Consumer Reports Rates Cars, SUVs, and Trucks with the Best and Worst Acceleration

The Need For Speed (When appropriate of course)

According to a recent Consumers Reports analysis of car performance related to a vehicle’s get-up-and-go abilities at the push of the accelerator, car acceleration is not just about the rush of going fast, but it is also about being able to handle increasingly busy traffic safely when it comes to making safe lane changes and traffic merges.

“The quickest car to 60 mph isn’t necessarily the best all-around performer, but it is helpful to know that the vehicle provides a competitive level of acceleration from a standstill and when passing,” says Joseph Veselak, senior automotive testing technician at Consumer Reports.

Using a wide range of vehicles makes and models outfitted with GPS-based testing equipment and data logging computers, CR analysts put their test vehicles through rigorous 0-30 mph and 0-60 mph sprints---as well as quarter-mile runs---in a series of comparison analysis tests to determine which models were the best and the worst when it comes to putting the pedal to the metal.

The following is a summary of CR’s findings of which cars, SUVs, trucks---and even some compact electric and hybrid vehicles---in multiple categories that offer the fastest and the slowest acceleration available today.

SPEED TEST RESULTS BY TYPE AND MODEL

Compact Electric/Hybrid Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Toyota RAV4 Prime (6.3), Hyundai Kona Electric (6.6), Kia Niro EV (6.8)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Toyota Prius Prime (10.8), Toyota Prius (10.3), Toyota Corolla Hybrid (10.3)

Small Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Honda Civic EX-T (7.1), Mazda3 (7.7), Hyundai Elantra (7.9)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Mitsubishi Mirage (12.1), Chevrolet Spark (12.0)

Midsized Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Hyundai Sonata (7.5), Nissan Altima 2.5 (7.6), Honda Accord (7.7)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Mazda6 2.5 (9.2), Subaru Legacy (8.9)

Large Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Dodge Charger R/T (6.1), Nissan Maxima (6.5)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Toyota Avalon Hybrid (8.3)

Luxury Small Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Polestar 2 (4.4), Tesla Model 3 (5.3), Infiniti Q50 (5.7)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Volkswagen Arteon (7.9), Genesis G70 (7.8)

Luxury Midsized Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Maserati Ghibli (5.4), Audi A6 (6.8), Genesis G80 (6.8)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): BMW 5 Series (7.2), Volvo S90 (7.2)

Sports Cars:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Chevrolet Corvette (3.4), Chevrolet Camaro SS (4.4), Porsche 718 Boxster (4.4), Toyota Supra (4.6), Ford Mustang GT (4.9)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Mini Cooper (7.2), Hyundai Veloster (7.0)

Small SUVs:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Toyota RAV4 Prime (6.3), GMC Terrain 2.0T (7.2), Jeep Cherokee 2.0T (7.5)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Hyundai Kona 2.0L (11.1), Chevrolet Trax (10.8), Ford EcoSport (10.7)

Midsized SUVs:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Chevrolet Blazer V6 (6.4), Honda Passport (6.4), Kia Sorento (6.5)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0T (10.0), Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (8.7)

Small Luxury SUVs:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Tesla Model Y (4.7), Ford Mustang Mach-E (5.3), Jaguar F-Pace (6.0)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Buick Encore (11.0), Buick Encore GX (9.4)

Luxury Midsized SUVs:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Jaguar I-Pace (4.3), Tesla Model X (4.9)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Lexus RX 350L (7.7), Volvo XC90 T6 (7.7)

Compact Pickup Trucks:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Honda Ridgeline (7.3), Ford Ranger (7.4), Chevrolet Colorado (7.5), GMC Canyon (7.5)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Chevrolet Colorado diesel (10.3), GMC Canyon diesel (10.3)

Full-Sized Pickup Trucks:

Quickest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Ford F-150 Hybrid (6.3), Nissan Titan (6.7), Toyota Tundra (6.7)

Slowest acceleration, 0 to 60 mph (seconds): Ford F-250 diesel (8.1)

And finally…

For additional CR vehicle recommendations, check out these useful articles titled “Best Used Cars and SUVs for Less Than $5,000” and, “Consumer Reports Used Car Pick Finds From $40,000 to $7,000.”

COMING UP NEXT: The Best Used Car Deals Mechanics Recommend Against Buying

Timothy Boyer is Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

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