What are vehicle running stats?

When choosing your new car, it's important to check the vehicle running stats to know how the car will run and if it's right for you. Here at Carbase, we display this important information on each vehicle description page under the 'Running' tab.

To help you understand what each running stat means, we've put together a handy list of definitions that you need to know. 

Vehicle Running Stats 

Engine power BHP

Brake horsepower (bhp) is the measure of an engine's power after the power used by other parts of the car such as the gearbox, water pump and alternator etc. It describes the amount of power the engine can produce, meaning the higher the horsepower, the more power the car has overall and the faster it can move. 

Engine size (cc)

The size of an engine is measured in cubic centimetres (cc). In general, the bigger the engine, the more powerful it is. The size refers to the total volume of fuel and air that is pushed by cylinders through the engine.

Acceleration (0-60 mph)

The acceleration of a vehicle is the time it takes to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph). This is the number of seconds it takes in a closed setting when the vehicle has been test driven. Wind, weather and traction can impact on the drag placed on the vehicle.

Top speed (mph)

The top speed is the fastest speed the vehicle can go measured in miles per hour (mph).

Urban (mpg)

Urban miles per gallon (mpg) tells you approximately how far your vehicle will run based on a single UK gallon in a city driving environment. The more miles per gallon your car does, the less you will spend on fuel.

Extra urban (mpg)

Extra urban miles per gallon (mpg) will tell you approximately how far your vehicle can run on a single UK gallon on motorways and A/B-road environments.

Combined (mpg)

The combined miles per gallon (mpg) is the combination of urban (mpg) and extra urban (mpg). It provides you with a combined figure as both urban and extra urban are run over a simulated distance. 

CO2 emissions (g/km)

CO2 emissions is the amount of carbon dioxide your car emits. This can affect your car tax, as the more environmentally friendly your car is, the less tax you are likely to pay. These emissions can provide you with an indication of the amount of fuel your car uses, as well as the amount of pollution made to the environment. 

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Insurance group

Insurance group ratings are advisory, meaning it is not imperative insurers follow them. Rated between 1 and 50, vehicles will be given an insurance group rating which indicates the level of risk to insurers. This rating takes into consideration the costs, performance, body and price of the vehicle's parts.

Annual tax

Every car must be taxed when being used or parked on public roads. Vehicle tax is paid to a central government fund which is then paid to councils to help local areas pay for projects such as road resurfacing, car parking facilities and maintaining road quality.

2018 saw new updates introduced to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), or road/car tax as it's usually called. Diesel cars were re-classified under the new 2018 road tax rules, which involved moving up a band depending on the level of CO2 emissions they generate, making vehicles registered after April 2018 more costly to own.

Find out more about road tax updates our blog: 2018 road tax updates - what's the latest?

If you would like more information on vehicle running stats or would like to find out more about a particular car on Carbase, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Our expert team are more than happy to help.