Saturday, October 4, 2014

Chart: Small Car Power-To-Weight Ratios

2015 Toyota Yaris had a decent power-to-weight ratio
Some people have been quick to point out that the new 2015 Toyota Yaris still uses a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. It also still makes about the same amount of power from its old (ahem ... "proven") 1NZ-FE engine as it did when it was found in the 2000 Toyota Echo. However, has anyone thought of its power-to-weight ratio? Remember: The Yaris is a bantamweight at just over 2,300 lbs.

Now, I understand most buyers aren't calculating power-to-weight ratios before deciding on which small car to purchase. Let's face it: horsepower sells. I mean, Seeing a Buick Encore making 138 horsepower from its turbocharged engine sounds pretty great to a buyer, right? But guess what? Its power-to-weight ratio is pretty low since it weighs a hefty 3,190 lbs—and that's not the all-wheel-drive model.

No, the new Yaris doesn't have the best power-to-weight ratio on the market, but it's far from the worst. That award goes to the Chevy spark. The best? Surprisingly the Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio get the top spots. That doesn't mean they're the fastest; the just have the best ratio.

Here's the chart with select other models and their figures.



3 comments:

24limes said...

You're missing the Fiesta ST at 13.8 lbs/hp!

Andy Lilienthal said...

This isnt a list of ALL small cars, just base models (no ST, Abarth, Sonic Turbo, ect.).

Unknown said...

Lbs/HP. Is that not weight to power????