Zak's Theory of Car Power Relativity - 2017 edition

[Butcher]

I had the benefit of driving a Yaris the other day. The whole rubber steering and bolt upright seating position was an experience to say the least. You forget how good the seating position in the '86 is.

And how good the chassis is. Hatchbacks just feel lardy and numb by comparison.

[Thorburn]

Most weekends I go from my daily (2007 Fiesta Zetec-S, 100bhp, ~1000kg) to either my Elise (118bhp, 750kg) or V12 Vantage S with Performance Pack (595bhp, 1700kg).

The difference between the three is QUITE pronounced.

[directhex]

I've been driving a bunch of things lately.

BMW 520d
Ford Kuga
BMW 320d

My takeaway is: diesel is rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish and I miss my Volt.

Not to engage in too much thread necrophilia, but add my latest rental, a Jaguar XE 2.0 AWD Diesel to this list of "awful cars for people who hate driving" diesels. 3 seconds of diesel lag from standing. Total farce. Diesel is rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish and you won't convince me otherwise. My unfashionable little hatchback leaves every damn one of them in the dust.

[Hoonigan]

Not to engage in too much thread necrophilia, but add my latest rental, a Jaguar XE 2.0 AWD Diesel to this list of "awful cars for people who hate driving" diesels. 3 seconds of diesel lag from standing. Total farce. Diesel is rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish and you won't convince me otherwise. My unfashionable little hatchback leaves every damn one of them in the dust.

Try a Golf GTD. Please. (Mk.7 or 7.5)

[directhex]

Try a Golf GTD. Please. (Mk.7 or 7.5)

More than a second slower 0-60, and diesel lag, vs my Bolt. What epiphany will this give me?

[DanceswithUnix]

More than a second slower 0-60, and diesel lag, vs my Bolt. What epiphany will this give me?

From a company who lacked the skill to design an engine to emissions standards and had to cheat, I suspect you would get nothing. You have already driven a BMW who make some of the more advanced oil burners out there, the more I drive it the more I hated the engine in my Alfa which is supposed to be one of the best. I think some of us just don't get on with diesels.

Now I have often wondered what a V6 or V8 oil burner would be like to drive. The extra cylinders make an engine smoother, and the sheer size should make the turbo lag you get with a small 2 liter diesel a moot point. Guess that means trying a big Audi.

[Smudger]

Back in the day, my dad had a Jaaaaaag S-Type V6 diesel. 206bhp, not massively quick but in-gear was quite immense. And smooth. Many's the time when I had some crappy Astra on my bumper through the 50mph zone on the motorway, then when it got back to national speed limit, didn't even floor it and the rude-bwoy on the astra was left sitting there wondering where his engine had gone. The auto box suits a diesel I think, cos the power band is so narrow. He replaced it with a 20d XF, it's just not the same. Supposedly faster, but not smooth.

[Zak33]

Well relativity still holds a place in the HEXUS Automotive library...

my Octavia 130bhp is faster in relative terms than my old Polo clearly....

and the difference is obviously chak and cheese.. but the speed your brain gets used to the extra speed is astonishing...so now it feels nornal again.

Relativity is a bitch

[Butcher]

Try a Golf GTD. Please. (Mk.7 or 7.5)

I had one as a hire car. It was uninspiring. Power delivery was adequate, car as a whole was bland. I don't think it's going to sway an EV convert.

Hire people talked like it was a rocket ship when I picked it up, I didn't have the heart to tell them it was slower than my car.

[directhex]

I had one as a hire car. It was uninspiring. Power delivery was adequate, car as a whole was bland. I don't think it's going to sway an EV convert.

Hire people talked like it was a rocket ship when I picked it up, I didn't have the heart to tell them it was slower than my car.

Car rental places need to get with the blasted times. "Premium" rentals should not be measurably, painfully slower than a base-spec small family hatchback.

Exhaustive list of things the $52k 2018 Jaguar XE 20d AWD R-Sport does better than the $41k 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Premier:

• AWD, so should be better on snow
• More leather trim, instead of the dreaded hard plastics
• Potential range between refuels

Partial list of things the $41k 2017 Chevrolet Bolt Premier does better than the $52k 2018 Jaguar XE 20d AWD R-Sport:

• Acceleration, by more than a second
• Running costs
• Legroom
• USB ports for the rear passengers
• Responsiveness

Also, the Hexus vBulletin forum needs better emoji support.

[tfboy]

I agree with those who are EV converts. Everything else from responsiveness and acceleration pales into insignificance.

I for one could not go back to any combustion engine, unless it was a track toy of some kind. The effectiveness of an electric power train is unbeatable.

[peterb]

And responsiveness and acceleration are more important than top speed - but with an IC engine generally to to get that response and acceleration you need a big engine which gives a high top speed - but for road use I question the need for any vehicle to have a top speed in excess of 100mph where the national speed limit is 70.

An EV gives the response and acceleration without necessarily giving high top speeds.

In future though, maybe there will be fast lanes for vehicles travelling in convoy with an electronic drawbar, although how a vehicle would join and leave such a convoy would need careful planning - but with autonomous modes this would be a possibility.

[wazzickle]

In terms of getting used to speed and the new car becoming the new normal, you also get the same concept in play when it comes to the real estate of space on your screen, i.e. changing up from an adequately-sized screen to anything noticeably bigger has you feeling 'omg how did I ever deal with that ridiculously small screen before?'

[peterb]

when it comes to the real estate of space on your screen,

Do you mean area?

[wazzickle]

I mean what I say, and I say what I mean, usually.

[DanceswithUnix]

And responsiveness and acceleration are more important than top speed - but with an IC engine generally to to get that response and acceleration you need a big engine which gives a high top speed - but for road use I question the need for any vehicle to have a top speed in excess of 100mph where the national speed limit is 70.

An EV gives the response and acceleration without necessarily giving high top speeds.

In future though, maybe there will be fast lanes for vehicles travelling in convoy with an electronic drawbar, although how a vehicle would join and leave such a convoy would need careful planning - but with autonomous modes this would be a possibility.

I don't get that at all. Are you saying electric cars have the motor geared to only manage 100mph? You could do exactly the same with a petrol engine, you just don't because the driving quality and economy would suffer.

The Fiat 500 Twinair has a 2 cylinder engine capable of 107mph according to the spec sheet. If you are saying that is too powerful, you won't be making friends

No chance of a faster lane though, AIUI the wear rate on roads goes up with speed so faster speed limits would cost more in road maintenance.