You Know You Have A Powerful Car...

"PS9" (PS9)
12/20/2016 at 23:01 • Filed to: Sadness

...when you can be outrun by a 10 wheeler. When you feel the power decrease when the AC clutches in. When even a base model crossover can cut you off with impunity.

DISCUSSION (33)

whoarder is tellurium > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:04

When turning the A/C off under full throttle feels like VTEC yo.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:06

That AC one was very painfully true with my old Metro.

fhrblig > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:16

Nissan Versa Note + CVT + A/C = 17 MPH

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:20

That took a lot of getting used to for me when I started driving the Alfa.

Orange Exige > fhrblig
12/20/2016 at 23:30

17 mph but at least 40mpg... Ż\_()_/Ż

Seriously though, I actually just rented one for a week of mixed driving (a lot in the city too), over 200 miles, using A/C virtually the whole time (Puerto Rico...) and averaged 39+ mpg. I was very peeved the last day somehow dropped me under 40.

Slower speed limits help, but ultimately that’s about all you can ask with a rental car imo.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:35

Downshifting to 3rd in the Niva makes it incredibly loud but also allows you to slowly creep from 60 to 65mph to allow you to pass cars... eventually. It’ll hit nearly 85mph at redline in 4th but it takes a several mile run and it stops feeling safe at around 75. Well, I mean it starts feeling dangerous at 75, it doesn’t really feel hugely safe above 50 mph... it was most definitely not designed with highway cruising in mind.

fhrblig > Orange Exige
12/20/2016 at 23:41

I have a couple in my work fleet, and when I’ve had to drive them for any extended period of time I want to set them on fire. I’d much rather drive our old previous-generation Versa with the 4-speed auto and 20+ more hp.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/20/2016 at 23:48

Holy crap, when did you get an Alfa?

smobgirl > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:54

Sounds like my old Sentra.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > PS9
12/20/2016 at 23:54

You have an NA Miata?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
12/21/2016 at 00:04

Over the summer. Well, technically several years ago it came into our possession, but we officially became the owners and got it running over the summer.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/of-happenings-1782968582

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > PS9
12/21/2016 at 00:06

I knew the civic had to go when I attempted to pass an older Kia Sportage, failed, and had to fall back behind it..

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/21/2016 at 00:06

That is absolutely stunning. Have you gone to your local Alfa dealer in it to take pics with the 4C (and Giulia within the next few weeks)?

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > PS9
12/21/2016 at 00:07

I once had a Tercel five-door manual hatchback with AFTERMARKET A/C that acted like a speed brake when engaged. The whole car shuddered a little.

I loved that little car.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > PS9
12/21/2016 at 00:10

...when the racecar version can take every corner of every track flat out.

Kinja'd!!!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
12/21/2016 at 00:11

I went to the one in the city where I’m going to college to test drive a 124 Spider, but I haven’t gone to our local Alfa dealer yet.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
12/21/2016 at 00:22

If they eventually have a white Giulia and a white 4C in at the same time, that would be one of the best family photos of all time.

TheHondaBro > whoarder is tellurium
12/21/2016 at 00:50

Can confirm.

E90M3 > smobgirl
12/21/2016 at 01:12

What year Sentra? My good friends sister had a 1996 when we were in high school, and we’d borrow it sometimes. Even thought it only had like 115 hp, it wasn’t the slowest thing ever probably cause it only weighed something like 2300 lbs.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > PS9
12/21/2016 at 07:10

HA! ALL 110hp is at my disposal in my Accent because it doesn’t HAVE A/C! Sucks to be you! :P

Oh....wait...

bhtooefr > PS9
12/21/2016 at 07:20

So, my first car was an 85 Jetta diesel, with all of 52 horsepower.

Yes, I raced against a garbage truck and lost... and the garbage truck driver didn’t know it was happening.

bingham123 > PS9
12/21/2016 at 07:35

now imagine driving 2.2 tons of land rover discovery automatic, with 7 people in, towing a caravan.... uphill on the motorway. total weight 3.5-4 tons powered by 2.5L of turbo diesel fury with 120hp (in 1995).

i loved that thing but my god was it slow, flat out i got 70mph (downhill) and then 30 uphill. put the ac on and you go from 17mpg down to...... drumroll please....... 7mpg.

still the best Ł200 iv spent on a car

DipodomysDeserti > bhtooefr
12/21/2016 at 07:42

Holy shit. My forty+ year old sub 500cc motorcycle makes 45 hp.

bhtooefr > DipodomysDeserti
12/21/2016 at 08:15

Well, I mean, there were really three other cars in the price bracket with similar mileage, and I had to be prepared for 100 miles a day... but they’re much smaller cars.

The Jetta was about 2350 lbs and 52 hp.

The Geo Metro’s about 1500 lbs and 55 hp.

The Honda CRX HF’s about 1900 lbs and 62 hp. (You know things are weird when a CRX is heavy for the class.) And, that’s if you could find one. (Even 11 years ago when I bought my Jetta, those were rare. Then again, so were diesel VWs.)

The Ford Festiva’s about 1700 lbs and 63 hp.

None of these cars were fast by any means...

spanfucker retire bitch > PS9
12/21/2016 at 08:29

Sounds like the Toyota Matrix I used to drive. If I wanted to pass someone in a timely manner, I’d turn off the HVAC system.

smobgirl > E90M3
12/21/2016 at 09:22

I think it was a 99. It wasn’t the slowest ever but it was pretty sluggish. The a/c off = turbo button was definitely a thing. But hey, 40 mpg!

E90M3 > smobgirl
12/21/2016 at 10:13

Well it felt like a rocket ship compared to my 1997 Explorer.

Orange Exige > fhrblig
12/21/2016 at 14:34

I’m thinking the one I drove was a normal auto unless they’re all CVTs now...?

The thing was quiet as a mouse and very disengaging. I would never buy one but I could it being a good enough car for the 99%.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > bhtooefr
12/21/2016 at 16:11

I’m pretty sure those had 54HP...

:-)

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > bhtooefr
12/21/2016 at 16:15

The Festiva was faster than most people expected. I owned one.

0-60 was around 10 seconds. One time I beat a Nissan 240SX across the intersection. The 240SX driver didn’t like that.

Top speed was only around 150km/h to 160km/h. And you couldn’t do much over 110 to 120km/h in rain because the windshield wipers would aerodynamically lift off the windshield.

bhtooefr > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
12/21/2016 at 17:42

That depends on the exact revision, which emissions control standard it was designed to, how the power was measured, and what horsepower unit you use.

And, 54 is in PS and using DIN measurement, which would be 53.2 American horsepower. And, everything is claimed at 52 horsepower SAE.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > bhtooefr
12/21/2016 at 17:52

Well either way, it makes me think of this saying:

Kinja'd!!!

fhrblig > Orange Exige
12/21/2016 at 18:18

The other problem is they use way cheaper materials now compared to the old Versa. The whole car feels so fragile.