Does your car really drive that fast or is the speedometer just an illusion?

[Buckdarma]

DETROIT — The speedometer on the Toyota Yaris says the tiny car can go 140 miles per hour.

In reality, its 106-horsepower engine and automatic transmission can't push it any faster than 109 mph.

So why do the Yaris — and most other cars sold in the U.S. — have speedometers that show top speeds they can't possibly reach?

The answer has deep roots in an American culture that loves the rush of driving fast. The automakers' marketing departments are happy to give people the illusion that their family car can travel at speeds rivaling a race car. And companies often use one speedometer type in various models across the world, saving them money.

But critics say the ever-higher numbers are misleading. Some warn they create a safety concern, daring drivers to push past freeway speed limits that are up to 75 mph in most states.

"You reach a point where it becomes ridiculous," said Larry Dominique, a former Nissan product chief who now is executive vice president of the TrueCar.com auto pricing website. "Eighty percent-plus of the cars on the road are not designed for and will not go over 110 mph."

Last year, speedometer top speeds for new versions of the mainstream Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu were increased to 160 mph, which approaches speeds on some race tracks. They are midsize family haulers, the most popular segment of the U.S. auto market, and like most new cars, have top speeds that seldom exceed 120 mph.

There are several explanations for the speedometers.

When people are comparison shopping, cars with higher speedometer readings appear to be sportier. "People really want to see higher numbers," said Fawaz Baltaji, a business development manager for Yazaki North America, a large supplier of speedometers for auto companies. "It is indicative of a more powerful engine. There's a marketing pitch to it."

Although cars with high-horsepower engines can come close to the top speedometer speeds, most are limited by engine control computers. That's because the tires can overheat and fail at higher speeds. Tires now common on mainstream cars often can't go above 130 mph or they could fail.


Does your car really drive that fast or is the speedometer just an illusion?

[Mr Q]

If my memory is right, back a few decades (here in the U.S.) new cars had speedometers that only read up to 80 mph regardless of engine size during the infamous gas shortage in the 1970s.
Its always bothered me why cars were capable of speeds much higher than the national limits (here in the U.S.). Just an advertising ploy?
And IF you are going to do over 70mph for any length of time (especially in hot weather), make sure your tires can safely handle those high speeds temperature-wise.

[Mr Q]

If my memory is right, back a few decades (here in the U.S.) new cars had speedometers that only read up to 80 mph regardless of engine size during the infamous gas shortage in the 1970s.
Its always bothered me why cars were capable of speeds much higher than the national limits (here in the U.S.). Just an advertising ploy?
And IF you are going to do over 70mph for any length of time (especially in hot weather), make sure your tires can safely handle those high speeds temperature-wise.

[Cusp]

The speedometer in my Mustang goes to 140. Although I have not been there, my Z rated tires are designed for that. Others have reported the car can attain speeds in excess of that. Computer limited at 145 unless adjusted. From what I have seen of its performance I have no doubts that it will exceed the scale on the speedometer. I can't speak to the utility of 160 scales in a fusion though. Does seem excessive though. They don't perform all that impressively ascending the mountain grades to back up the claim. Maybe going down hill with a tail wind.

[Cusp]

I do remember cars with the scale ending at 80 and 55mph speed limits all over. Trouble was after 85, one had no idea how fast they were going after the needle hit the stop. ;-)

[WDG]

My Jeep goes to 11.

[Lucky225]

I do remember cars with the scale ending at 80 and 55mph speed limits all over. Trouble was after 85, one had no idea how fast they were going after the needle hit the stop. ;-)

This is true, my speedo in the 94 S10 went to 85, I could easily surpass it, my estimate is up to 110 mph, and when reaching well above 85 it's pretty scary to see it stuck at 85 for a good 2-4 seconds slamming the breaks until you come back down to within that speed range