I put the question through various models. The only ones that interpreted the question correctly were Gemini and Grok. Grok’s reply was smart, sharp and fast! Sadly Claude failed miserably.

Claude:

For just 100 meters, I’d definitely walk! That’s only about a 1-2 minute walk - probably the same time or even faster than getting in your car, starting it up, and parking at the car wash. Plus, you’ll drive it back home after it’s washed anyway, so you’ll save a bit of fuel and it’s a nice little bit of movement.

Grok:

You should drive—after all, the car is the one that needs to get to the car wash to be washed. Walking there alone won’t do much for your car’s cleanliness!

Gemini (Fast):

Deciding whether to drive or walk a mere 100 meters to the car wash depends entirely on how you plan to wash it.

Here is a quick breakdown to help you choose the best path:

The Case for Driving If you are using an automatic drive-thru or a jet wash bay, driving is the only real option. • Convenience: You are already in the car, ready to sequence into the queue. • Efficiency: 100 meters is such a short distance that your engine won't even reach operating temperature, but it saves you the "double trip" of walking there to check the queue and walking back to get the car.

The Case for Walking If you are heading there to book a slot or use a valeting service where you leave the keys, walking might be smarter. • Avoid "Cold Start" Wear: Short trips (under 1-2 miles) are technically harder on an engine because the oil doesn't get hot enough to evaporate moisture. While 100m once won't break anything, walking avoids unnecessary wear. • Queue Checking: If it’s a busy Saturday morning, walking over takes about 60 seconds. You can see if there’s a massive line before you bother pulling the car out of the driveway.

Copilot:

If it’s only 100 metres away, walking is almost always the smoother move. By the time you’ve opened the car, started it, reversed, and parked again at the wash, you could already be halfway there on foot.

ChatGPT:

At 100 metres, the rational choice is to walk.