Confused about kerb weights
Discussion
Its quite easy to get confused about this. Looking at some brochures of German machinery and they state that a kerb weight includes a 68/75kg driver, all fluids and a given percentage of fuel (in line with a particular EC directive). Which would mean addingg something like 125kg+ to the cars dry weight. This can make some comparisons between cars a little confusing. Eg the kerb weight of a small but powerful car like a 135i is 1560kg. Most people will look at this and say hmmm thats quite heavy for a car that size, negating the product of its immense engine. Comparing a mk1 Golf GTI (900kg?) to a mk5/6 (1300-1400) and saying oooh aren't cars fat these days. Looking at spec lists in the back of EVO etc. This is made even more confusing as Italian supercar manufacturers list dry weight and not kerb weight. What sparked this off is I'm kind of liking the S Type R whose weight is 1800kg - is that the weight how German Car makers list them with diver etc.
urmm said:
Looking at some brochures of German machinery and they state that a kerb weight includes a 68/75kg driver, all fluids and a given percentage of fuel (in line with a particular EC directive). Which would mean addingg something like 125kg+ to the cars dry weight.
Really?i've been confused about this myself, can anyone elaborate?
don't all car companies these days use 'kerb weight', when did they stop using dry weight?
IIRC in my dads e30 3 series owners manual that the kerb weight included all fluids but not the driver. This is where the confusion lies (this was a 1985 model) Nowadays they include a 75kg driver
From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
Edited by urmm on Sunday 11th April 23:44
urmm said:
IIRC in my dads e30 3 series owners manual that the kerb weight included all fluids but not the driver. This is where the confusion lies (this was a 1985 model) Nowadays they include a 75kg driver
From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
Full tank of fuel or fixed level or empty?From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
This could make a lot of diffirence, as I noticed my 159 got a tank of 70L this could change the kerb weight as much as about 130lbs/70kg...
ZesPak said:
urmm said:
IIRC in my dads e30 3 series owners manual that the kerb weight included all fluids but not the driver. This is where the confusion lies (this was a 1985 model) Nowadays they include a 75kg driver
From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
Full tank of fuel or fixed level or empty?From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
This could make a lot of diffirence, as I noticed my 159 got a tank of 70L this could change the kerb weight as much as about 130lbs/70kg...
urmm said:
Its quite easy to get confused about this. Looking at some brochures of German machinery and they state that a kerb weight includes a 68/75kg driver, all fluids and a given percentage of fuel (in line with a particular EC directive). Which would mean addingg something like 125kg+ to the cars dry weight. This can make some comparisons between cars a little confusing. Eg the kerb weight of a small but powerful car like a 135i is 1560kg. Most people will look at this and say hmmm thats quite heavy for a car that size, negating the product of its immense engine. Comparing a mk1 Golf GTI (900kg?) to a mk5/6 (1300-1400) and saying oooh aren't cars fat these days. Looking at spec lists in the back of EVO etc. This is made even more confusing as Italian supercar manufacturers list dry weight and not kerb weight. What sparked this off is I'm kind of liking the S Type R whose weight is 1800kg - is that the weight how German Car makers list them with diver etc.
It is confusing, and more often than not very misleading.Personally I wouldn't may too much attention to actual numbers, as I suspect most people couldn't tell a 300kg difference in weight in an "average" car anyhow.
Just look at it as light weight, middle weight and heavy weight, with a few more extreme machines either side of these categories.
Anything of similar size and engine combo as the S Type will weight about the same.
blindswelledrat said:
Is petrol lighter than water?
Sorry- Im still slightly confused.
Can someone confirm what I *think* I have read.
ANy figures quoted on new cars include all fluids, full tank of petrol and a 75 kg driver?
Or not?
Yes, petrol is much less dense than water, that's why getting water in your petrol tank is so catastrophic - it sinks to the bottom where the pickup is. Sorry- Im still slightly confused.
Can someone confirm what I *think* I have read.
ANy figures quoted on new cars include all fluids, full tank of petrol and a 75 kg driver?
Or not?
Most new cars are quoted excluding driver but including fluids. Some (German) ones include the driver.
Edited by kambites on Monday 12th April 09:29
The Wookie said:
ZesPak said:
urmm said:
IIRC in my dads e30 3 series owners manual that the kerb weight included all fluids but not the driver. This is where the confusion lies (this was a 1985 model) Nowadays they include a 75kg driver
From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
Full tank of fuel or fixed level or empty?From Wikipedia
Curb weight (US English) or Kerb weight (UK/Commonwealth English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (e.g. motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations, for example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[3] Additionally, organizations may define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
This could make a lot of diffirence, as I noticed my 159 got a tank of 70L this could change the kerb weight as much as about 130lbs/70kg...
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