Surprisingly quick cars
Discussion
Jex said:
It depends what you are used to - my 2 litre diesel C-Max seems quite brisk, until I drive it just after driving my Ferrari 456 - then it feels very slow.
Is that not in part *how* it makes the power? Some years back I had a 2-litre diesel Galaxy for a week or so, my son thought it *felt* much faster than my Mondeo. It's not though, it's something like 4 seconds slower to 60 but the lag and jerk as the torque kicks in made it *feel* fast while the Mondeo (despite being a turbocharged petrol) doesn't have any significant lag or "jerk", it just pulls and pulls and so is deceptively fast.
Fastdruid said:
Jex said:
It depends what you are used to - my 2 litre diesel C-Max seems quite brisk, until I drive it just after driving my Ferrari 456 - then it feels very slow.
Is that not in part *how* it makes the power? Some years back I had a 2-litre diesel Galaxy for a week or so, my son thought it *felt* much faster than my Mondeo. It's not though, it's something like 4 seconds slower to 60 but the lag and jerk as the torque kicks in made it *feel* fast while the Mondeo (despite being a turbocharged petrol) doesn't have any significant lag or "jerk", it just pulls and pulls and so is deceptively fast.
cerb4.5lee said:
Agree and just look at how many posts you will read on here that describe the 320d as a fast car. I found my 520d hateful in terms of performance but that is only because I've had quicker cars. For most they will feel quick though for sure I think.
In most applications, the BMW x20d will get you to 60 in 8 seconds or less. That was well into hot hatch territory when I was buying them. So, yes, to a mid 40s middle manager, his 320d or 520d feels very quick, as it not only hits 60mph as quick as his hot hatch used to, but continues to deliver that kind of performance across the range - in everyday driving, it will certainly feel quick.However, have we had the 330e? - the new one can kick out 296bhp. That's properly quick for a family saloon.
Jex said:
Fastdruid said:
Jex said:
It depends what you are used to - my 2 litre diesel C-Max seems quite brisk, until I drive it just after driving my Ferrari 456 - then it feels very slow.
Is that not in part *how* it makes the power? Some years back I had a 2-litre diesel Galaxy for a week or so, my son thought it *felt* much faster than my Mondeo. It's not though, it's something like 4 seconds slower to 60 but the lag and jerk as the torque kicks in made it *feel* fast while the Mondeo (despite being a turbocharged petrol) doesn't have any significant lag or "jerk", it just pulls and pulls and so is deceptively fast.
I didn't mean in comparison to the Ferrari! 
I meant in comparison to more mundane things. Compare a 2l NA petrol to a 2l turbo diesel and the diesel will *feel* quicker even if it isn't.
Used to work at a trade auction a few years ago, had one of these come through.
Beetle GSR, it was a DSG car, I dismissed it as some kind of sticker/option pack. Drove it down to the other compound, put my foot down and s
t myself, turns out they have the 207hp 2.0 TSI as seen in the Golf GTI. I've just learned that you can also get the 197hp variant in normal Beetles, that would be even more surprising to me
Beetle GSR, it was a DSG car, I dismissed it as some kind of sticker/option pack. Drove it down to the other compound, put my foot down and s
t myself, turns out they have the 207hp 2.0 TSI as seen in the Golf GTI. I've just learned that you can also get the 197hp variant in normal Beetles, that would be even more surprising to meFastdruid said:
Jex said:
Fastdruid said:
Jex said:
It depends what you are used to - my 2 litre diesel C-Max seems quite brisk, until I drive it just after driving my Ferrari 456 - then it feels very slow.
Is that not in part *how* it makes the power? Some years back I had a 2-litre diesel Galaxy for a week or so, my son thought it *felt* much faster than my Mondeo. It's not though, it's something like 4 seconds slower to 60 but the lag and jerk as the torque kicks in made it *feel* fast while the Mondeo (despite being a turbocharged petrol) doesn't have any significant lag or "jerk", it just pulls and pulls and so is deceptively fast.
I didn't mean in comparison to the Ferrari! I meant in comparison to more mundane things. Compare a 2l NA petrol to a 2l turbo diesel and the diesel will *feel* quicker even if it isn't.
dme123 said:
We've all heard colleagues talking about their new and very humdrum car and use terms like "pulls like a train" and "goes like a rocket" when it's a 10+ sec to 60 car. Or something middlingly brisk that they think is an absolute world destroying wild stallion, like a 3 litre Subaru.
TBF a Legacy 3.0 or 3.6 with a manual gearbox is fairly quick and makes a lovely noise too. Norman Dewis reportedly thought quite highly of them, and there was a man who knew what quick was... apparently at 98 he was one more speeding ticket off a ban!My recently acquired Rover 420 SLi - 2 litre NA T-series, with good torque through the whole range - keeps up with the traffic, plenty of poke in reserve even at high speeds. Only has 136hp but it feels like a whole heap more, probably as the R8 is such a lightweight chassis.
Superb fun to drive, has to be said
Superb fun to drive, has to be said
Edited by clayts450 on Wednesday 10th July 22:06
I have two to add.
My MK8 1.0 Ecoboost Fiesta which is mapped to 160bhp is surprisingly quick, I’ve roughly timed it at around 7 seconds to 60 but it pulls very well beyond that for a 3 cylinder 1.0...
And my mum has a BMW Gran Tourer (the shame) with the 220d engine and X Drive and it’s a lot quicker than what I was expecting it to be.. it even has launch control
My MK8 1.0 Ecoboost Fiesta which is mapped to 160bhp is surprisingly quick, I’ve roughly timed it at around 7 seconds to 60 but it pulls very well beyond that for a 3 cylinder 1.0...
And my mum has a BMW Gran Tourer (the shame) with the 220d engine and X Drive and it’s a lot quicker than what I was expecting it to be.. it even has launch control
RoverP6B said:
TBF a Legacy 3.0 or 3.6 with a manual gearbox is fairly quick and makes a lovely noise too. Norman Dewis reportedly thought quite highly of them, and there was a man who knew what quick was... apparently at 98 he was one more speeding ticket off a ban!
I'm just teasing our resident weirdo. I think they are great cars with plenty of usable power, I was next to one with the roof down absolutely hammering it up a dual carriageway hill a couple of years ago and it sounded 
dhoneill said:
My wife has one of those BMW Active Tourer MPV thingys (she likes it). Of course I convinced her to be environmentally friendly and get the 225XE hybrid.
Excellent traction off the line with petrol on the front wheels and electric on the rears. In the traffic line GP there is not many things that will touch it to 30,so around town it's a blast. Doesn't handle too bad either. Pity the wife drives it like a nun.
Agree with this. We bought one to cut our emissions in London driving.Excellent traction off the line with petrol on the front wheels and electric on the rears. In the traffic line GP there is not many things that will touch it to 30,so around town it's a blast. Doesn't handle too bad either. Pity the wife drives it like a nun.
I've had plenty of 0-30 giggles when you activate 'Sport' mode and launch against the footbrake.
Above 60mph it's about as fast as it looks - not very.
Pig benis said:
Col325 said:
I have the 1.6dci Qashqai, £30 a year road tax, now that gets down the road surprisingly well and on a b road rowing the box along it is scorchingly quick probably quicker than my E39 530d all through the rev range...not bad for something that is essentially a moms wagon. I also have a 306GTI6 whilst not the quickest is searingly quick point to point especially on the B roads where size, in gear acceleration and apex speeds count, its a right riot, always pushing and obliterating more powerful cars and people expressions are amazing when it flys past....1200kgs and a close ratio box and a zingy responsive NA engine means it feels like a race car when pressing on.
I don't mean to piss over another man's bonfire, but really? A 1.6dci Qashqai 
.. You've brightened up my day.52-plate Ibiza FR TDi 130 (PD)
220+ ft lbs of torque in an old and unresolved Polo chassis. I don't know what it weighed, but once rolling it felt surprisingly quick and more than a little unruly.
I put it into a ditch, and thus learned the hard way that I didn't have anywhere near enough talent to be switching off traction control systems.
220+ ft lbs of torque in an old and unresolved Polo chassis. I don't know what it weighed, but once rolling it felt surprisingly quick and more than a little unruly.
I put it into a ditch, and thus learned the hard way that I didn't have anywhere near enough talent to be switching off traction control systems.
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