Question about "power"

biscan25

+1 on test drive. I find it quite unbelievable that people are buying cars without test driving.
For my last car purchase, I drove 4 before I found one that I 'liked', there are subjective things that just can't be described on paper.

BOWFER

biscan25 said:

+1 on test drive. I find it quite unbelievable that people are buying cars without test driving.
For my last car purchase, I drove 4 before I found one that I 'liked', there are subjective things that just can't be described on paper.

Last car we test drove was a Nissan leaf back is 2016 (I think) and that was only because electric was a big departure from the norm.
Prior to that and since that, no test drives before ordering new cars.
We pick a car we like, we read reviews, we've been known to go and see one static in a showroom but never ask for test drives as we have no intention of using the local dealer and I don't agree with 'showrooming'.
What's the point?
When did you last have a bad car?
Will the dealer even have one in the spec we intend to buy?
If not available in the exact spec we want to buy, what's the point driving another one?
Name something that, after a test drive, made you go back on your interest in that car.
I can't think of one that we've had that made us go "oh no...." after getting it.

biscan25

Maybe I'm just picky. Hmm, from memory on one it was limited low end power (e.g. this thread!), another had electronic power steering which I didn't like as felt detached from the road, another had a faint whiff of cigarette smoke. I'm sure others with have their own likes/dislikes/red lines. At the end of the day if you are spending a significant time in your vehicle you should enjoy driving it!
Also, I've never had a new car so can't comment on that.

lemondrops69

Grumpy_chap said:

lemondrops69 said:

AdrianC said:

lemondrops69 said:

I once had a Mégane but with a mere 90 brake horsepower available

Seriously...

I have a 90bhp 3.3t, 2.6m tall hightop van, a 60bhp 4x4, a 75bhp 7-seater 4x4, and a 30bhp car.

The reference I made will be far too obscure for you Adi 

Alan and Jeremy collide at their best.

Ah ha!...................

Ditzy_Mitzy

BOWFER said:

biscan25 said:

+1 on test drive. I find it quite unbelievable that people are buying cars without test driving.
For my last car purchase, I drove 4 before I found one that I 'liked', there are subjective things that just can't be described on paper.

Last car we test drove was a Nissan leaf back is 2016 (I think) and that was only because electric was a big departure from the norm.
Prior to that and since that, no test drives before ordering new cars.
We pick a car we like, we read reviews, we've been known to go and see one static in a showroom but never ask for test drives as we have no intention of using the local dealer and I don't agree with 'showrooming'.
What's the point?
When did you last have a bad car?
Will the dealer even have one in the spec we intend to buy?
If not available in the exact spec we want to buy, what's the point driving another one?
Name something that, after a test drive, made you go back on your interest in that car.
I can't think of one that we've had that made us go "oh no...." after getting it.

There's all sorts of things one can only glean from test driving a car, such as whether it is ergonomically suitable or if the seats are sufficiently comfortable.  One might find that the clutch action is poor, or the steering too heavy, that the radio sounds awful or the heater doesn't blow out enough air.  I've driven loads of cars that I haven't 'liked', and tend to go off feelings rather than any objective measure.  

Grumpy_chap

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

BOWFER said:

biscan25 said:

+1 on test drive. I find it quite unbelievable that people are buying cars without test driving.
For my last car purchase, I drove 4 before I found one that I 'liked', there are subjective things that just can't be described on paper.

Last car we test drove was a Nissan leaf back is 2016 (I think) and that was only because electric was a big departure from the norm.
Prior to that and since that, no test drives before ordering new cars.
We pick a car we like, we read reviews, we've been known to go and see one static in a showroom but never ask for test drives as we have no intention of using the local dealer and I don't agree with 'showrooming'.
What's the point?
When did you last have a bad car?
Will the dealer even have one in the spec we intend to buy?
If not available in the exact spec we want to buy, what's the point driving another one?
Name something that, after a test drive, made you go back on your interest in that car.
I can't think of one that we've had that made us go "oh no...." after getting it.

There's all sorts of things one can only glean from test driving a car, such as whether it is ergonomically suitable or if the seats are sufficiently comfortable.  One might find that the clutch action is poor, or the steering too heavy, that the radio sounds awful or the heater doesn't blow out enough air.  I've driven loads of cars that I haven't 'liked', and tend to go off feelings rather than any objective measure.  

It really depends.
If you are buying a car to be yours for a long time, then you may be more particular.
If you are choosing a company car, then you pick an "it'll do" car and live with it.
Not everything can be assessed in a test drive - I had an Auris and the worst thing about it was the poor illumination of the road from the "flat" headlight beam which Toyota promote as a benefit.

BOWFER

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

There's all sorts of things one can only glean from test driving a car, such as whether it is ergonomically suitable or if the seats are sufficiently comfortable.  One might find that the clutch action is poor, or the steering too heavy, that the radio sounds awful or the heater doesn't blow out enough air.  I've driven loads of cars that I haven't 'liked', and tend to go off feelings rather than any objective measure.  

You must be hyper picky, as out of the fair amount of cars we've had lately I can't remember any that weren't "ergonomically suitable", had any clutch/steering issues or had 'weak blowers'.
Really, honestly, all new cars these days are much of a muchness, they can't afford to be crap in any department.
Used cars, fair enough, you might want to drive it and make sure everything works.
I personally wouldn't (and haven't) let anyone else drive a car I was selling though.
I'll let you be a passenger while I drive, if you're not happy go away.

BOWFER

Ebe_Scrooge said:

If you really want to get technical, BHP per ton is a more meaningful measure than pure BHP.  Imagine a little Polo with a 1.4 engine kicking out, say, 110 bhp - reasonably nippy.  Put that same engine into a 2-tonne Rolls Royce, it'd struggle to move.  Think of motorbikes - 600cc is a reasonably powerful bike that'll easily top 120 mph and accelerate like whatsit off a shovel, but the same engine would struggle to power even a small car.

This is because of torque, not BHP per tonne.
Torque is what gets a vehicle moving, not BHP.
A 600cc bike doesn't need much torque to get moving, so BHP becomes more important.
A 1400cc car does need a fair amount of torque to get moving, so BHP is sacrificed for torque.
Most car drivers want loads of torque at low revs, hence the proliferation of turbo engines that put out max torque from 1800rpm onwards in a nice flat curve.
They don't want to revs the boobs off an engine to hunt torque, that very quickly becomes tiring and is expensive on fuel.
Revs are the enemy of economy, hence gearchange indicators telling you to change up early.

SallyDucati

BOWFER said:

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

There's all sorts of things one can only glean from test driving a car, such as whether it is ergonomically suitable or if the seats are sufficiently comfortable.  One might find that the clutch action is poor, or the steering too heavy, that the radio sounds awful or the heater doesn't blow out enough air.  I've driven loads of cars that I haven't 'liked', and tend to go off feelings rather than any objective measure.  

You must be hyper picky, as out of the fair amount of cars we've had lately I can't remember any that weren't "ergonomically suitable", had any clutch/steering issues or had 'weak blowers'.
Really, honestly, all new cars these days are much of a muchness, they can't afford to be crap in any department.
Used cars, fair enough, you might want to drive it and make sure everything works.
I personally wouldn't (and haven't) let anyone else drive a car I was selling though.
I'll let you be a passenger while I drive, if you're not happy go away.

Then I'm hyper picky too!  For one thing I know I find my sisters brand new Peugot uncomfortable and could never own one,  Not something you'd know without trying it out.

BOWFER

SallyDucati said:

BOWFER said:

Ditzy_Mitzy said:

There's all sorts of things one can only glean from test driving a car, such as whether it is ergonomically suitable or if the seats are sufficiently comfortable.  One might find that the clutch action is poor, or the steering too heavy, that the radio sounds awful or the heater doesn't blow out enough air.  I've driven loads of cars that I haven't 'liked', and tend to go off feelings rather than any objective measure.  

You must be hyper picky, as out of the fair amount of cars we've had lately I can't remember any that weren't "ergonomically suitable", had any clutch/steering issues or had 'weak blowers'.
Really, honestly, all new cars these days are much of a muchness, they can't afford to be crap in any department.
Used cars, fair enough, you might want to drive it and make sure everything works.
I personally wouldn't (and haven't) let anyone else drive a car I was selling though.
I'll let you be a passenger while I drive, if you're not happy go away.

Then I'm hyper picky too!  For one thing I know I find my sisters brand new Peugot uncomfortable and could never own one,  Not something you'd know without trying it out.

Fair enough, it's not a brand I'd ever consider anyway.