As noted in my review, I really like driving the new Ford Fusion. I even find its rear seat the most comfortable in the midsize sedan segment. But I’m only 5-9, and even I can tell that the Fusion (top photo) doesn’t have nearly as much legroom as the VW Passat (bottom photo). Ford’s official specs (displayed here until we… More →
Category: Car Specifications
Car Specifications
Is Ford cheating the specs for the new 2013 Escape?
Inputting the interior dimensions for the redesigned crossover, the combination of 43.1 inches of front legroom and 36.8 inches of rear legroom surprised me. I’ve been in the new Escape, and its rear seat is considerably tighter than most in the segment. Yet these specs from the brochure (and various popular car sites) suggest it should rank among the roomiest.… More →
VW and Audi still using DIN rather than SAE horsepower ratings?
Back in 2002, Jaguar had to restate the power output of its engines in the U.S. because it had been using the DIN (German) rather than the SAE (American) formula for horsepower. Since 100 DIN horsepower are equal to 98.6 SAE horsepower, Jaguar’s “400-horsepower” supercharged V8 ended up being credited with a less impressive 390. (Why not 394? Apparently it… More →
How large can the Honda Accord get?
Back when I first became interested in cars, the second-generation Honda Accord was one of the hottest products on the market. People liked it because it was thoughtfully designed, well-assembled, agile, and compact. What it was not: fast or roomy. Owners looked down on Detroit iron as unnecessarily large and wasteful. For 2008, Honda has introduced an eighth generation Accord.… More →
Best cars for tall, long-legged, and large people?
From time to time I receive an email asking which cars are most comfortable for someone who is tall, long-legged, large, or all of the above. Problem is, I’m none of the above–at 5-9 and 175 pounds I’m probably very close to the size person cars are designed around. So this isn’t something I can evaluate well during my test… More →
Specs you can’t trust: curb weight and cargo volume
Vehicle specifications seem simple enough. After all, scales and tape measures provide numbers that would appear to required no interpretation. And yet, for at least two major specifications, there are enough hard to explain anomalies in the official numbers that they cannot be readily trusted.