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Ask NRMA: Benefits of buying a used country car?

Country Car
Country Car - Mobile

If you have shopped for a second-hand vehicle you've probably heard about the supposed benefits of a ‘country car’ over a city one. 

The idea is that, even though a country car might have higher mileage, its engine will have less wear and tear because it has rarely been in stop/start traffic and its body will be less prone to rust because it has never been near the sea.

Go back 30 or 40 years and you’ll find some evidence to support these claims. Short trips, where the engine never reached optimum operating temperature, typified the routine of many city cars, whereas a country car was often up and running at 100km/h for long periods, reducing cold-start wear.

Another factor was the imprecise way fuel was metered. Fuel injectors, which are a more precise means of delivering petrol into the engine, replaced carburettors in the late 1980s. By comparison, the carburettor was rudimentary and excess fuel often found its way into the engine, diluting engine oil and hastening engine wear.

Other advances in engine technology, metallurgy, fuel quality and engine oil have also negated many of these factors. Today’s engines get to operating temperature much faster and many have electric water pumps and cooling fans that only operate when the desired temperature is reached.

Today’s engines are also designed more precisely, and oils are far better at protecting components for longer periods. The internals of an engine that are subjected to wear (pistons, piston rings, bearings and valves) are manufactured from superior materials and, increasingly, cylinder bores are sprayed with special coatings to reduce friction and wear.

Rust was also the bane of the used car and another reason a country car was such an attractive option. Far from the sea’s corrosive mist and often residing in hotter and drier climates, country cars were seen as less susceptible to rust. But modern construction techniques, coated metals and better windscreen sealants have improved a vehicle’s resistance to rust and many brands offer a 10-year body perforation (rust) warranty.

Today’s used cars are more likely to fall apart from general wear and tear – especially the interior trims and plastics – before the engine fails or the body rusts away. However, it’s still important to check for split weather seals, cracks in light lenses and dampness under the carpet in the luggage area.

No matter where you purchase your vehicle, always remember to check its service history and don’t just take the seller’s word for it. Check the windscreen for a lubrication sticker and the owner’s handbook for stamped servicing records. Even the best-engineered vehicle won’t last if it hasn’t been serviced regularly and correctly.

Originally published in the Open Road magazine - Issue September/ October 2018. Written by Tim Pomroy.

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