Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
There is no debate, you can easily CALCULATE the HP the engine is making at the RPM range I mentioned. and the Hyundai would indeed make well less than 100HP and that would be at full throttle. You only need about 20-30 HP to maintain a crusing speed of 60. How many drivers would you guess require WOT to maintain speed on a highway? the 200HP 4-cylinder braggin rights are "unusable power". How much time do you spend at 6000 rpm with the car floored? Almost ZILCH. So the Ford V8 torque and HP are accessable on a daily basis(1000-4000rpm), and helpfull to speed the car down the interstate at 70 MPH at 1500 rpm. Wherein lies the fuel milage secret of the GMQ/CV - low rpm due to steep OD and tall rear gearing. I rented a pretty old CV years ago for a trip from NH to New Jersey. I got 29 MPG going ~ 70-75 on the interstate. NO [censored]. IIRC I had a hyundai Accent at the time (3 door) and NO WAY was I going to take my wife and a weeks worth of luggage in that trap to NJ. Accent worked fine as a 20 mile 1-way commuter and daily run about. Look at the cars in my sig. I am NOT big car biased.
You extremely off base because if anyone only designed a car to have usable power at redline it wouldn't sell period.
The engine is designed to have almost all of it's usable tq in the lower revs and not rev to oblivion to get it. Do you actually think you can WOT a car in high gear and not have the TCM kickdown to a lower gear? You can defend the Crown-vic all you want and but don't go making claims that just because it is a I4 it won't make torque without going to redline. Ideally most cars never see redline and stay in the narrow rev range you noted. The Sonata is no exception but when it has to move it can, much quicker than the Crown-vic/GMQ. I noted the maximum power because when push did come to shove climbing a steep grade the Sonata would have NO problem doing it. HP is all that matters when you have to climb a hill like that and you are already moving. TQ only matters starting from a low gear & at low speed. Even the CV/GMQ would to kick out of 4th to 3rd.
I really don't know why you'd even mention an Accent as we are taking a midsize not compact(I used to own one myself BTW).
The Sonata is as big inside as a CV/GMQ, gets better fuel economy, safer in many ways, and comes with a warranty. The only plus on the CV/GMQ side is cost.
So think what you want but IMO the CV/GMQ is not the "best" highway car. There are plenty better ones depending on your price range.
