I’m Much more impressed by acceleration, but I constantly run into people who say that being fast is all about top speed.  I’ve even had people tell me that “anything that can’t go 200 mph is slow” (see: Ariel Atom).  Who cares? I’d MUCH rather have a car that goes 0-100 in 3 sec. than a car that goes 250mph. There’s practically nowhere (not even empty desert roads) where I could use that.  What do Top Gear fans think?

Yes, I know motorcycles give you both.  Let’s exclude those.

Merging onto an Interstate, quick lane changes, etc. are all reasons for acceleration that I use on a daily basis. Now the need to go 160mph on a daily basis has no purpose in my life. Not that it wouldn’t be fun <g>                      -jmw

Acceleration… top speed is a pub conversation piece, and totally pointless in a daily driver

I love top speed, but Top speed is what gets you killed, acceleration is good for getting you OUT of sticky situations! Top speed is for closed courses and Salt flats.
As proof of acceleration being key, My Saturn (I owned it before my Mom needed something to replace her Escort that has a engine knock. I drive that car now.), whic was a stick, is the greatest car ever because it’s acceleration is profound, but it’s top speed is 105 at full scream. The ‘Scort is closer to 120, but the acceleration isn’t quite as peppy (the knock isn’t helping nowadays, but thet’ll be fixed come spring).

What pleaes me the most is acceleration. I’ll put on the broken record again and say how I used to be an avid motorcyclist and when bikes of the early 80’s were going from 0-60 in 2.3 seconds, well….you learned real fast how to use your whole body to hold onto a bike. Today they’re even MORE fearsome! *wishes his license wouldn’t get beat up so much by riding a motorcycle…*

However top speed is more techincally impressive to me since it takes far more thoughtful design to get a 500 hp vehicle over the 200mph mark, yet alone break the 250 mark.

Acceleration to me is far better than top speed.  To be able to put my foot down and get moving quickly is the only way to survive in LA.  Too many CHP around.

I live in Ohio.  Ohio is the national speed trap.  This was even referenced long ago in a Honda commercial.  That’s how bad it is…...

So while I love speed, and have been known to shout “Power!‘ on occasion, this is usually when I am accelerating on to the highway and trying to get past some soccer mom with her 2.5 perfect children in an oversized SUV (over sized for two reasons: 1. they are all thin and don’t need much space to be comfortable, and 2. anything that has it’s own rep in Congress is, in my book, oversized).

Nought to 60 in under 4 is a dream I have….

I’m w/ Boosted. You can use acceleration almost anywhere. Anf look at the poll scores. 11 - 0

Handling!

Clearly acceleration is more useful… Top speed eats fuel scary fast…

Acceleration.
Because if you think of it like that, it’s the acceleration that makes you react the most.
For me at least. Because the acceleration shows the power for the top speed… you’re just moving up and up faster to the top speed with the acceleration.
That time you’re clenching your hand to the steering wheel and your heart is racing with adrenaline and the engine revving up as you tear up the road to the top speed is just unbelievable. It’s just mind blowing and it just way better that when you are flat out.
The engine sound as you go to top speed is just melody instead of the constant rummmm when you are at top speed.

I think it better to feel the speed as it comes than be on top of it and just seeing it.