If you think about it, 60 miles per hour is pretty fast, at least on a human scale. We’re not talking about interstellar travel here, we’re talking about real, sandwich-and-soap filled everyday life. It’s a good speed to think about because it matches up very well with how we measure time. 60 minutes is 1 hour, so 60 miles per hour means you’re traveling at a speed of one mile per minute. This is easy to understand: one mile per minute.
We live in an age where cars can accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in an incredibly short amount of time, and I think that’s starting to have an effect on our minds. I say this because a recent review of the 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn V6 Motor Trend I spend a lot of time trying to convince people that a truck that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds is just not acceptable. I think that’s insane. Are you okay.
I know this is something I’ve argued before, but given that articles like this are still being published in major media; Motor TrendI don’t know if this is a common mindset now, or if it’s just a symptom of the weird, warped thinking of us automotive journalists, but somehow the general notion that anything that takes more than, say, six seconds to hit 60 mph is slow seems to have become part of the public discourse, which is also ridiculous.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that are said in this review to see what I mean. First, let’s look at the specs of this truck so you understand what I’m talking about. The version reviewed here is a mild-hybrid setup (basically an integrated starter/motor instead of an alternator to help with stop/start and provide a little extra power at low speeds) with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that puts out 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. This engine is bolted to an 8-speed automatic. While not amazing, these numbers are adequate.
The truck weighs in at a chunky 5,082 pounds, which is a reasonable 16.6 pounds per horsepower. That’s about the same power-to-weight ratio as a 2010 Ford Mustang V6. The truck uses 210 horsepower to move about 3,400 pounds, which gives it a ratio of 16.2 pounds per horsepower. It wasn’t the fastest Mustang, but I don’t think anyone was praying not to get stuck behind it on the highway.
Anyway, here are some quotes from the article:
“Paying an extra $2,695 for the 2025 Ram 1500’s next-gen (and all-new) twin-turbo Hurricane I-6 engine and its 420 horsepower is not just a consideration, but almost a requirement for anyone who wants their truck to be less of a moving obstacle.”
Of course, what I’m concerned about here is describing a truck that hits 60 mph in 8.1 seconds as a “rolling roadblock.” noWhat obstacle is this? Where on earth are you driving? Is this the one you chose as your track car?
Maybe he enjoys exaggeration. I understand that. Exaggeration is teeth Sure, it’s more fun than riding a rollercoaster, munching on cake, having sex and playing video games at the same time, but at the same time, the notion that this track is just too slow is at the heart of the review.
Another quote:
“In the Ram, when you step on the accelerator, you see the tachometer needle spin and hear the engine sprint through the powerband. Even though the V6 hits its power peak at high rpm, acceleration is sluggish. It’s virtually impossible to tie a 30-year-old Miata at a stoplight. By the time the Ram hits the speed limit, the Miata is still on its quarter panel. It takes 8.1 seconds longer to hit 60 mph, far quicker than its base-engine competitors. Even Chevy’s four-cylinder Silverado is a full second quicker to hit 60 mph.”
First of all, a draw with a Roadster is incredible! This truck is five times the size and weight of the Roadster and still managed to get to a draw? Unbelievable! Also, no one thought of the Roadster as an “obstacle” even with its tiny 116 horsepower engine. Because it wasn’t.
I just can’t get over the fact that reviews say it “takes 8.1 seconds” to hit 60 mph. In reality, 8.1 seconds is not “long” in the strange world of car reviews. In fact, for a long time, 8.1 seconds was fast. Guess what took about 8 seconds to hit 60 mph? It’s one of these:
A Ferrari! A Ferrari Dino GTS! Nobody would call that a “roadblock”, would they? Sure, it’s from 1973, but who cares? Has the length of a mile changed since 1973? Have all the freeway on and off ramps been remade and drastically shortened since the 1970s? Has the switch to metric time changed the meaning of a second? Of course, the answer to all of these stupid questions is no.
Admittedly, traffic was a little slower before, that It’s a lot slower. And, more importantly, modern traffic isn’t so blindingly fast that a car that can accelerate to 60 mph in just over eight seconds isn’t going to be an issue anywhere.
I guarantee you that no one driving a V6 Ram 1500 is going to cause a massive traffic jam anywhere. I drive a 52 horsepower car and it drives about Twice It takes just as long to get to 60 mph, and I have yet to encounter an angry car lining up behind me honking or yelling at me to threaten me as I merge onto the highway. Somehow, I am able to merge onto most on-ramp roads I have encountered at roughly the same pace as everyone else, because most normal human drivers would never consider driving at 10/10 of their car’s performance limit on their commute to work.
Certainly, there may be Several There are probably some super-intense motherfuckers out there who clench their fists at every on-ramp and slam the gas pedal into the carpet until the car gives in or groans with pleasure, and for neurotic speed freaks, eight seconds might be too slow. But I’ve never impeded their progress, even in a 0.9-liter, 52-horsepower gumdrop.
What do you think accelerates much slower than 60 mph in 8.1 seconds? Trucks. Big trucks. The average heavily loaded 18-wheeler takes about a minute to reach 60 mph. That’s amazing, considering the payload. And even at those slow speeds, there are millions of big trucks on the roads at any one time, and somehow they all keep running smoothly.
Fast cars are fun. There’s no question about it. It’s thrilling to stomp on the gas and reach the magic mile-per-minute speed in a matter of seconds. It’s great. But this is not how people drive on a daily basis. The implication that a truck that accelerates from 0 to 60 in 8.1 seconds is somehow inadequate or could be a nuisance to other drivers is, frankly, absurd.
I don’t know what collective insanity we’re all in about 0 to 60 speeds, but enough is enough. If acceleration is your primary criterion when buying a new car, you probably already know that a giant pickup truck shaped like a shipping container probably isn’t your ideal choice. You also probably know, deep down, that a car that can accelerate to 60 in 8 seconds is perfectly fine for everyday driving in almost all conditions and won’t carry the stigma of being a “moving obstacle.”
What has happened to us? We are truly irrational creatures sometimes.
A 0 to 60 mph time of under 7 seconds is good enough for most people. Prove me wrong.
50 horsepower is enough for modern transportation.
The Tesla Roadster may be able to rocket to 60 mph in a second, but what would it do?
