Why do people think they need a vehicle that can go 0-60 in 5 or 6 seconds? Is there really a need for that? I remember when a vehicle had 0-60 times of under 7 seconds was a muscle car meant for the drag strip. Now if a vehicles 0-60 time is over 9 seconds is considered slow and dangerous to drive, why are people in such a hurry? Are we all compensating for something? Now I have enjoyed fast vehicles, but now every soccer mom demands a vehicle that will outrun a 60s muscle car, and they floor it all the time, from red light to red light.
In 30 years will the run of the mill suv have 0-60 times of 3 seconds and a vehicle that does it in 6 seconds be considered slow? Sounds crazy but that is what has happened in the past 30 years basically.
Gas, brake, gas, brake, gas gas gas, brake brake brake. Thats how people drive. Instead of anticipating traffic flow we must either be on the gas or on the brake. Coming up to a school bus stopped with its red lights on? Floor it till the last possible minute and then jam on the brakes just to wait, Darn kids are taking to long, dont they know im in a hurry!!
Everyone is in such a hurry to get no where, racing red light to red light. Everyone these days has such an alcoholic attitude (even if they don’t drink at all), its all about me and I care not a bit about anyone else, and I think its sad.
I don’t need a car that can go 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, but I want a car that can do that. It’s personal preference. Some people favor fuel economy over power and they buy a Prius, which is fine, it’s their personal preference. Some people favor speed and power over fuel economy.
Everyone these days has such an alcoholic attitude (even if they don’t drink at all), its all about me and I care not a bit about anyone else, and I think its sad.
Let me ask you this @WheresRick . When your stopped at a red light, and you’re the first person in line, when the light turns green do you accelerate briskly or do you chose to accelerate at a rate that you deem acceptable?
People that drive much slower than the speed limit (especially in the left lane) and those that haven’t quite figured out how to move up to the bumper in front on them at stop lights also reflect the selfish attitude you don’t like. Two, three car lengths between cars at a stop light? Really? And the slow drivers can take an alternate route if the speed limit is just too much for them. My wife’s aunt stopped using limited access highways when 65 or 70 was too fast for her.
If all I can have in life is what I actually need, there’s not much point in going on. Rick, I’d bet that if you look around yourself you’ll find countless things that you posses because you wanted them and not because you needed them. There’s nothing wrong with that.
As a matter of fact, I’d bet that whatever your hobby is you have more than just the basics for that hobby. Golfers don’t really need gold plated putters, 1 irons, or 4 woods (my dad had all these things). Or fancy bags.
There are countless good, caring, compassionate people that like fast or fancy cars. Don’t judge people by what they own. Judge them by how they treat others.
@WheresRick … I had an opportunity recently to drive a vehicle that can do 0-60 in 2.7 seconds (Nissan GT-R). I rarely had the opportunity to try it out on the interstate because of all the untrained drivers that situated themselves in “clumps” or were stuck in the left lane while passing nothing at all.
I agree with @jtsanders … slower drivers are creating the problem. A lot of them get near the rear bumper of a semi and are afraid to pass. It takes several long minutes for them to get around the truck…a process that should take less than a minute. I realize that they probably have as much right on the roadways as I do but they also have the responsibility of driving in a sensible and expedient manner. If you can’t drive in a sensible, expedient manner…stop and throw your keys in the bushes. The “real” drivers on the road will appreciate it.
FoDaddy expressed what I was thinking, as well.
I tend to drive conservatively.
Perhaps that has enabled me to drive for the past 43 years w/o an accident of any kind.
Perhaps it also enables me to wring better gas mileage from my car than EPA says that it is capable of.
But…when I am on the entrance ramp for an Interstate Highway, I want to have power to spare so that I can merge smoothly into traffic that is frequently moving at 75 mph. And, I am easily able to get my car up to 75 by the end of an entrance ramp–without flooring the gas pedal.
Only by having a generous amount of power on tap can I enter a high speed road with a good assurance of not getting crushed by an 18-wheeler that refuses to yield, or by gabbing soccer Moms who are oblivious to the other cars on the road. Believe it or not, having ample power available IS a safety factor, and does not necessarily lead to poor gas mileage.
I can recall when Chrysler introduced its fabled Hemi engine on the '52 models. A Popular Science writer who did a test drive of a new Chrysler stated that he had an epiphany during his test drive, as a result of being able to use the substantial power of that engine to get him out of a tight spot in a way that simply braking or steering could not have done. And, yet, my current car has ~75 horsepower more than that Chrysler, but can easily produce double the gas mileage.
We have come a long way over the years as a result of technology, and high power output does not have to equal poor gas mileage, nor does it have to equal driving in a dangerous manner. It all depends on how one chooses to use the power that is available. Even if I usually drive in a manner that only requires a fraction of the power available, having that high output available is both a comfort and a real safety factor when it is needed.
My habit of stopping half a car length space from the car ahead of me never seemed to be infringing on anyone, @jts. I do so to give myself the space to steer around the vehicle ahead if needed and to allow some ‘free play’ if the car approaching from the rear isn’t as attentive as they should be. Does leaving such a gap cause a problem? I feel sure your description of two to three car lengths is somewhat of an exaggeration, isn’t it.
Half a car length is efficient. It is even prudent if the guy in front has a manual trans and rolls back before engaging the clutch. More than one car length is useless and only serves to make it more difficult for the cars several places back that have to miss the light because the fraidycat can’t move up to the bumper. It also keeps people from moving into the turn lane when the perpetrator is at the entrance. An 2 or 3 car lengths is no exaggeration at all.
rick, while I completely agree with your thinking about the racing to red lights and such, I also agree with vc driver, and drive the way he described. it s nice to have the option of rapid acceleration. in some cases it s life saving. it all depends on the driver. I really don t know that alcoholic attitudes have any relevance. you are more on point about the selfish attitudes I think.
I agree.
While it is not very common, I do sometimes see people who maintain a ridiculously large space between them and the car in front of them at a stop light. And–of course–when the light changes to green, those folks are the cause of fewer cars being able to get through the intersection on that green light than would be possible if they kept a smaller distance between them and the car in front of them.
These are probably the same folks who refuse to roll into the intersection while waiting for an opportunity to make a left turn. I was once stuck behind a woman for three traffic light cycles, simply because she refused to roll past the stop line when the light turned green and while she waited for an opportunity to turn left.
I realize that the folks who exhibit this type of behavior are…oblivious to what is around them…and very much scared of driving in general, but the bottom line is that what they do is selfish, in that it delays everyone else, while not making anyone any safer.
Is it not in a way selfish to be judging everyone around you by the cars they own?
Is it less wrong to be calling those around you with fast cars “selfish” than it would be for those with fancy cars to be calling those around them with econoboxes “peons” or some other derogatory term?
Stop criticizing everyone around you for what they drive. Focus on adjusting your own life to your beliefs and accept others for theirs.
I understand that you have a right and a preference, I used to drive really fast cars, though now they could be outrun by and suv or a camry with a v-6…
You are an enthusiast and you like fast cars that Understand, I just cant fathom why we need 270 hp family cars… but I guess people are buying them so theirs a demand.
We here face greatly varying traffic situations and each of us has developed a pattern to suit our temperament and situations. With more than a million miles driving delivery trucks 300+ miles each day, stopping 50+ times to make deliveries it became apparent to me that high performance and high speed were no match for good sense. I recall one particular 20 mile stretch of 2 lane road between towns. There were 3 traffic lights and a few businesses on the road and as I began that stretch driving the legal 55mph impatient drivers would rush past me, often at less than safe times. And as I continued on, stopping to make a delivery or 2 along the way, when I neared the town at the end of that 20 miles I was often stopped directly behind automobiles that had rushed past me long earlier. All their rushing only resulted in their being a few feet ahead of me.
BTW, here in this part of the south, ‘old timers’ like myself will approach a left turn on a 2 lane road when there is traffic behind us but nothing from the front so we signal the left turn and move into the left lane before reducing the speed so that no one must slow for us. Likewise we try to avoid gridlocks by allowing room for oncoming traffic to turn left whenever possible. Such obvious considerations seem to be lost in the rat race that is more and more pervasive even here in Mayberry II.
a family car is where I would like to have the ability to accelerate the most. whether to merge safely or to pass an unsafe driver quickly or to get my loved ones to safety in case of a real emergency. I don t need that as much in a work truck.
We don’t. But wanting one doesn’t make us any less decent.
I actually personally prefer little ragtop sports cars. I’ve never really had a taste for really fast cars. I’d take a Lotus Elise over a Hennessey Venom any day. Can’t afford (or fit into) either anyway.
Just because you OWN a 270hp family vehicle doesn’t mean you’re driving like a maniac. You really love to judge people based on very superficial means.
So you think all Camry V6 and Lexus Es-350 vehicles are just too much hp for the average family vehicle?
Man, these posts getting all out of order is driving me nuts! When I wrote my post it followed Rick’s. I open the thread again 30 seconds later and there’re two additional posts between Rick’s and mine!
I like firearms, and because firearms in the wrong hands kill innocent people a good part of society does not like firearms and that is their right and I understand that.
People bash those, and when they do I don’t go throwing a tantrum like a little kid so settle down there feller.
Fast cars used to be reserved for enthusiasts because soccer mom Suzie or baseball dad Billy generally would buy a family car with run of the mill performance. Now everyone seems to need a car that is on par with the 60’s muscle cars and that is a problem because most people do not have the skills required to drive a vehicle let alone a performance vehicle.
Click and clack used to bash suvs, did you give them grief? Why are you on their forums if things like this bother you so much.