Sunday, August 27, 2017

Understanding the Effect of Horsepower on Fuel Consumption

The horsepower of the car is one of the most crucial factors to consider when buying a car. It not only affects the car’s speed but also the fuel consumption. Regardless of how less the pre-owned or salvage cars at auto auctions may cost, you also have to ensure that the car has the high horsepower for optimum performance, as the economics of running the car will catch up with time. Although you may increase the horsepower of your car with minor repairs and modifications, it is crucial that you understand how horsepower is related to fuel consumption. This blog post aims to help you understand the effects of horsepower on fuel consumption. Read on.



Engine Power and Torque are Related

A car’s engine power and torque are directly related. While power is defined as the rate of doing work, in a car’s engine the power that is generated due to the rotation of the engine’s crankshaft and is measured as a function of its torque and speed. Torque, therefore, defines the amount of work an engine can do, while horsepower defines how quickly the engine can complete the work. High horsepower, thus, becomes an essential consideration for car owners wanting to zip around on the roads at high speed, though, such car’s may result in more fuel usage.

How Much Horsepower You Require? 

It is difficult to determine how much horsepower you may require, as it all depends on your needs. The power needed to drive the car on a highway is not significant, but the size and weight of your car play a crucial role in determining how much horsepower is required to power it at highway speeds. While in the 1970s the horsepower of subcompact and compact vehicles used to be in between 50 to 75 units, today it ranges between 100 and 200 units. In addition to increased horsepower, the torque and weight of car’s have almost tripled and doubled simultaneously. Fuel consumption, though, depends on the size of the engine.

What Can You Do?

The foremost thing you need to do is take fuel consumption into consideration when buying a vehicle, new or pre-owned. This means you need to assess the car on its fuel consumption and not top speed. Focus on buying a fuel-efficient vehicle, irrespective of its size and weight. Small and light cars are more fuel-efficient.

Savings and Other Benefits

Power describes the speed of converting energy. This means higher the power, more will be car’s fuel consumption. A majority of manufacturers offer a couple of engines choices for every model, a standard and a sports or exclusive version. Though, the higher-level engine has greater fuel consumption rating and also runs on premium fuel. This means you will have to shell out a high price for running the car with higher engine variant.

Final Few Words

This debate about what to consider top-speed or fuel-efficiency is ever-going, the choice of the car really boils down to what you desire from your car. As we have seen, buying a car with high horsepower may see you compromise with fuel-efficiency. Also, car’s with high horsepower have a higher price tag. If you are searching for a budgeted solution, the online auto auction is the place to check out. You can find several pre-owned and salvage models of renowned brands on these auto salvage auctions. Auto auction buy online gives you an opportunity to get your dream car at a throwaway price and then repair or modify it according to your needs.

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