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I am perplexed by the insinuation that an average power car is less safe than a sports car on public roads. Everything I was taught shows that proper driving te

by yholio 5y ago

I am perplexed by the insinuation that an average power car is less safe than a sports car on public roads. Everything I was taught shows that proper driving technique is paramount, and I would have to see data supporting a contrary assertion. While we can construct edge scenarios where a fast car can get you out of trouble (mostly when overtaking) I'm willing to bet that's a marginal effect that is trumped by the inherent danger of very powerful cars in the hands of inexperienced drivers - i.e 100% of the first time buyers who never drove one. Seems more like a rationalisation for wanting a cool toy, "don't worry honey, those 500HP will mean the world when merging to drop the kids to school".

mattlondon 5y ago
Yeah this sounds to me like a lot of "whatabout"ing. "I can't drive anything that does less then 3s 0-60s because <insert some flimsy reason>". If you want a fast car, just come out and say it. Driving a high performance car can be exhilarating - I have a second/weekend fast car for precisely the reason that I enjoy it, but I don't pretend it is required or that it is particularly responsible or socially acceptable to boot it away from the lights or go accelerate like shit off of a stick when merging with faster traffic. My hybrid does 99% of my driving, and the other is strictly a weekend guilty pleasure. I've never been in a situation in normal driving where the hybrid couldn't do something my weekend car would have handled (apart from just blow someone off at the lights if they have pissed me off) The arguments here against PHEVs and EVs etc used to be towing speed boats up mountains every week (it was never made clear why people were taking speed boats up a mountain so frequently! Surely there is not much water up a mountain...) I guess people need new arguments now that range and towing and charging are solved issues for 99% of people's needs. I am sure someone will now reply about their journey out to meet their parents in the country with no chargers on the journey there etc etc... Did you try driving your speedboat there instead? :)
- Armisael16 5y ago
  The person I was responding to said the difference was impossible to notice on public roads. I gave an example of a situation where it is noticeable and everyone decided that I meant it was a situation where it’s necessary (despite explicitly saying that it isn’t necessary). It’s the kind of thread that makes me really wish people on the internet would read what’s written, not what they’d like to think was written.
  - zenexer 5y ago
    I still don’t really understand how you can end up in that situation. It seems contrived. With proper driving technique, it shouldn’t be possible. Granted, mistakes happen, but I’ve never been in a situation where the difference was noticeable or relevant.
    - pandaman 5y ago
      The argument here is about comfort, not impossibility. Someone who is comfortable driving a 5s 0-60 car just won't buy a 10s 0-60 replacement. Not because it is impossible to get to places in the latter but because it's uncomfortable. If you want these people to replace their 5s cars with hybrids you need to offer 5s hybrids.
      - mattlondon 5y ago
        > If you want these people to replace their 5s cars with hybrids you need to offer 5s hybrids. These are readily available.

by yholio 5y ago

mattlondon 5y ago

Yeah this sounds to me like a lot of "whatabout"ing. "I can't drive anything that does less then 3s 0-60s because <insert some flimsy reason>". If you want a fast car, just come out and say it. Driving a high performance car can be exhilarating - I have a second/weekend fast car for precisely the reason that I enjoy it, but I don't pretend it is required or that it is particularly responsible or socially acceptable to boot it away from the lights or go accelerate like shit off of a stick when merging with faster traffic. My hybrid does 99% of my driving, and the other is strictly a weekend guilty pleasure. I've never been in a situation in normal driving where the hybrid couldn't do something my weekend car would have handled (apart from just blow someone off at the lights if they have pissed me off) The arguments here against PHEVs and EVs etc used to be towing speed boats up mountains every week (it was never made clear why people were taking speed boats up a mountain so frequently! Surely there is not much water up a mountain...) I guess people need new arguments now that range and towing and charging are solved issues for 99% of people's needs. I am sure someone will now reply about their journey out to meet their parents in the country with no chargers on the journey there etc etc... Did you try driving your speedboat there instead? :)

Armisael16 5y ago
The person I was responding to said the difference was impossible to notice on public roads. I gave an example of a situation where it is noticeable and everyone decided that I meant it was a situation where it’s necessary (despite explicitly saying that it isn’t necessary). It’s the kind of thread that makes me really wish people on the internet would read what’s written, not what they’d like to think was written.
- zenexer 5y ago
  I still don’t really understand how you can end up in that situation. It seems contrived. With proper driving technique, it shouldn’t be possible. Granted, mistakes happen, but I’ve never been in a situation where the difference was noticeable or relevant.
  - pandaman 5y ago
    The argument here is about comfort, not impossibility. Someone who is comfortable driving a 5s 0-60 car just won't buy a 10s 0-60 replacement. Not because it is impossible to get to places in the latter but because it's uncomfortable. If you want these people to replace their 5s cars with hybrids you need to offer 5s hybrids.
    - mattlondon 5y ago
      > If you want these people to replace their 5s cars with hybrids you need to offer 5s hybrids. These are readily available.