Car Dealer’s Secret Lingo?
How many of you out there when shopping for a car couldn’t understand half of what the dealer was saying? “Engine torque of this model…” or “And this has a displacement of…” Sounds familiar?
Recently I was at a Mitsubishi dealer in town and got the same script. I was just wondering if he really thought that the average car buyer actually understands what he’s talking about. So for the benefit of myself and millions of others who just really want a good looking, value for your money, comfortable, safe and probably fast car, I decided to create a series of posts dedicated to the most common terms we hear, nod and say “that’s great!” but most probably have no idea what they’re talking about. Also included are some assumptions and/or misconceptions.
Base curb weight- Simply put this is how much your car or vehicle weighs. Sans passengers, cargo optional equipment/accessories. But this does include a full tank of fuel and all the oils and fluids necessary to run/operate the vehicle. Having said all this, it doesn’t mean that the lighter the car, the faster it will go. A lot of factors go into the speed of the vehicle. The car maybe light but if the engine isn’t powerful enough i.e., horsepower to weight ratio then some kid on a BMX might just pass leave you behind. A proper example of correct power to weight ratio is the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. It is powered by a 3.8li V6 MIVEC engine that produces 265 hp and can propel the 3545 lb. car from 0-60mph in under 60 seconds.
Displacement- Basically it’s how much air-fuel mixture is drawn in during a engine cycle.
More to follow.
