Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 23:17:28 -0400 From: srlondonnopsamo.com.com (S London) Subject: Re: Horsepower or Torque? Which is more significant?
In article <360fdabe.2138197nopsam2.ibm.net>, dsa44nopsamnet wrote: > I am considering the saab 9-5 with 178 hp v4 turbo with 207 torque at > 1800 rpm. (The v6 turbo is almost $3000 more!! > Isn't torque more significant in terms of performance? Just because > the saab has a lower hp engine doesn't mean it will be less > performance than I am used to...right? > Torque is the seat-of-your-pants accelerative force your feel when driving. In terms of subjective feelings, torque is more important, which is why many diesel cars with lower horsepower than their counterparts still feel like they have fairly good acceleration. It is also matters what rpm the peak torque falls on, the lower the better, as in the case of the Saab. This gives you a feeling of power off the line without having to really rev the pants off the engine. You might not win any drag races with the v4, but from what I've read, the 0-60 times are respectable. The best way to find out how you feel about it is to go test drive one... you'll love it.
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