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Most print & tv car magazines use the same test like what's used for sports cars. Average family sedan buyers don't care about 0-60 or 1/4 mile times nor lateral g's. Besides exterior appearance, most family sedan buyers care about passenger room, trunk room, fuel economy, & smooth quiet ride. One acceleration test I feel is overlooked is highway passing. While some vehicles accelerate fine from a dead stop, their acceleration is virtually nonexistent when at highway speeds. Hit the gas to pass a vehicle and very little happens. Some V6 sedans have sports car like acceleration. But the V6 versions aren't the big sellers. The base engine is the big seller. It's easy to test fuel efficiency, leg room, & head room. How does one test highway acceleration? Any other test you feel would be useful for an average family sedan?
Acceleration is very important to me in a family sedan.
Loaded up with 4/5 people, plus luggage, i'd like to know I'm not going to get killed when trying to merge onto the highway in an anemic sedan that doesn't have enough power to merge safely.
Same deal comes with braking as well. Fully loaded, i'd like to know i can stop in a hurry.
While these tests aren't done with fully loaded cars, the performance numbers matter a lot to me. 300HP seems to be a number I like for a 4-door sedan.
Handling (car response in avoiding an accident) is most important aspect for me in a family sedan so I cannot stand the boat like floating motion offered by most out there.
In this segment German cars are best IMO, since they are the only ones designed to handle the Autobahn where car handling is most important aspect.
My tests are obvious:
- see how far the car is leaning when taking a curve (is it a boat?)
- how good are the brakes (are they mushy and how well is the car responding when stopped). A visual inspection by looking at the disk surface area and disks thickness is also good indication.
- response when accelerating from 50 MPH to 75 MPH (when trying to avoid the swaying trailer on hwy or go around road debris)
- transmission response when going through gears (hence I cannot stand CVT response)
- seat comfort for the long driving hours
- visibility for changing lanes and back window
- overall felling that car becomes one with you when driving with quick response to your actions not a lagging one
While these tests aren't done with fully loaded cars, the performance numbers matter a lot to me. 300HP seems to be a number I like for a 4-door sedan.
I find that funny because from about 1975-1990 no Corvette/Mustang/Porsche 911 had 300 HP! Funny how performance has improved so much over the years!
most family sedan buyers care about passenger room, trunk room, fuel economy, & smooth quiet ride. One acceleration test I feel is overlooked is highway passing.
From what I have read many sedan buyers care about mostly brand. Once a Toyota Camry owner, many stay Camry owners regardless. Same with Accord.
When I visit the Houston car show, the sedans are all look very similar to me. Nothing like the difference of the 1970's for instance. So I think the claim about brand name being a deciding factor is probably true.
I agree with you that highway passing in an important feature....
Well we are all fatter now. Need that extra HP to move the extra mass
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