Okay, but I think the major problem going forward is that these are the wrong things to be comparing if your goal is CO2 and fuel efficiency,
I quite agree. However, CO2 and fuel efficiency were not my goal. Fuel efficiency was a consideration, but not a priority - just that it was able to return more than 30mpg on longer trips.
What's your definition of 'comfortable' in this context?
A car which is designed to cruise at 155mph is running smoothly at low engine speed at 70mph. My 5 Series cruises effortlessly at the legal speed limit. It is a very pleasant place to be on a long trip as a result. You don't feel rushed or hurried, it's very nice. I can travel 350 miles and get out afterwards feeling refreshed and not like I've just suffered an ordeal. The same cannot be said of cars with small engines and low top speeds where the constant droan of an engine almost at maximum attack becomes tiring. A byproduct of the fact it is geared to 155mph means that, in top gear at 70mph, it returns fuel economy you'd not expect from a 3 litre petrol engine.
Do you mean that a car with the specification you have described must have necessity be more comfortable than a car capable of a measly 0-62 time of only 12 seconds and only capable of exceeding the national speed limit by 50%?
No, I don't quite know where you've arrived at that from.
I had many requirements from my car when I selected it - SOME of those requirements related to performance, OTHERS related to comfort.
I did not want the most comfortable car on the market and neither did i want the most powerful car on the market. By setting criteria I was able to chose a car which was the best compromise for my needs. I was merely saying that some of these criteria were indeed acceleration, speed and engine power.
Please do not get too hung up on me saying it had to have a high top speed for comfort reasons - I included that merely so you didn't get the wrong idea and think I was some sort of maniac who went rocketing about British motorways at over 100mph. I don't.
I suspect that if you looked a little harder, you would be able to find yourself a comfortable car that didn't do 0-62 in 7 seconds and wasn't capable of 145mph - I think that comfort may not have been a significant factor in your choice of car.
I'm sure I could have done - infact other models in the range I chose from are more comfortable, but as stated I went for the best blend of performance and comfort and economy to suit my needs.
Incidentally, did your chosen car have nice soft suspension as well?
No, it has M Sport Suspension with 18 inch low profile wheels. It's an interesting contrast to the other car I drive, which DOES have nice soft suspension.
High speed and rapid acceleration is not a rational basis for selecting a road car.
For you. My point is that different people have different requirements and expectations from cars. Just becuase performance is not a concern for you does not mean others should be banned from driving simply becuase it is a concern from them.
The bottom line is simple - I wanted a car which, to me, would be everything I'd possibly want out of a car. It needed to be comfortable on long trips and provide reasonable fuel economy (Reasonable for ME - I set 35mpg as a reasonable figure for this purpose) but it also needed to be interesting to drive and handle well off the Motorway. It needed to have affordable running costs but also enough performance to give me a bit of excitement when driving and enable safe and effortless overtaking.
I think its helpful to also point out that for me, a car is not simply a method of transporting myself from A to B without getting wet. It is also a hobby for me and a source of great enjoyment. I enjoy talking about them, cleaning them, keeping them in good order, driving them, etc etc. If I simply wanted to get from A to B in a timely fashion I suspect my criteria for car selection would be entirely different.
But this doesn't mean I'm about to suggest that anyone who selects a car based on criteria I don't personally use myself should be banned from driving. Such a statement is ridiculous.