The 1.0L Geo only had 50ish horses or less than that. The 1.3L in the Festiva/Aspire put out 65hp and the 1.3L 4cyl in the Geo put out the same. Lowest horsepower today haven't a clue.
Which car has least horsepower sold in the USA ?
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Originally Posted By: Errtt
I rode in a friends Dodge Colt and when were going to merge on the freeway, I told him "you better get on it". He said it was floored and I thought he was taking his sweet time. I don't know what it had, but he must of had something wrong with his. Floored was like easy gradual acceleration in stop and go traffic. I was getting worried when a line of big rigs was coming. We rode the shoulder a bit because we didn't gain enough speed to flow right on in.
Afterward when we were on some back streets, he was flooring it, a shift light would come etc. I thought it was easy grandma driving but he said that he was flooring it because it was to doggy underpowered.
He bought it that way, sold it soon and never did get around to finding out why it was so gutless.
That thing acted like it never got to 20% throttle - so slow and miserable we should have never got on the freeway. I couldn't believe he downshifted and floored it and it still struggled up hill terribly that we were slowing down traffic in the slow lane.I told him he should cuff and arrest himself for buying it and driving it on the road as is.
There is a hill in eastern Ohio going into West Virginia, its a good long incline and your engine will get to see what it has got. First of all, everyone is doing between 70 and 80mph. Then the grade starts. IF you are in a car like that, you will have to, HAVE TO downshift to 4th gear to even MAINTAIN your speed. The amount of power your engine has, not so much how much its weighed down (is your 400-500lbs aunt in the front seat with you? Maybe a trunk full of briefcases? Are her two 350lbs friends in the beackseat too? How much weight, etc etc) .. and if it doesnt work, you WILL be in 3rd gear, redlining it, to maintain speed IF the engine is that small.
4-speed Volkswagen Fox you would probably have to do 60mph redlining 2nd up the hill, or 50mph.
I rode in a friends Dodge Colt and when were going to merge on the freeway, I told him "you better get on it". He said it was floored and I thought he was taking his sweet time. I don't know what it had, but he must of had something wrong with his. Floored was like easy gradual acceleration in stop and go traffic. I was getting worried when a line of big rigs was coming. We rode the shoulder a bit because we didn't gain enough speed to flow right on in.
Afterward when we were on some back streets, he was flooring it, a shift light would come etc. I thought it was easy grandma driving but he said that he was flooring it because it was to doggy underpowered.
He bought it that way, sold it soon and never did get around to finding out why it was so gutless.
That thing acted like it never got to 20% throttle - so slow and miserable we should have never got on the freeway. I couldn't believe he downshifted and floored it and it still struggled up hill terribly that we were slowing down traffic in the slow lane.I told him he should cuff and arrest himself for buying it and driving it on the road as is.
There is a hill in eastern Ohio going into West Virginia, its a good long incline and your engine will get to see what it has got. First of all, everyone is doing between 70 and 80mph. Then the grade starts. IF you are in a car like that, you will have to, HAVE TO downshift to 4th gear to even MAINTAIN your speed. The amount of power your engine has, not so much how much its weighed down (is your 400-500lbs aunt in the front seat with you? Maybe a trunk full of briefcases? Are her two 350lbs friends in the beackseat too? How much weight, etc etc) .. and if it doesnt work, you WILL be in 3rd gear, redlining it, to maintain speed IF the engine is that small.
4-speed Volkswagen Fox you would probably have to do 60mph redlining 2nd up the hill, or 50mph.
Here's a list I found. Granted it does include hybrids.
10. Honda CR-Z
Horsepower: 113 HP
Base Price: $19,950
9. Chevy Aveo
Horsepower: 108 HP
Base Price: $11,965
8. Nissan LEAF
Horsepower: 107 HP
Base Price: $35,200 (comes with a $7,500 tax credit)
7. Toyota Yaris
Horsepower: 106 HP
Base Price: $13,155
6. Mazda Mazda2
Horsepower: 100 HP
Base Price: $14,180
5. Lexus CT 200h
Horsepower: 98 HP
Base Price: $29,120
4. Toyota Prius
Horsepower: 98 HP
Base Price: $22,120
3. Honda Civic Hybrid
Horsepower: 93 HP
Base Price: $23,950
2. Honda Insight
Horsepower: 88 HP
Base Price: $18,200
1. Smart Fortwo Electric Drive
Horsepower: 40 HP
Base Price: $28,795 (for a 4-year lease)
28k for 40HP. What a joke.
10. Honda CR-Z
Horsepower: 113 HP
Base Price: $19,950
9. Chevy Aveo
Horsepower: 108 HP
Base Price: $11,965
8. Nissan LEAF
Horsepower: 107 HP
Base Price: $35,200 (comes with a $7,500 tax credit)
7. Toyota Yaris
Horsepower: 106 HP
Base Price: $13,155
6. Mazda Mazda2
Horsepower: 100 HP
Base Price: $14,180
5. Lexus CT 200h
Horsepower: 98 HP
Base Price: $29,120
4. Toyota Prius
Horsepower: 98 HP
Base Price: $22,120
3. Honda Civic Hybrid
Horsepower: 93 HP
Base Price: $23,950
2. Honda Insight
Horsepower: 88 HP
Base Price: $18,200
1. Smart Fortwo Electric Drive
Horsepower: 40 HP
Base Price: $28,795 (for a 4-year lease)
28k for 40HP. What a joke.
Not a current car, but my dad used to have a diesel Chevy Luv. The engine was naturally aspirated and made only 58 hp.
We live in Western NY, which is mostly very flat. That truck had difficulty going up even our very gradual hills. Hills that any modern car could go up at speed in overdrive without even noticing, he'd have to downshift and turn on the heat so the engine didn't overheat. It would belch black smoke like crazy.
That truck got great gas mileage though - he averaged around 45 mpg. The engine was very tough, but the body rusted around it. He sold the truck to the co-worker who swapped the engine into something else.
We live in Western NY, which is mostly very flat. That truck had difficulty going up even our very gradual hills. Hills that any modern car could go up at speed in overdrive without even noticing, he'd have to downshift and turn on the heat so the engine didn't overheat. It would belch black smoke like crazy.
That truck got great gas mileage though - he averaged around 45 mpg. The engine was very tough, but the body rusted around it. He sold the truck to the co-worker who swapped the engine into something else.
Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Not a current car, but my dad used to have a diesel Chevy Luv. The engine was naturally aspirated and made only 58 hp.
We live in Western NY, which is mostly very flat. That truck had difficulty going up even our very gradual hills. Hills that any modern car could go up at speed in overdrive without even noticing, he'd have to downshift and turn on the heat so the engine didn't overheat. It would belch black smoke like crazy.
That truck got great gas mileage though - he averaged around 45 mpg. The engine was very tough, but the body rusted around it. He sold the truck to the co-worker who swapped the engine into something else.
58hp? That was a powerhouse compared to the 1.6 Rabbit diesel a girl I dated had. It was something like 48 hp.
Flooring it created a lot of soot and noise but not much acceleration. If you buried the comically small accelerator pedal into the floor it might eventually hit 65mph. Unless of course you had to go uphill. Then, kids on 50cc Honda Spree scooters would pass you.
But on the plus side, the scooter was the only thing getting better fuel economy.
Not a current car, but my dad used to have a diesel Chevy Luv. The engine was naturally aspirated and made only 58 hp.
We live in Western NY, which is mostly very flat. That truck had difficulty going up even our very gradual hills. Hills that any modern car could go up at speed in overdrive without even noticing, he'd have to downshift and turn on the heat so the engine didn't overheat. It would belch black smoke like crazy.
That truck got great gas mileage though - he averaged around 45 mpg. The engine was very tough, but the body rusted around it. He sold the truck to the co-worker who swapped the engine into something else.
58hp? That was a powerhouse compared to the 1.6 Rabbit diesel a girl I dated had. It was something like 48 hp.
Flooring it created a lot of soot and noise but not much acceleration. If you buried the comically small accelerator pedal into the floor it might eventually hit 65mph. Unless of course you had to go uphill. Then, kids on 50cc Honda Spree scooters would pass you.
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Errtt
I rode in a friends Dodge Colt and when were going to merge on the freeway, I told him "you better get on it". He said it was floored and I thought he was taking his sweet time. I don't know what it had, but he must of had something wrong with his. Floored was like easy gradual acceleration in stop and go traffic. I was getting worried when a line of big rigs was coming. We rode the shoulder a bit because we didn't gain enough speed to flow right on in.
Afterward when we were on some back streets, he was flooring it, a shift light would come etc. I thought it was easy grandma driving but he said that he was flooring it because it was to doggy underpowered.
He bought it that way, sold it soon and never did get around to finding out why it was so gutless.
That thing acted like it never got to 20% throttle - so slow and miserable we should have never got on the freeway. I couldn't believe he downshifted and floored it and it still struggled up hill terribly that we were slowing down traffic in the slow lane.
I told him he should cuff and arrest himself for buying it and driving it on the road as is.
Do you remember what year it was? The '84 base had 68HP.
My aunt's sentra was dangerously slow as well. She never passed in it.... It was incapable of doing it.
I don't recall what year it was but he said the ol Opal-Kadet he had prior would kick its butt any day, but the Simca he had (before I knew him at the time) might be the only other competitive car he has ever owned.
Last I knew while he was fixing to move out of state, he was looking at a 61 Mercury Comet that had a straight 6 cylinder which was probably a big motor to him. He always was a cheap penny pincher looking for the cheapest - never could hold on to a gal for long because he was to cheap in that way - but I bet with the job he had, he had a decent bank/savings account. I remember going over once and it was so cold in his [censored] home because he didn't like paying the gas bill to heat it - he would bundle up, usually listen to a radio by one light bulb and had the nerve to ask if I knew anyone having a BBQ or something where there was food.
I was surprised that he drove me once as its usually the other way around. But then again I was on to a medal detecting trip and he wanted to go - hoping for something good in the finds and of course as usual, I always bought lunch. Got to where I didn't visit much - he was someone that I met in my line of work at the time, friendly but cheap all around kind of guy
Originally Posted By: Errtt
I rode in a friends Dodge Colt and when were going to merge on the freeway, I told him "you better get on it". He said it was floored and I thought he was taking his sweet time. I don't know what it had, but he must of had something wrong with his. Floored was like easy gradual acceleration in stop and go traffic. I was getting worried when a line of big rigs was coming. We rode the shoulder a bit because we didn't gain enough speed to flow right on in.
Afterward when we were on some back streets, he was flooring it, a shift light would come etc. I thought it was easy grandma driving but he said that he was flooring it because it was to doggy underpowered.
He bought it that way, sold it soon and never did get around to finding out why it was so gutless.
That thing acted like it never got to 20% throttle - so slow and miserable we should have never got on the freeway. I couldn't believe he downshifted and floored it and it still struggled up hill terribly that we were slowing down traffic in the slow lane.
I told him he should cuff and arrest himself for buying it and driving it on the road as is.
Do you remember what year it was? The '84 base had 68HP.
My aunt's sentra was dangerously slow as well. She never passed in it.... It was incapable of doing it.
I don't recall what year it was but he said the ol Opal-Kadet he had prior would kick its butt any day, but the Simca he had (before I knew him at the time) might be the only other competitive car he has ever owned.
Last I knew while he was fixing to move out of state, he was looking at a 61 Mercury Comet that had a straight 6 cylinder which was probably a big motor to him. He always was a cheap penny pincher looking for the cheapest - never could hold on to a gal for long because he was to cheap in that way - but I bet with the job he had, he had a decent bank/savings account. I remember going over once and it was so cold in his [censored] home because he didn't like paying the gas bill to heat it - he would bundle up, usually listen to a radio by one light bulb and had the nerve to ask if I knew anyone having a BBQ or something where there was food.
I was surprised that he drove me once as its usually the other way around. But then again I was on to a medal detecting trip and he wanted to go - hoping for something good in the finds and of course as usual, I always bought lunch. Got to where I didn't visit much - he was someone that I met in my line of work at the time, friendly but cheap all around kind of guy
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That sounds like one of my dad's friends! Same sort of affair, always had the heat close to "off", drove tiny little cars and would turn them off on hills to "save fuel". He'd also shut them off at every stop light.
Originally Posted By: Eric Smith
The 1.0L Geo only had 50ish horses or less than that. The 1.3L in the Festiva/Aspire put out 65hp and the 1.3L 4cyl in the Geo put out the same. Lowest horsepower today haven't a clue.
And the XFE or whatever they called it had a special cam that made even less MPG. That was the 53/58MPG special that they hoped the halo would spread to the other, more powerful metros.
My benz 240D had 68 hp and lots of metal to drag around. Thankfully, a stick shift helped those horses find pavement. Floored, in first gear, others wondered if it really was my turn through the four-way stop, as the rolling car wasn't assertive enough.
The 1.0L Geo only had 50ish horses or less than that. The 1.3L in the Festiva/Aspire put out 65hp and the 1.3L 4cyl in the Geo put out the same. Lowest horsepower today haven't a clue.
And the XFE or whatever they called it had a special cam that made even less MPG. That was the 53/58MPG special that they hoped the halo would spread to the other, more powerful metros.
My benz 240D had 68 hp and lots of metal to drag around. Thankfully, a stick shift helped those horses find pavement. Floored, in first gear, others wondered if it really was my turn through the four-way stop, as the rolling car wasn't assertive enough.
The way the local Prius drivers go around here, you'd swear the Prius was the worlds most underpowered car. 55 in a 70, in the left lane.
I drove a Kia Rio recently, it was quite slow. The engine was tuned for torque and clearly was unable to produce much power at higher RPM. While it is rated at 106HP, I don't believe it. I've owned plenty of 100HP cars. This was not in the same power class.
So, that get's my vote for the most underpowered car, as far as power to weight is concerned.
An interesting way to look at HP is to review the "road and track" magazine "road test summary". They list performance specs. Obviously, the slow cars are not making much power. It's clear from the specs that some HP is more equal than other HP.
I drove a Kia Rio recently, it was quite slow. The engine was tuned for torque and clearly was unable to produce much power at higher RPM. While it is rated at 106HP, I don't believe it. I've owned plenty of 100HP cars. This was not in the same power class.
So, that get's my vote for the most underpowered car, as far as power to weight is concerned.
An interesting way to look at HP is to review the "road and track" magazine "road test summary". They list performance specs. Obviously, the slow cars are not making much power. It's clear from the specs that some HP is more equal than other HP.
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Originally Posted By: Nick R
Originally Posted By: SMB
Smart Fortwo maybe.
Geo Metro 1.0L 3 cylinder probably if they still made it.
My first car ever! 1992 Geo Metro I bought used with 45K miles on it in 1994 for $4K (a 2 year old car for $4k!). Power nothing, 5-speed. Ah, those were the days.
This car started my DIY oil change habit as I bought Castrol GTX by the case for a-buck-something per quart at the time. I was a poor college kid and could pay the shop $20 or DIY it for less than half of that...I had beer to buy after all!!!
Originally Posted By: SMB
Smart Fortwo maybe.
Geo Metro 1.0L 3 cylinder probably if they still made it.
My first car ever! 1992 Geo Metro I bought used with 45K miles on it in 1994 for $4K (a 2 year old car for $4k!). Power nothing, 5-speed. Ah, those were the days.
This car started my DIY oil change habit as I bought Castrol GTX by the case for a-buck-something per quart at the time. I was a poor college kid and could pay the shop $20 or DIY it for less than half of that...I had beer to buy after all!!!
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