True. stop-start might have not been the best example in this case. But still, i would be quite apprehensive of buying a 10-year old european car that has stop-start built in - Much more than an equivalent toyota. Japanese are quite slow to follow in implementing new features and as a result (IMO) their implementations seem to be more reliable. I have experienced European cars to develop serious electrical issues over the years. Couple that with a stop-start system, and you are looking at an undrivable car.
edit: In the past couple of years things seemed to have mixed up a bit in the industry (for example American cars have quite improved in quality). So who knows, maybe today's cars might hold up much better 10 years into their life , than their predecessors. But increasing incorporation of software and electronics into these probably will not help them get there.
The continuous start-stop wears out the engine faster, so it won't last as long as an identical model with the same engine that hasn't that feature.
It's like switching a traditional light bulb on and off in a continuous way - it won't last years (some 100+ old light bulbs still work fine, but the were powered-off just a handful times).
Do you have a reference for that? Cold engine starts cause a lot of wear, but warm engine starts should cause very little wear, especially in an engine designed for start stop.
While a home light bulb may not stand up to continuous on/off cycles, a bulb that's designed to do so (like a low-voltage bulb with a heavy filament) can last for a very long time.
So I wouldn't retrofit an existing car with a start-stop system, but I wouldn't have any qualms about purchasing a car with a start-stop engine as it would have been designed for the purpose.
>The continuous start-stop wears out the engine faster, so it won't last as long as an identical model with the same engine that hasn't that feature.
Yes, that too. Although I imagine it would wear out certain components of the engine (such as starter-motor, and crankshaft?) and battery rather than the engine as a whole.
Total-Cost-of-Ownership-wise, a stop-start might save more in fuel than it would cost in increased repairs (Or it may not, depending on make and model among other things).
edit: In the past couple of years things seemed to have mixed up a bit in the industry (for example American cars have quite improved in quality). So who knows, maybe today's cars might hold up much better 10 years into their life , than their predecessors. But increasing incorporation of software and electronics into these probably will not help them get there.