Is an engines life shortened by it doing higher rpms while driving??

My freind has a Chrysler Cirrus and it has a Mitsubishi 2.5 V6 in it and during normal driving it shifts between 2500 rpm to 3500 rpm and you can feel that there is no torque at all. Listening to this engine, it sounds like it does alot of work! Or maybe I am just used to my w126 V8!

What are anyones opinions on this?? I also heard the 300se in the w126 is known for this also.

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98 S420
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I used to drive a 1983 Saab 900S. That car redlined at 6,000 rpms, and in normal driving, I'd shift the manual trans at around 3,500 in each gear (110 hp @ 5300 and 119 lb/ft of torque @ 3500in a 2900 pound car, gotta rev it to move). So I was shifting at a little over half of max RPM in my normal style of driving, and the car's engine absolutely purred when we sold it at 168,000 miles (with 3,000 mile oil changes, etc).

Now the 3.8 liter V8 in my current ride shifts at about 2,500 rpm (with a 5,500 rpm redline) in normal driving. So it's shifting at less than half of max rpm, and has 194,000 miles on it now and runs fine (lifters tick a little, though). Gotta love torque, the car never seems to lug at all.

I wonder, too, if there is a correlation.

-Sam

How I feel has a lot to do with when I shift when I feel like I'm in a hurry I will go up 3500 in first and up to 4500 in 2nd-4th. Normal driving up to 3000 in firs and between 3-4 2nd-4th. The Bmw has torque but it seems like a gutless wonder when you steep on it while in gear.
In awnser to your question
I think high revs would cause damage over time espically if done on a cold engine I have seen people rev the car to redline aster starting it up only to blow an engine. (honda owner at school)
my 2 cents

As long as the oil is in good order and the vehicle is regularly maintained, I don't see a problem with revving the engine. I regularly run mine out to the 6,200 rpm red line and I don't believe I'm doing it any harm.

I have seen it suggested that you can save an enormous amount of engine wear by changing up before the last 200rpm of the engine's range, which suggests that going up to 5,000 or 5,500rpm won't do any harm.

On highway journeys I like to keep my speed bewteen 90 and 120mph (conditions permitting), which means a steady cruise at up to 5,000rpm. I once ran it between Paris and Calais at 130mph on the cruise control, stretching to maximum speed on the long straights without any concerns.

It can often do more harm to make the engine labour in too low a gear.

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JJ Rodger
2013 G350 Bluetec
1999 SL 500
1993 E300 diesel T
1990 190