Like the vast majority of Chilean cities, Talca has significantly increased the number of motorized vehicles in circulation during the last decades. This increase has been accompanied by a gradual modernization of the transit infrastructure. Although the figures and general diagnoses would suggest that Talca shows -to a lesser extent- the same dynamics that are observed in Santiago, this work seeks to relieve processes that are typical of an urban territory that is not metropolitan. For this purpose, we first resort to an analysis of statistical and documentary information that allows highlighting the particularities of this process of motorization and road modernization compared to Santiago. Second, we investigate the daily travel experiences of 25 people in Talca in order to understand the distinctive practices associated with everyday trips and to analyze how they are affected by the new material environment.