Please solve this 'riddle'...

Not sure if this is the right thread to be in but I am in the middle of a big debate - what is better for your vehicle (or does it matter at all) - backing in or pulling in? And why?

One of us says backing in saves wear and tear on your car because you do not have to reverse out of a parking space or turn your vehicle around right after you start it. The other says it's not a big deal when you turn around or back in/out because either way, you're going to be backing up. This is driving us nuts... if anyone knows, please share!

Thx

I imagine you'll get some pretty interesting responses, ranging from "Are you serious, this is a debate" to in depth engineering-like "answers."

My response with take a different approach. From a "better" standpoint I think it depends more on what's best for traffic than what's best for the car. The engine and transmission aren't really going to care if you're going forward or backward after start-up. However, if you are getting to your parking spot at 8pm and know you will be leaving for work at 7am, I'd say you're best to back in to the spot while traffic is low which will allow you to efficiently merge in to morning commuter traffic the next day.

-Rod

I agree, it is all about the situation. The car is designed to complete all mentioned tasks without a problem. I have never heard of anyone wearing out their car from backing out of a parking space, you usually have more trouble out of the carpet where your foot sits. Anyway, there is nothing like the idiot who is trying to back out of their driveway onto a busy ass street or the guy pulling out of a corner gas station and turning left across 4 lanes of traffic.

I think most new drivers are taught to back the car into a spot, for 2 reasons.

1. If you have any car trouble, it is easier to fix or jump-start most cars if they have been backed-in, simply because the battery or boost terminals are located under the hood, which would be more easily accessible.

2. Often visiblity is better when backing in. When you back into a spot, usually you can see through the side mirrors that the spot is open and clear of obstruction. When you leave, you are pulling forward, out into the traffic lane. This is safer than reversing into the traffic lane, where you are more likely to hit another vehicle or pedestrian, simply because rearward visiblilty is worse than forward visibility.

I would say that in terms of wear and tear, it doesn't matter whether you back in or pull in forwards. Because both ways you have to shift from drive to reverse or reverse to drive...you are shifting either way. And steering is usually more taxing at low speeds, but again you have to use it either way...no advantage one way or the other.

Now if you have a parking lot with face-to-face parking and no concrete stops that lets you drive through one spot to park front out on the opposite side then you've avoided the wear of shifting into reverse and the heavy use of steering to pull in.

I would say that pulling in front first is slightly more fuel efficient and faster. You're not having to go as slow as when backing in. I disagree with Magic Rat that you have better visibility when backing in. Some cars have dismal rear windows, and trucks are tall and bulky, making gauging the distances very difficult. Mirrors help but they ought to be alot bigger than they really are. Notice the explosion of rear cameras on new cars? They're to compensate for crappy rear views, that's why.

But I agree with Magic Rat in that in the event of a breakdown, backing in is better. If I have a feeling something will fail, or I know the battery is getting weak, I'll back it in just in case.