Torque is the rotational force produced by your car's engine, and it's essentially what gets your vehicle moving from a stop and helps it accelerate. Measured in pound-feet (lb-ft) in the US, it's the "twisting" power that the engine delivers to the wheels. While horsepower determines your car's top speed, torque is what you feel in your back when you step on the accelerator—it's the force that provides quick off-the-line acceleration and strong pulling power, which is crucial for towing or climbing steep hills.
Think of it this way: if you're using a wrench to loosen a tight bolt, the force you apply is torque. In an engine, the explosion of fuel and air in a cylinder forces the piston down, which rotates the crankshaft. The force of that rotation is engine torque. This force is then multiplied and transferred through the transmission and drivetrain to the wheels.
A key concept is the torque curve, which shows how much torque an engine produces across different engine speeds (RPM). Some engines, like those in diesel trucks or many modern turbocharged engines, produce a lot of torque at low RPMs. This is called "low-end torque," and it's why you don't have to rev the engine high to get moving quickly. High-revving sports car engines, on the other hand, often make their peak torque higher in the RPM band.
Here’s a comparison of torque figures across different vehicle types to give you context:
| Vehicle Type / Model | Typical Torque Range (lb-ft) | Key Characteristic |
|---|
| Compact Sedan (e.g., Honda Civic) | 138 - 162 | Balanced for fuel economy and daily driving. |
| Full-Size Pickup (e.g., Ford F-150) | 265 - 570 | High torque, especially in turbo or diesel variants, for towing and hauling. |
| Performance Sports Car (e.g., Chevrolet Corvette) | 470 - 640 | High peak torque for rapid acceleration. |
| Heavy-Duty Diesel Truck (e.g., Ram 2500) | 660 - 1,075 | Extreme torque for maximum towing and payload capacity. |
| Electric SUV (e.g., Tesla Model X) | 600 - 1,000+ | Instant maximum torque from 0 RPM for immediate acceleration. |
Ultimately, for daily driving, a healthy amount of low-end torque makes a car feel more responsive and easier to drive in city traffic. When evaluating a car, a higher torque figure generally means stronger acceleration and better real-world performance, especially when paired with a well-matched transmission.
