Are Slow Cars Faster than Fast Cars?

With the coming of $4.00 per gallon gasoline, I seem to have been noticing a rather strange contradiction on our highways.  The Slow cars are travelling faster that the Fast cars.  Has anyone else noticed?

It’s kind of interesting.  The average highway non-commercial motor basically breaks down into three categories.

First there is the big guy.  Let’s call him 300 Horsepower plus.  Whether in a Sedan, Sports Ute or a big ole’ Pickup truck, this engine is strong.  Usually consisting of eight or more very puffy cylinders, this baby will move you out.  Zero to Sixty in lets say five seconds or less and a top speed of, well?  Almost unlimited for highway purposes.  It’ll chew up mountain roads or steep inclines as if they don’t even exist.  It’s simply “dog-gone” fast and comfy powerful.  It’s a real buzz.

Next there’s what we’ll call the mid-sized motor.  Usually of the six cylinder variety, this puppy will punch out adequate horsepower for most highway or local driving.  It’s not the Zero to Sixty screamer that the big guy is, but it’ll get the job done and will even tow a not too heavy boat or trailer if need be.  It’ll also deliver five to seven kids to Soccer Practice with all their paraphernalia and never really complain.  We’ll find this motor in most of our family type buggies.

Then of course, there’s the little guy.  Let’s suggest that this little popper will offer between a hundred to maybe a maximum of two hundred, hard found horsepower. It will usually come complete with a small car wrapped around it, useful primarily only to get two to four people from here to there – on pavement, and in reasonably decent weather.  This little Econo-box is not generally perceived as very fast and it’s Zero to Sixty times are, well let’s just say “far less than sparkling”.

This has been all very well and nice up until now.  Drivers would generally select the vehicle best suited for their needs and desires.  Generally, those who selected the larger or even some medium power engines, were not necessarily of the “slow driver’ persuasion.  Once they turned their engines out on the highway they would boogie right along.


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But now we have gasoline hovering around $4.00 a gallon.  There’s a teensy little wallet problem.  It’s called Miles per Gallon.

While the larger motors can go faster, they definitely gobble up more petro in the process.  The faster they go, the more gas they gobble.  Their little brothers, on the other hand, can be quite stingy with the liquid gold stuff, thus the nickname “Econo-box”.  They might not get to seventy or eighty quite as quickly or smoothly as their hungry brothers and sisters, but once they get there, they can stay there.

The difference between averaging fifty five and seventy five for the big boys could be maybe five or more Miles per Gallon.  For the little buggy, already running at thirty to thirty five Miles per Gallon, a difference of maybe two or three per, just doesn’t seem quite as significant, does it?  So the fast cars are slowing down while the slow cars just keep buzzing along!

Then of course, there’s what I like to call the “idle factor”.  Doesn’t really have much to do with faster driving, but if you’re a driver who tends to get caught up in a lot of traffic jams during your commute or whatever, the little guy doesn’t sip as much while standing still either.  The big guy?  Just keeps on gulping gallons.  Hmm.

This conundrum of course, doesn’t take into account a basic factor.  Many of us need the bigger buggies to haul all the kids around, tow a toy, or perhaps load up the pickup bed more than just occasionally.  The little guy just can’t get the job done.  We’re faced with the difficult decision of either sticking with our big boy, giving it up for the little guy that really doesn’t fill our requirements, or buying an extra little buggy for use when we don’t need all that “pull power.”

If we go the extra car route, then we have to lay out for the purchase and also the insurance.  Where’s the break even?

The insurance companies are getting a free ride here too.  My liability insurance covers me if I drive your car, but if I buy another one of my own, I’m hit with an extra liability premium!  Let the liability insurance attach to the driver.  I can’t drive two cars at once.  Help us be Green here, you politician type people!

Could it be that we’re suddenly facing a paradigm shift?  The Slow cars may be getting there faster than the Fast cars!

Want to get there faster?  Consider buying a slower car!


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Posted by Frank Miller at 5/30/2008 9:52 AM
Categories: Know your Machine

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