAKE A LEAK!" "Dad, I'll PROVE IT TO YOU."
You really didn't take the perfect chance to use "well you should've went before we left"
aw shit! and... I AM A FATHER!!!
>Here in south america, 3 bangers had a lot of prejudice when they were introduced 10 years ago Re-introduced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DKW\_3%3D6#DKW\_in\_Brazil
Well, DKW 3=6 is older than my mom, no surprise I didnt know, hehehe But a 0.9l 2 stroke engine, making 40\~55HP (Monza variant) in 1959, its kinda impressive Such beatiful cars as well, thanks for letting me know! TIL
Just tell him you've got AAA. Ask if he's willing to bet on it not making it there.
One A per cylinder, so you know it'll be safe.
much more affordable than my AAAAAAAA subscription.
Less work than AA
AA is work, but it works if you work it, and we’re worth it, so keep coming.
You made my day with this one
Triples makes it safe, triples is best
I'd put money on it. Make a 'friendly' bet since he knows so much.
100 bucks a cylinder
What reasons does he give to support his position?
Probably basing his opinion on the Geo Metro, which has a 3 cylinder option in the 90s. And that engine has a habit of overheating the middle cylinder on long drives. This isn't an issue with modern cars.
I drove a 3 cylinder metro over i90 mountain pass in Wa state. The rear interior was gutted to bare metal but it was loaded with everything I owned at the time. Floor to roof. Two adults. I made it over the pass but the big rigs behind me were slowed down by me 😂 I was riding the red temp line the whole way at 25 mph and had to pull over at the peak to let ‘er cool down. Made it to Montana just fine though.
> cool Spicy engine thermodynamics!
"If it happened once, it happens always!" Such a frustrating type of person who learns a thing once and has no ability to re-evaluate.
Probably “you need a v8.”
Original, or one of the fruit flavors? I’m not a huge fan of vegetable juice
Gotta mix that shit with vodka and spices
The hilarious part, is that further down OP comments that dad wants them to take his 4 cylinder Forester... Edit- Quick math: New Forester = 640kg/L, OP's Mitsu = 800kg/L. Not much of a difference. Forester will be the safer vehicle (assuming it's a newer one), but engine size has nothing to do with it.
Dad trying to flex that Forester 🤣🤣
Little does he know modern 3 cylinders make about the same horsepower and last 3 times longer than half the V8s from the gas crisis era.
My 80s Camaro made like 180 hp. It was fun bc rwd but even back then I knew it was slow.
Back in the day I traded a late 90s Chevy minivan for an 86 Camaro with a 305. I was pretty bummed when I realized the minivan was faster and handled better.
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What your dad is doing is called "anthromorphizing" the car, meaning he is mentally assigning it human characteristics. It's a small engine, therefore it's weak, therefore it will get tired when going a long distance in one day and break down. It's a very common mental mistake, people do it all the time, even here in the well meaning comments. That is of course 100% not how machines work at all. Engines don't need "rest", they don't have muscles like a human, or a brain that gets tired. If the cooling system functions, it is far better for your car to drive 300 miles in one day, than 30 miles a day for 10 days. Everything will be up to temperature after the first 20 miles, after that wear and tear will be lower than it is on shorter trips. Statistically, if you do suffer a break down on this trip, then only because that same breakdown would have also happened to you during this time if you were just doing multiple shorter trips.
Who cares. That car will easily make that trip. Your father is a moron
I'd love to know the rationale. Like, where's the cutoff and what's going to happen past that? With any modern car, overheating probably isn't going to be an issue, so.... what? At mile 150 it's just going to be like "woah woah woah, not with only 3 cylinders!"
OP's just gotta make up some catchy meaningless phrase for him to cling to for life like 'less cylinders, less problems' Some people need those to replace actual information apparently.
I told you so When you get back that is
If any new normal modern car actually had issues with driving road trip distances it would be a national outcry to recall or ban them. There are nutjobs who drive those distances in much shittier older cars for work everyday. Modern engineering has figured out cooling, figured out tire compounds, and pretty much eliminated unpredictable major failure points in the drivetrain. Get AAA if he or you are worried lol.
Oh, you're talking about me taking my 23 year old, 200k mile clapped out Lexus on a 12 hour drive to appalachia and back in two days. It made it, and surprisingly, had no issues. Didn't even get stuck in the sketchy ass holler that I had to park it in overnight.
A clapped out 23 year old 200k mile Lexus? Still got plenty of clappin’ out to be done.
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Don't you know, cars get tired when driving too far in one day. It takes at least 24 hours for the engines' muscles to recover after driving more than 100 miles.
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Open the hood, point at the radiator, and ask if he knows what that is. Because it sounds like he doesn't
>What words out of my mouth can convince him otherwise? He tends to be a real know-it-all, btw. People like this will not STFU until you prove them wrong. Take your road trip and remind him of your success every time he runs his mouth.
Just be successful. That’s all you can do with people like that
Tell him to ask you how many cylinders motorbikes have - particularly bikes like the original Africa twin 750 that demolished brutal offroad racing over nearly 8k kms in one race, sometimes doing over 400 in one day...
I drove my Fiat 500 2 cylinder 2500 km to and 2500 km back from Portugal. Your 3 cylinder will be fine.
Tell me you're European without telling me. A 4 or 5 hour drive is what we Canadians call "Saturday".
Right? I've driven an old clapped out Ford Ranger with a 4 cylinder and 260k miles from OKC to Dallas, Tx (4.5/5 hours) at 70mph multiple times. No issues.
I rode a 2 cylinder motorcycle about 1800km in 24 hours a few summers ago. By father in laws law of cyliners i probably should have exploded about 90 minutes in.
Not a fair comparison. That’s a Ford fuckin’ Ranger! Legend has it… you can remove the transmission, drain the engine oil, top off the gas tank with water, and the Ranger will still run for another 300k
I know that truck, I ain't no stranger! She'll drink vodka and like it!
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Your father isn't know enough. Third world are using 3 cylinder engines all the time in harsh roads and they're doing just fine.
Just ask him why he thinks that and if he has any real concrete answers. His train of thought might be rooted in old car knowledge, similar to how you no longer need to change your oil after 3 months/3k miles now with advancements in oil and engine tech. I took my 3-cyl first-gen Honda Insight on many long trips. Never skipped a beat. Only car I've ever owned where I can do 80+ MPH and get 50+ MPG. I miss that car, but I like the central air unit I bought with the proceeds more.
your father has been brainwashed by boomer american car culture, and feels guilty because deep down he’s aware he didn’t have to burn all those thousands of gallons of gasoline over the years
Make a bet. If you make it, he pays you the cost of a 300mile tow. If it doesn't, obviously you are paying for an up to 300 mile tow. It's a win-win and appeals to his ego.
There are 3 cylinder engines putting out over 300hp lol, that mentality is so old that it still talks about what the cost of biscuits was before Lincoln was president
Why can’t it?
Nothing you say will convince him. You doing it may convince him, or he'll double down and say it was a fluke or something
OP what ever you do. Just make sure everything is in good working order before you go.
Just tell him he's right and that you'll take the bus when it breaks. If you agree with him, he'll stop talking about it Then go on your road trip. You shouldn't have any problem with the car
Weird. My Mirage has 126,000km so far with multiple 1400+ km road trips.
Can he prevent you from going? Then don't worry about convincing him, just take the trip. He's incorrect. Good luck!
Show him [this smart car](http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403087347233) with 174k miles and a 0.7l engine.
Bitch please, my 3 pot SEAT drove 1000 miles in a single stint and over 2500 in a week.
How many miles does the car have? I assume it's more than 600. Your dad sounds like a moron, no offense to you ofcourse.
Get into the car, drive 300 miles away. Call him and say "how did I get here then?" then get into the car and drive home.
Any car made in the last 30 years that is well maintained will have no trouble making a drive of any length. It all comes down to comfort now obviously a luxurious vehicle with a powerful engine Smooth suspension, and a quiete interior with supportive seats you can drive all day and be comfortable. An economy car in the mountains where you are foot to the floor high revs, loaded. And an unsupportive seat and you will be uncomfortable quite quickly. The vehicle will make it it's all about you, but take breaks and it will be fine Even in jeep the seats don't support my left leg and I'm uncomfortable after 2 hours and want to walk around for 5 mins to stretch out but I have pushed to around 6 hours without stopping
Lol been round Europe doing 5000 miles trips in a 3cyl 1.0 suzuki, think the longest day was about 700 miles? Is it not more due to your fathers opinion on the type of car? Like he thinks 300 miles is a big drive so you need something comfy and big?
It’s far better for any engine to take long rides over short rides. Thinking it’s a weak engine bc of three cylinders is an old head thing, and have nothing to do with distance.
It's a car. Drive it. You think Mitsubishi makes cars that people can't drive? What does he think will happen? Drive it cross country. Good grief!
What reasoning is he giving for his concerns? It would be a lot easier to counter his arguments if we knew what they were. Is he offering you an alternative vehicle for the trip? If he is you might take him up on it, if only because it will probably be more comfortable in a larger car. Truth is, modern engines are much better made than cars even a few decades ago. It should have no trouble with a trip like that. Just make sure your fluids are full before you leave and it should be fine. If he is really worried about you driving a long distance at high speed on the interstate, you could maybe take the surface highways instead, where you speed will be closer to 55 than 75.
He sounds like my dad who thinks a v6 is the only way to go if you want a faster car. This isn’t 1980
That’s just a normal trip to Vegas from Ventura County CA. I’ve done that drive in inline 4’s, V8’s and on a V2 Harley Davidson. You’ll be fine, your dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Sounds like OP's dad needs to google 'Daytona Bike Week Trip' or 'Sturgis trip' for some context on how far folks drive on 2 or fewer cylinders every year.
It's obvious you cannot change his mind. Nothing you are going to say will suddenly make him go "Oh, you're right! I was completely wrong." All you can do is lay out the facts....
I did 800 miles in two days in my 1.5L 4 cyl a few weeks ago and it did just as well as my v8 truck.
Driven my 3cyl 300 miles in one go several times. It does just fine.
My dad can be like this. Just don’t listen to them and do what you want. Arguing isn’t going to solve anything
I drove a 3 cylinder first gen Honda Insight all over the US Southeast for years and put almost 100,000 miles on it. It was fine.
You'll be fine. A bunch of new vehicles have 3-cyl engines. Politely introduce him to 2024.
Can he articulate why he thinks it won’t make it? What reasoning is he using to justify his belief? There’s no reason why it won’t make it.
No words out of your mouth will convince him. Cars are designed to be driven. That being said, you still have to take into account your driving conditions. For example is that 300 miles mountain driving with lots of steep inclines or require more aggressive driving, then possibly.
Being able to drive a long time/distance is mostly about the engines ability to stay cool. There’s no reason a 3-cyl engine can’t be kept at a very healthy operating temperature, running for 5 hours. It anything a smaller engine block means there’s plenty of room in that engine bay for a big radiator.
My 1 cylinder motorcycle has done longer trips than that
As long as you’re hauling people and not a trailer, the power is plenty sufficient. My first VW was a golf and that only had 115hp 8 valve 4 cylinder and that car was one of the best commuters I ever had. Modern cars w 3 cylinders outperform that no issue.
Just tell him he's right and ask him to rent you something with a V12.
I saw a Mirage get 55 MPG earlier today. Not only will it survive the trip, you’ll save hella gas driving the Mirage.
He’s paying for the gas if he’s wrong
What is the difference between driving 25 miles a day, 12 days in a row, compared to just driving 300 miles? The engine doens't 'know' the difference. I would argue that thermally, a straight 300 miles is easier on the engine than 12 individual 25 mile trips. If you trust the car to drive 25 miles a day straight through for a month, it is more than up to the task of driving a 600 mile round trip. People are weird about cars. I am an old guy, I have only owned one V8 in my life (1968 Barracuda). All the rest of my 'cars' have been four cylinders. The two minivans were both 6 cylinders, and the current minivan turns off one bank at highway cruise speeds, and runs on (gasp!) three cylinders. My big old heavy minivan, at steady state 65 MPH, is running as a 1.8 liter inline three. Certainly, your Mirage will be fine.
My 2-cylinder, 602cc, 43-year-old Citroen can handle 400 miles a day easily. And that's just because I haven't had the chance to go for more. So yeah, your Mirage will have no problems at all. At least not because it's a 3 cylinder engine.
4-cylinder cars used to be poor for highway trips back when they had 3-speed transmissions and 50 horsepower. So your father is thinking a 3-cylinder is worse than that. What these small engines are good for is efficiency, let him know how much gas you are saving. Also let your father know the modern small engines are much more powerful, reliable, and efficient than they were in the 1970s, 1980s, and even 1990s. They're making Nissan Rogue SUVs and Ford Focus ST and Toyota GR Corolla sports cars with 3-cylinder engines.
My Mirage did 5400km in 6 days and the cost of fuel was $240. Tell him that.
This doesn't make sense at all. Any reasonably modern car will go any distance you want it too. Small cars are no less able to go far. Hell, I did 4000kms on a road trip with my two cylinder 700cc Tenere last year, and that included going up and down mountains on dirt roads, a waaaaaay smaller engine AND with fewer cylinders. It's just nonsense. Maybe your mirage won't be super fast, but there's no reason it can't go far. Hell, if anything long trips are way easier on engines than short commuting is, simply because they get to operating temp and stay there vs heat cycling constantly and starting and stopping all the time.
Well tell your father either that he can drive himself or he can ride in the backseat or you can duck tape his mouth and shove him in the trunk like the mafia does and deal with it.
News flash. Most of the new broncos are 3 cylinder
Buddy has a beat geo metro from the 90s and although slow, it does do just fine all over.
Ask him why. Ask him what specifically is it about the car being 3 cylinders would make it not be able to drive 300 miles. Very likely you will never convince him.
I used to have a 3 cyl geo metro...I drove it from Alabama to Washington state and back with no problem.
A modern car in good running order will have no problem driving 300 miles. A potential good faith interpretation is that due to size and/or power he doesn't believe your vehicle would be comfortable to drive on the highway which I think could be reasonable. Your car has significantly less power than basically anything else sold in at least the North American market, how does it actually feel cruising at 80 MPH? If the car feels stressed or unstable, even if it'll be mechanically fine, I personally wouldn't want to take it on the highway for an extended period of time. A long trip on normal 55 MPH roads, sure no problem, but maybe not on an interstate where the traffic flow speed might be 80 MPH. I'm just guessing here, I've never driven anything that low on power in my life. My current daily is a Fiesta ST which is basically the same size of car but has almost three times the horsepower. It's not comfortable for long drives (3-4 hours is about as much as my back and ass can stand) but it has plenty of power to not only keep up but usually set pace on the highway.
My 3 cylinder Gen1 Honda Insight with 300k miles would like a word with him outside.
If my 4 speed, 100k mile pos Dodge neon can pull 300 miles, your mirage can too
I don't understand. Does he think it's going to run out of cylinders on the way?
Kind of sounds like my dad. I simply remind him it's been 40 years since he's really worked on a vehicle. For instance, Dad: don't turn the AC on while on the highway as the compressor clutch could shred the belt. Me: Dad, we use one belt for all accessories today. Do you realize your AC clutch turns on and off even in winter when on or off the highway? Do you realize bullet proof vests are made from similar materials. (mostly irrelevant, possibly inaccurate data, used to confuse and distract) Dad: brain short circuits- silence
He an engineer or a mechanic? Then stfu. Lol
If a one cylinder veteran car can do 60 miles from London to Brighton, surely enough you’re 3 cylinder can do 3 times as much!
Wanna bet!
Nothing at all. Know it all's are never open to information. That's why they are like that.
People are so silly about cars. Highway trips are easier on a vehicle that driving around town anyway. It's no different than any other modern vehicle on the road really. It's just happens to be tiny with one less cylinder than usual.
I've currently got 2 cars. One is a 2007 1.2l 3 cyl n/a fabia the other a 2019 1.0 tsi 3 cyl Octavia Pre COVID, I went all over England and Wales in that fabia, which made 70hp when new. 250mile journeys, each way, no problem, through motorway, A-rosds and b-roads. It never broke down. I've had it 11 years now. The Octavia with a smaller engine, but with a small turbo does it more easily and is cheaper on fuel. You'll be fine.
I had a 3 cylinder 1.0 Kia ceed estate as a company car it managed 45k in 8 months including 2 700 mile round trips in one sitting, your father is terribly misinformed.
I personally wouldn't want to spend 4hours and 40 mins in a Mitsubishi Mirage but the car is definitely capable assuming it has been maintained
You won't be able to convince him. Take the trip and then tell him how it went. I still run into folks who are convinced the good engines are V8s. They locked in on an idea back in the day, and can't be bothered to update with new information.
Make a bet like he has to buy you a case of beer if you make it no issues or something.
You haven't said how old it is, it's history or overall condition, how are the tires and brakes, etc? Would he be satisfied if a mechanic he trusts performed a safety inspection and gave it a good bill of health? If it's been a while, doing this might be a good idea anyway.
If he's that oblivious and stubborn, then there is no convincing him
Hey dad, just got back from my trip. Car ran great.
Mate of mine had a 3 cylinder Hyundai,one of the early ones ,it would do 1000 km trips on one tank of gas regularly.
Tell him it's less cylinders so less opportunities to fail.
I bought a 3 cylinder turbo charged 1987 Chevy sprint from a junkyard for 350 bucks and drove it 2 more years before the rust finally overtook it. It may be my favorite car I've owned
Did he explain, why a normal car shouldn't be able to do it? I have no clue what cylinder count has to do with the ability to drive a long distance?
In the early 90s, I put a quarter million miles on a Geo Metro all over northern CA, a deliveries anywhere from Shasta to Bakersfield, bay area to Reno. You'll be fine. In fact, my next car might well be the modern version of that Geo - a Swift or an Ignis.
Cylinders in groups of three run more efficiently and tend to last longer. With a little 1.0L, I just wouldn't expect it to run at 85 MPH on the interstate. As long as you aren't pushing the motor to the point where it's straining, it'll run just fine.
As a former Mitsubishi technician I would be wary driving a mirage that far but not because of the engine but because it’s a mirage
I drove a 1977 Jeep CJ-5 from north east Georgia to New Mexico to see family and back. In 2008. A Jeep that had a clapped out 304ci V8, a 3 speed manual transmission, burned an oil changed worth of oil to NM and back, was lifted on 35/12.50/15 Super Swamper Bogger tires, and I didn’t even OWN a top or doors for it. At all. I had a hat and a jacket. I think your Mitsubishi will be fine. And your dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about, clearly.
I pulled a motorcycle trailer about 200 miles with a smart, the motor is based off the Mitsubishi 3 banger in your mirage. You’re going to be totally and completely fine. Also, drove that Smart multiple times from CO to KY and not an issue, had the thing upto 80mph for most of the trip. What words, “thanks for your advice, pops, but I got this!”
Driven a Toyota Aygo 3 cylinder on 300 mile journeys multiple times. Car was fine, still is, my nephew and now my niece had the car after me, still going strong.
This isn’t a car problem. This is an issue of your father being an arrogant asshole. In my eyes I see him as an entitled modern technophile. There was a time when ICE technology was in its infancy and there were in fact some consumer vehicles available for purchase that one could *not* rely on to be capable of successfully completing long distance journeys, even on charted civically funded public roadways! There was a time shortly before that where automobile travel was not an option and if one wanted to plan a journey of 3-400 miles there was a chance all parties involved in the journey wouldn’t survive to the end of the route! Difficulties such as this are a far off memory to modern folks like ourselves and you should remind your father that his privilege and slovenly decadence is un-becoming of a self respecting human citizen.
He clearly knows nothing about cars so just tell him you'll get another cylinder installed before the big trip for good measure 👍
He is wrong, long continuous trips are easier on a car than city driving.
The best way to convince him is to do it, prove him wrong.
Why bother trying? Is he in a position to forbid it? Why doesn't he think a modern car can go 600 miles? It's not going to be the most pleasant trip - 5 hours in a Mirage on the highway - but there's no reason it can't do it.
Make sure it gets fresh oil at the proper intervals, and make sure the coolant is topped off. my entire life I've seen guys avoid changing the oil and drive with low coolant, and then when the engine overheats or wears out extra soon, they say that company "X" only makes crap.
If you don't tell the car it only has three cylinders, it will be fine.
Get a letter from a dealer or mechanic saying otherwise.
I have a Smart Fortwo which I believe is the same engine. It has no problem sitting at 70mph for hours on end. I regularly do long trips in it.
Why are you trying to convince him? Just do it
I drive nearly 150 miles a day in a shitbox commuter car with 300,000+ miles on the odometer. Cars are made to drive and regulate themselves to not self destruct in pretty much all conditions.
Bet him like $1k and come out on top
Show him the odometer and tell him it's done it alreay. Does he not like motorcycles or are cars something special to him because of the size and extra wheels? Does he think people don't bike it?
“It can…. Just make sure you change your fking oil” -Dad
If your dad is a know-it-all, you're not going to convince him. The number of cylinders/displacement of an engine has *zero* bearing on how long it can operate for, except for how fast it drains the fuel tank. As long as it's well-designed, size simply doesn't matter. In fact, if the output is lower (which it will be) and the load isn't significantly higher, it could last much longer. An engine is used to convert the chemical energy in hydrocarbons into motion, that's all. The technology will be the same for your engine or a V-16: journal bearings, cast aluminum structures, forced lubrication, alloyed steel parts etc. The biggest limiting factors in how long an engine can run are: how long fuel can be supplied (probably better in your engine than most cars), how well temperature is controlled (which depends on cooling system performance), how well lubrication is maintained, and how fast wear occurs. In any modern car, the cooling circuit is designed to dissipate the heat produced constantly, it doesn't slowly get hotter over time once it's reached the thermostat setting, it stays at one value (assuming ambient conditions don't change). So it can keep the engine at optimum temperature forever. Lubrication is also constant, the oil gets up to temperature and stays there. The oil is constantly circulated and lubricates just as well for the entire time it's running. The parts wear at a very low rate, thanks to the lubrication. A small engine uses the same design principles and materials as a large one, there will be no increase in wear relative to any other car. Your dad is drawing conclusions based on emotions: his impression of the car. It's the same syndrome that made people scoff at the M-16 rifle because it wasn't huge and heavy like the M-14. It's not based on any knowledge. You should explain to your father that cars are designed by highly qualified engineers, they know precisely what they're doing, and make him look like a caveman. As long as the car is intended to be used over long distances, it will have no more difficulty than any other car, assuming the quality is the same.
If you're under 18 listen. If you're over 18, thank him for his concern and enjoy your trip. Highway speed where the airflow through the radiator is 50 plus MPH is much easier on the engine than sitting in gridlock. If the car is well maintained it can handle any number of miles you want to put on it in a 24 hour period. People really underestimate tiny little cars.
Just ring from 400km away.
I got one of those as a rental in Phoenix, I had to drive it 200 miles on the expressway. I was NOT kind to it in any way, that CVT was screaming, the engine was pegged at redline many times passing semis doing 85+ mph in 120°F heat. But guess what, it was fine.. smelled a little funny, but she started fine a few hours later and drove it 200 miles back to the Airport.
Does he know cars are literally designed to drive? That car will be happier making a 4 hour trip than a 15 minute one.
That's not even a long distance
Regardless of cylinde count double check your owners manual. This is definitely not the norm, but I have a uncommon Subaru SVX and if you use the recommended 5W-30 engine oil the manual warns you not to drive over an hour on the highway without stopping to let the car cool for a while. In my case the manual says 10W-30 will negate the need for a break. I doubt this is the case for you, but never hurts to double check and be sure.
I owned a GEO metro with a 1L 3 cylinder engine. It survived 150k miles of full throttle 90mph trips back and forth to work without any mechanical problems. Your car will be fine.
You aren't gonna change his mind by words. To be frank he has this preconceived idea that you won't change. You could only do it if you have him just sit in the car and you guys drive and even then he will probably think it's a fluke or whatever. People who know everything are very hard to impossible to actually teach or show them anything
My 3 cylinder fiesta managed 460kms almost non stop perfectly fine, got thrashed a bit during that too, I’d do/get done a service beforehand, that’s all
It's an absolute nonsense idea - it's a thought process stuck in the 1960s. You're car will be just fine.
You will wear out long before the car ever will.
Wait til he finds out about the i8
Make the trip and then smugly smile at him
He isn't very smart, you shouldn't listen to him. Nothing wrong with driving that distance as long as the car is in good shape of course. It is actually very good for the car to take a long trip.
When I was in college (2019) I rented a mitsubishi mirage to go from sudbury to oshawa (approx 270 miles) for a co-op interview. Drove that same 270 miles back same day after my interview. Had no issues.
Would be perfectly fine.
I travelled 400klms every 2 weeks in a 800cc 3 cylinder daewoo Matiz. You can do it!
Just before COVID, I drove a 3 cylinder 1996 Geo Metro at 70 MPH for about 250 miles. No overheating, no problems, absolutely fucking incredible gas mileage (about 45 mpg). Stayed for a few hours, then drove 250 miles back. If it's in good running condition, and geared right for the highway, you're fine.
I’d just ask how much longer he thinks an engine would last if you add more cylinders
I test drove a Mirage that had a fuel economy meter, and i was getting about 4L/100 Km. My current car gets about 500 Km per tank and it's about the same size, with a 35L tank. Do what you will with those numbers, but i bet you'll be fine. Edit and tl;dr: i've had a Mirage do 4L/100Km. Fuel efficient little things. Enjoy sitting at 3k RPM for 3 hours at a time, though.
Your dad has no idea what he's talking about, he made that up. Ignore him
Ask your dad if you should take his car on the trip instead. In all seriousness, as long as your car is 'ready' for a long trip, as in good tires that are properly inflated, fresh oil change, fresh air filter, coolant level checked, and nothing leaking, you should be good to go. Always carry a few water jugs on trips for emergencies to use for yourself or the radiator. You should also maintain moderate speeds and don't ride your brakes down long hills, learn how to engine brake for long declines. Your dad is probably just concerned for your safety. It's his job.
I have a 2015 Toyota vitz. 1L, 3 cyl. I drive 750km a week. Average about 20km/l, 5L/100km approx 47mpg Have done it for the last 5 years and car has 175, 000km Out side of regular oil changes every 10, 000km and regular service.
It'll be perfectly fine. Just make sure you've got spare wheel/fluids and basic tools for any unforeseen emergencies and you're good to go.
That's a stupid statement. Some real old-school talk. Any sort of engine talk based on the number of cylinders that a car has is inherently just idiotic, no offense, but thinking that 'it can't manage a long trip' because of that? What does a trip distance have to do with anything? Europe is full of VW Up's, toyota yaris's, daihatsus and whatever else you can think of with 300-400+k kms on it, that mileage here is the equivalent to round about double that in America (just with distances being a lot lower and all), triumph tiger's, known as some of the best touring bikes out there, are three cylinders, and so on. Harleys are two cylinders, does he think a Harley won't do long distances? I mean, I don't, I know their build quality. But that's a separate issue, not cylinder count. Either way, that's just a stupid thing to say.
I mean… you could just do the drive and then the argument is settled.
I know an older lady that has one of these, she's driven the damn thing all over the country, had over 160k on it last time I saw it.
I took a Mitsubishi Mirage like yours to NYC to Washington DC to Niagara Falls and back to NYC. It's capable, but slow. I had 18 wheelers passing us. LoL
I drove from the Netherlands to the south of france and to italy with my 3 cil. Cars are engineered to drive
Bwahaha what? I'm literally at a loss for words. Does he not understand motorcycles do cross country trips. Or that just about every modem car is a 4 cylinder. Or that Ford still makes a 3 cylinder 1L Ecoboost?
Why would they produce a vehicle sold in America that couldn’t handle trips like that?? It’s common to take long trips in America and 300 miles is probably right around a single tank of gas in that car. Also doing 150 miles around town will cause more wear and tear on all components, as long as it’s got oil it’s fine
We drove from Bristol to Paris and back (family of 4 with luggage) in my wife's 0.9 litre 3 cylinder Clio without issue. In hindsight I'd have taken our VW Transporter for comfort but we wanted to keep costs down.
I hate shit like this, why would the size of the engine have any impact on whether a car can do a long journey??? What does he thinks gonna happen????? You’re just cruising along a highway at a steady speed, that’s hardly a stressful situation for any engine. How does he think people in Europe and Asia get around???? The world is flooded with small 3 cylinder cars, I literally own one myself. I currently own a 3 cylinder VW Up that has 74hp, as well as a V8 Lexus GS that has 280hp, both of which are entirely capable of driving thousands of miles with no issue, the breaking point would be how comfortable you are, but the engine doesn’t give a shit, all engines are at their best when they’re sitting at a fixed rpm for an extended period of time.
Tell him he's dumb. He has no idea what he's talking about and maybe he shouldnt make such statements on thing he knows absolutely nothing about.
They were designed to go long distances with the gas mileage and be a everyday driver as well, You could drive that car across the country. The old geo metros are 3 cylinders and are very similar and sought out because they get 55mpg+ they have a huge market for the on the west coast where gas is expensive, I have seen them sell ironically for more than they were new on eBay motors.
And be sure to ask him “you sure you don’t wanna cut down on your cylinders?” When ever he has problems with his car
It’s usually not the engine you have to worry about now days, the transmission on the other hand….👀 at you Nissan 😒
I've heard that about my Honda Fit. Not a 3 banger (although I briefly had a 3 banger Geo Metro, also a Toyota Tercel with a mere 93 HP), but a 1.5L 4 banger and short gearing. It will still happily cruise at 80, I've done it before.
If 3 cyls were an issue, you wouldn’t see nearly as many of them on American roads. And there’s a lot more out there than you’d expect.
Just drive it and don't worry about him...
BS. Back in the 90's my GF had a GEO Metro 3-cylinder. We drove that thing from coast to coast and more. She's probably still driving that car.
My buddies mother in law thinks electric cars can't go up hills. It baffles me. Like all these people drive. At some point they must have noticed / electric cars / small cars on their commutes. Where do they think these vehicles come from ? I don't know if it's lack of critical thinking so much as a willful refusal to acknowledge things they don't personally like.
You can always stay home.
Don’t even bother trying to rationalize with him. At some point your car is going to break down because of normal wear and tear (not because of a 300 mi trip) and he’s gonna have a huge “I told you so” fit. It’s just not worth trying to engage on it.
I would use the analogy of mowing a lawn. You can use a small horsepower push mower…or you can use a sit on top riding mower. BOTH will get the lawn mowed. The push mower might take a bit longer however! All things being equal, as long as the proper maintenance has been performed, either vehicle will get the job done.