mnemonicj said:
The 2004 G35 Sedan beats 0-60 times of the TL, I have no doubt about that... why? Because it has more torque even though the TL has more HP. Horsepower is a function of torque and RPM, that is why torque matters, simple math.
The G35 has an advantage for a very simple reason: it is rear wheel drive. Traction is easier for a RWD car when you are drag racing. The numbers you posted seem a little odd for the 0-100 mph acceleration, because the TL numbers seem a little high. Maybe the TL suffers from a too-tall 3rd gear? Anyway, given how close the two cars are for 0-60 and the distinct traction advantage the G35 has, it just goes to show how capable the 3.2L in the TL is and how real those 270HP are.
I agree that torque matters, but not crank torque, because it is not crank torque that accelerates the car. Comparing crank torque between two cars is comparing apples to oranges because you are not taking into consideration the gearing. The shape of the torque curve gives you an idea of how peaky the engine is, but it doesn't tell you how fast the car is going to accelerate. However, given the HP curve and assuming that the gearing isn't horribly wrong, then you can get a very good idea of how the car is going to accelerate.
mnemonicj said:
Because diesel engines don't have the same RPM capabilities. Diesel is the only engine with low end torque that loses to a Honda. Honda engines are made for gas mileage, that is why they lower the low end torque. Barely anyone cares about torque, unless they know what they are talking about. They think horsepower is all the rage. Torque is what turns the wheel with more force to get a car going faster.
That's not true. Honda does not lower the low end torque on their engines. What they do is use as small an engine as they can get a way with and work their engines to breath better at high RPMs. This way you have an engine that is economical when driven slowly, and very powerful when driven fast. Sometimes this comes back and bite them in the @ss as they put in something that is simply too small: see Civic. As I've said before, crank torque output is displacement related, and if you check the dynos for any Honda engine, their torque output is similar to other engines of the same displacement at low to mid-RPMs, and maintain torque output better at higher RPMs. Torque is important, but not crank torque, because it is multiplied by the gearing into wheel torque, then divided by the wheel radius into forward thrust, which is the actual force accelerating the car.
mnemonicj said:
Nissan's torque curve hits its peak sooner than Honda in an RPM curve and it stays longer. That is why Nissan beats Honda in almost all 0-60 tests. Honda needs the high RPMs to get its horsepower.
Indeed if you want good 0-60 numbers, a good amount of low end torque is what you need to prevent bogging. However, for non-drag-racing performance, horse power is the only thing you care about. This is because assuming you have adequately optimized gearing, the engine producing higher HP gives you more wheel torque.
mnemonicj said:
Well LeeLee, how do you like your Mazda3? I am happy with mine. I got the Silver color because I like my car to look decent in the winter months. I had to get the manual transmission too. I don't think I will ever own an automatic again, it is too fun to drive a manual.
Ya, I like my 3 as well, it's been really good so far. There are some things which I don't like, a few rough edges here and there. Some times the suspension feels a little clunky when slowly driving over road imperfections, and the plastic used gets scoffed easy, which makes the interior look old fast. But I'll just have to be careful with it. 5-speed is where it's at

This particular engine doesn't need a 6-speed but sometimes I wish for one just to have a lower crusing RPM. Maybe the fuel economy will be even better. But you are right, I probably will never buy a car in automatic if it is also available in manual. It's good to see that Mazda is building over 20% of the Mazda3s with both manual transmission and the bigger 2.3L engine.