Switching to a slow car
Discussion
Apart from when I started driving many moons ago, the vast majority of my cars have had a decent turn of speed. Not stupidly fast but 0-60 in around 7secs type fast and even my trusty SUV I currently tool around in is less than 8 seconds and a nice glob of of torque to make light work of motorways.
I’m thinking of changing next year and I keep coming back to one or two cars as they tick virtually every box with the exception of a decent turn of speed and a 0-60 time of nearly 12(!) seconds.
Will I find this purgatory?
I’m not a speed demon. I stick to motorway speed limits and my driving is quite a relaxed style and not one for really booting it everywhere so do any of the PH hive mind feel that it’s irksome to live with what I perceive to be a slow car? I get that you tend to adjust to the car you have but will it be too painful and a decision that I may live to regret?
I know take a test drive, etc, etc but it’s one thing testing a car for half an hour and another to live with it for a number of years.
What do you think? Am I worrying over nonsense and should get a grip or what?
I’m thinking of changing next year and I keep coming back to one or two cars as they tick virtually every box with the exception of a decent turn of speed and a 0-60 time of nearly 12(!) seconds.
Will I find this purgatory?
I’m not a speed demon. I stick to motorway speed limits and my driving is quite a relaxed style and not one for really booting it everywhere so do any of the PH hive mind feel that it’s irksome to live with what I perceive to be a slow car? I get that you tend to adjust to the car you have but will it be too painful and a decision that I may live to regret?
I know take a test drive, etc, etc but it’s one thing testing a car for half an hour and another to live with it for a number of years.
What do you think? Am I worrying over nonsense and should get a grip or what?
Will be fine, you will manage but I find I need a bit more to keep me interested.
Thou someone will be along to declare it "dangerously slow" which I find amusing, if you dont put yourself in harms way and just follow speed limits then you dont get any trouble you need to get out of, I have always found the more power available the better chance of getting any trouble arising
Thou someone will be along to declare it "dangerously slow" which I find amusing, if you dont put yourself in harms way and just follow speed limits then you dont get any trouble you need to get out of, I have always found the more power available the better chance of getting any trouble arising
My daily these days is a 1.0 Duster and I had very similar concerns after years of dailying hot hatches and fast estates... truth is it doesn't bother me at all, the Duster does everything it needs to do and as I have no need or desire to drive it quickly it never lets me down on that front.
My fun car isn't fast either these days but it feels it! and that's really the main thing.
My fun car isn't fast either these days but it feels it! and that's really the main thing.
Years ago when I took my M140i in for a service I was given a 116i as a courtesy car, I had a slight squeaky bum trying to merge onto the motorway as the car looked identical to mine but had 134bhp not 350bhp I had a bit of a moment when I floored it and the car didn't end up where I expected it to! But, within the next couple of miles I'd adjusted to the power of the car no problem. Getting the M140 back was fun though, made me appreciate the extra power again!
That was going from a 4.5s to an 8.5s car so similar drop in performance you're expecting. In reality you'll be fine. One of the most fun cars I've ever owned barely snuck under 10s to 60!
That was going from a 4.5s to an 8.5s car so similar drop in performance you're expecting. In reality you'll be fine. One of the most fun cars I've ever owned barely snuck under 10s to 60!
QuattroDave said:
Years ago when I took my M140i in for a service I was given a 116i as a courtesy car, I had a slight squeaky bum trying to merge onto the motorway...
Yes, if you routinely have to join busy motorways or dual carriageways with short slip roads then a lack of grunt can be a problem.I'm fine driving a slower / softer car - I arrive more relaxed and get there in the same time as before (on British roads at least).
I definitely prefer an auto in this case though- without much torque, fiddling around with a manual gearbox can be a chore when decent acceleration is required.
I definitely prefer an auto in this case though- without much torque, fiddling around with a manual gearbox can be a chore when decent acceleration is required.
How often do you do 0 to 60mph in 7 seconds? Or give it full throttle down 800yds of slip road to then be joining at a serious pace? You're also not stuck with it for years, if situation changes or you simply aren't relaxed / comfortable with a slower car after a week / month / year then just get rid of it and get something else? Is there really any modern car that is "dangerously slow" or is that just personal opinion? I've done similar and gone to slower stuff and had the use of slower stuff and you just adapt, give more space and try and not overtake in lane three up a long motorway incline.
Absolutely not and if you enjoy driving as has been said on here so many times you'll probably enjoy driving a slow car harder than driving a faster car well within it's limits.
I swap between all of our cars regularly and never ever feel short changed driving our Mk 2 Yaris 1.3, never found it an issue over the 50 odd thousand miles we've done in it on all types of road.
I personally think you are over thinking it and just using average driving skills you'll wonder what the issue is with a slow car, only thing that can occasionally frustrate are the subjects of a whole different thread on here (insanely slow drivers).
Get that manual Clio 0.9/Yaris/Jazz bought
I swap between all of our cars regularly and never ever feel short changed driving our Mk 2 Yaris 1.3, never found it an issue over the 50 odd thousand miles we've done in it on all types of road.
I personally think you are over thinking it and just using average driving skills you'll wonder what the issue is with a slow car, only thing that can occasionally frustrate are the subjects of a whole different thread on here (insanely slow drivers).
Get that manual Clio 0.9/Yaris/Jazz bought
We’ve got an SL with 315bhp, an SLK with 276 and a C200diesel estate with 136bhp.
I’ve had a 5 litre V8 SL and lots of rapid motorbikes.
I really can’t say that I find the diesel estate slow at all, in fact I rather like the way it delivers power. It certainly doesn’t feel several seconds to 60 slower.
I’ve had a 5 litre V8 SL and lots of rapid motorbikes.
I really can’t say that I find the diesel estate slow at all, in fact I rather like the way it delivers power. It certainly doesn’t feel several seconds to 60 slower.
Davie said:
How often do you do 0 to 60mph in 7 seconds? Or give it full throttle down 800yds of slip road to then be joining at a serious pace? You're also not stuck with it for years, if situation changes or you simply aren't relaxed / comfortable with a slower car after a week / month / year then just get rid of it and get something else? Is there really any modern car that is "dangerously slow" or is that just personal opinion? I've done similar and gone to slower stuff and had the use of slower stuff and you just adapt, give more space and try and not overtake in lane three up a long motorway incline.
I think this is the crux of it.You’re right in that the cars I’ve had have the ability to do the 7 second Kessel Run but do I actually use it? Most of the time, not.
I’ve never believed the old ‘dangerously slow’ nonsense either and yes, thankfully, I’d be able to get out out of the car financially should it prove too slow for me but that can also apply to anything like the seats not being comfy enough or the ride too crashy so once again I think I’m way overthinking it.
I’ve recently been closely monitoring the style of driving I do and speeds I regularly drive at and it turns out that I’m quite a boring driver in that I don’t give it the beans all the time and prefer to waft rather than set personal best times on the morning commute and tend to be quite sedate so in all honesty I think I just needed reassurance that I’m not a complete numpty as I do tend to over analyse things.
Cheers all and group hugs later.
i think i would notice if my daily went from 300bhp to 120bhp. yes, both will cruise along a motorway at 70mph equally well, but... both the start and end of my commute consists of pulling out a t junction onto a 60mph road, and it really pays to be able to do that quickly during rush hour.
also, i am partial to a cross country blast and some overtaking clout is much appreciated. yes, you can overtake in slower cars, but its no where near as easy.
however, if you don't use the power/acceleration of the car you're in now, you'd probably be fine switching to a slower car.
also, i am partial to a cross country blast and some overtaking clout is much appreciated. yes, you can overtake in slower cars, but its no where near as easy.
however, if you don't use the power/acceleration of the car you're in now, you'd probably be fine switching to a slower car.
You will find dropping out of the 'big league' liberating. I used to do thousands of miles in old air cooled beetles and the like, loved every minute of it. Unless you are a genuine speed merchant, you'll find ordinary trips take little longer if at all. My current car has about 90hp I think, yet for that occasional back road scratch, I am rarely troubled by other traffic and often the quickest car on the route. But most of the time I just take my time.
I find power useful to overtake dawdlers on A and B roads mainly, there's not much chance of going fast on motorways these days.
Saying that I think a 2.0 turbodiesel is for me the sweet spot between having enough grunt for overtaking but still good economy, but ULEZs are killing off diesels which is a pity.
Saying that I think a 2.0 turbodiesel is for me the sweet spot between having enough grunt for overtaking but still good economy, but ULEZs are killing off diesels which is a pity.
I would definitely miss the performance. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff