We live in a wonderfully awesome world where regular everyday cars have more than enough power to stomp out the sports cars and supercars of decades past. Remember the Lamborghini Countach? Yeah, a Pontiac Solstice GXP is about as fast to 60 mph. We’re in a time when pickup trucks can make over 700 HP and even a truck’s base engine still gets it to 60 mph in under ten seconds. That’s not bad at all!
Well, Motor Trend doesn’t agree. Weirdly, the publication seems to think that a pickup being as fast as a sports car from 30 years ago is a bad thing and Rust Buckets isn’t having it:
Jason, you did miss one part: They claimed that a drag race against a 30-year old Miata is effectively a draw. Not only is that not actually an insult, it’s also literally a lie.
2024 Ram 1500: 0-60 in 8.1 seconds.
1994 Miata: 0-60 in 8.8 seconds, according to Car and Driver in 1994.0.7 seconds 0-60 may not be a huge gulf, but nobody would call that a draw if they actually witnessed it in person. Not to mention that 8.8 seconds is NOT for a 30-year-old Miata: that’s for a brand new Miata in 1994. At this point, most 1994 Miatas are noticeably slower than they were when they left the factory.
So Motortrend is not only ridiculous, they’re also dishonest/bad at research. What a combination!
Look, 8.1 seconds isn’t bad. I bet that truck will still hit 60 mph in under 20 seconds when connected to a trailer. Sure, it’s no rocket, but you aren’t going to cause a pileup from your acceleration. At least, not from acceleration alone.
While we’re on the subject of Ram trucks, David Tracy is not fond of the fact that the 3.0 liter Hurricane engine doesn’t have a dipstick. Don’t worry, BMW owners can relate, from EmotionalSupportBMW:
Twin turbo 3.0 inline 6 with no dipstick? Shouldn’t it be called Ram 335i? Will every gasket be made of of hopes and dreams? Are we sure it’s not just an N54?
This morning, Jason wrote a Cold Start regarding the so-called “unexpected turmoil” over turn indicator colors. AlterId had a comment about whales:
White turn signals became Dr.Allen’s white whale…
Sadly for him, it never became his ambergris.
Finally, let’s stop at Mark’s Shitbox Showdown, a duel between a wagon and a van. TheDrunkenWrench makes a good point:
WAGON. The answer is always wagon. Why do we keep having this conversation over settled law? *glances nervously at Supreme Court*
Everyone knows turning things into wagons is always a good thing! Have a good evening, everyone.
Trucks with race-car acceleration are a menace, pure and simple. Remember the old equation: momentum is mass x acceleration. Whether it be a pickup or a large EV, doubling the mass of an object quadruples the impact. When big & tall heavyweight vehicles predominate, driving something like Miata or a GTI or a vintage sedan becomes riskier business. And that impairs the car hobby for rest of us!
I have not trusted Motor Trend to provide reliable data for the past 15 years or more. If you read it for entertainment, then that’s fine. If you want automotive information, please go elsewhere.
My truck is slow as dog shit. It’s fine.
I didn’t know dog shit was mobile and had a velocity.
Depends on the dog…
And what they ate most recently
This is the classical “The shit has hit the fan” scenario.
My 2021 Miata RF manual is spec’d at 5.8 seconds to 60, so there.
Woo! I made the list again! I am willing to die on the hill that wagons are superior.
Gimme a wagon that can tug 6000lbs and I’ll never buy another truck.
Best I can do is an SUV.
That’s just like a wagon. With worse handling. And worse aerodynamics. And perches you on a barstool in traffic. And probably more difficult to park, or see obstacles.
Exactly the same.
Therein lies the issue. Especially since most SUVs are actually crossovers now, and the ones that aren’t are more expensive than their truck counterparts.
But if you call a wagon a CUV/SUV, regardless if what vehicle it might be, you magically get access to a tow rating.
Albeit, in America, it’ll be a woefully low tow value – as you should have bought a pickup truck, instead, despite not wanting that truck.
If you squint hard enough, maybe an Excursion?
Depending on the tow rating, maybe a Flex, from the same family? Now, if the doors slid, it would be a minivan, and no one would argue that point.
A shooting brake is the sports car version of a wagon, and they are awesome!
But then mfr’s wouldn’t know what to do with their money printer if it didn’t make trucks!
Don’t listen to these foolish people. Wagon/Estate is ALWAYS the answer, and there are no more made by ‘murican companies. I’ve been on the lookout for either an ’83 or ’94/’95 Chevy Caprice wagon for years in even somewhat still bolted together state…
v6 full size trucks are fine. not even one full tick slower than a v6 midsize truck. The Maverick hybrid gets 7.7-7.8 0-60 time and they are flying off the shelves. a truck that is over 2x larger and 3x more capable being just barely behind that is perfectly reasonable!
Too real, TheDrunkenWrench, too real.
If things keep going the way they are, all CUVs/SUVs will be required to have 3 or 4 rows, to make room for the kids you’re having to have whether you meant to, or were ready to, or genuinely just had a prophylaxis mishap, or not.