"Outdoors in Oregon" wrote


I've never really understood the fixation on HP/Torque.

If you had the choice between two vehicles:

1.0x HP/Torque and 1.5x MPG

vs

1.5x HP/Torque and 1.0x MPG

Is there some level when HP/Torque is just sufficient for
what you need? I would have thought for 99% of people
we would have long since hit that point.
- Ken


Well, as a guy that loaded 900 lbs of dog and probably another 700 of misc
in the bed and THEN hooked up the travel trailer and headed over Donner
Summit, several times a year .... I understand wanting adequate 'ability' in
a truck .... but

truth be told

I don't have a clue what torque really is and I can imagine it actually
taking 350 healthy horses to pull my truck, either g

Truck buyers seem to fall into two broad categories .... those that have
almost zero real need for a truck, but think they are 'way cool' in one ...
and people that actually need a truck to do truck work. Oddly, I'd bet
many bucks that it's the first group, not the second, that has fueled the
'power wars' that have misguided Detroit lately.

All that said .... when I'm towing the trailer to Montahoming this year I'm
going to be glad to have the extra muscle ..... NOT, because I really want
or need to go faster than the old truck would take me .... mainly because
it's such an impatient world out there now, especially on two lane roads,
that 'comfortable pace' is likely to trigger extremely stupid behavior in
those behind you ... even if they only have to be back there 3 miles .... so
I 'try to go fast as I can' on two lane roads more than freeways !!

Larry L ( who thinks everyone should be required to tow a heavy trailer 200
miles in a wide variety of terrain and traffic before being licensed to
drive ANY vehicle ... )