If you’ve ever read a car’s specs and got more confused afterward, you’re not alone. For those who don’t know their torque for their horsepower and their OTR for their MMRP, researching new cars online can be a challenge. But before you think about heading to those car dealerships in Southampton, it’s worth understanding the basics.
Price is probably one of the most important considerations when buying a new car. Online and offline, cars are sometimes advertised with two prices, but the one you need to pay attention to is the OTR, or the price on the road. This includes everything to ensure your car can be legally driven, it includes the showroom price and everything else from the registration fee, license plates, shipping costs, road tax (for at least 6 months), insurance, VAT, and sometimes even an extended warranty and fuel. In general, the OTR price is non-negotiable, but it doesn’t hurt to haggle! MMRP or manufacturer recommended retail price and list price are the same as road price.
Car specs are often broken down by technical data, including information on engines and dimensions, and a breakdown of equipment, interior, and safety features, for example, all of which vary by ‘trim line’. What is a cut line? A finish line is a model variant and is often defined by the size of the engine and the number of standard features that are included. Not to be confused with the family and hatchback versions of the same model. For example, Studio, Edge and Zetec are trim lines of the Ford Fiesta. The least expensive trim line will have fewer standard features and is sometimes referred to as an entry level. If a feature, such as air conditioning, is said to be included as “standard,” it is included in the price of the car. If the feature is ‘optional’ on that cut line, a price will often be included.
You don’t need to be an automotive expert to understand technical information (it helps though!). The first thing to know is that the 1.2 or 2.0 refers to the engine size in liters, which is directly related to the engine power. capable of producing (you may also hear they refer to them as 1200cc or 2000cc, this is the measurement in cubic centimeters). Put simply, for an engine to work, the ‘pistons’ within an engine’s cylinders have to go back and forth to move air and fuel in a cycle. How much the engine moves or work does, combined with the number of cylinders, gives the size of the engine. Generally speaking, the larger the size of the engine, the more power that can be produced and the faster the car is able to accelerate. Although this is not always the case, as a ‘turbo’ engine can be 1.6 liters but produce more power than a normal 2.0 liter engine.
The best way to determine the horsepower of an engine is to look at maximum torque and horsepower, or BHP (Brake Horsepower). Braking power refers to the maximum amount of power the engine is capable of producing, for example a 210 hp engine is more powerful than a 170 hp engine. Torque is a bit trickier to explain. It refers to the turning force or power that is transferred to the car’s wheels, which directly affects how fast an engine runs. Torque is often confused with horsepower, but a good way to explain the difference is that torque gets you going and horsepower keeps you going. Torque is typically measured in foot-pounds (ft-lbs) or Newton meters (Nm) and is often viewed alongside @ rpm (revolutions per minute).
Of course, how economical an engine is is also a key consideration. In the specification, a car’s fuel economy will be expressed as MPG, or miles per gallon. This gives an indication of how many miles per gallon of fuel (gasoline or diesel) a car will make, but manufacturers will often emphasize that this is not a concrete figure. Generally, a diesel engine will do more miles per gallon than a gasoline engine, which is why they are popular with people who often have to travel long distances.
Now that you are familiar with the basics, you should be able to make an informed decision when purchasing your next car from any car dealership in Southampton.