Each year we put more than 150 cars, trucks, and SUVs through our thorough testing regimen to bring you reliable and unbiased data on vehicles’ acceleration, braking, and handling capabilities. We’re proud that the collection of cars we’ve pushed to the limit is second to none. To give you easier access to our vast archive, we’ve compiled on this page the data from the magazine’s Road Test Digest section from 2006 to the present.

The results are listed alphabetically by manufacturer; the best way to seek out a particular model is to hit “Ctrl-F” to search. Descriptions of our methods for each of the categories are listed at the bottom of the page, and a more in-depth look at our testing procedures is available here:

Acceleration: Elapsed times from 0 to 60 mph and through a quarter-mile distance using maximum acceleration and a 3-mph rollout. To cancel the effects of wind, all acceleration tests are run in both directions; the best runs in each direction are then averaged and corrected to standard atmospheric conditions (dry air at 14.7 psi and 60 degrees Fahrenheit). The test vehicle is loaded with driver, full tank of fuel, and about 10 pounds of test instrumentation. With manual-transmission cars, wheelspin or clutch slip—or both—are used at the starting line to make best use of the engine’s power characteristics and the vehicle’s traction. All upshifts are lift-throttle with the clutch pedal engaged, and the engine’s redline is never exceeded. With automatic-transmission cars, brake torquing (applying the throttle while holding the vehicle stationary with the brakes) is used when beneficial to produce the best launches and acceleration. With all transmissions, various shift points are tried to maximize performance. Time, speed, and distance are measured using a Racelogic VBOX GPS-based velocity sensor.

Top speed: Maximum speed achieved using as much distance as necessary and without exceeding the engine’s redline. The published figure is an average of two top-speed runs in opposite directions to cancel the effects of wind or any grade that may exist at the test facility. Speed is measured with the Racelogic VBOX.

Braking, 70–0:

We report the second-shortest stopping distance from 70 mph from a total of five stops. Speed and distance are measured using the Racelogic VBOX sensor, triggered by a pressure switch attached to the brake pedal. When the driver’s foot touches the pedal, the system logs the speed and zeros a distance counter. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop, the initial speed and total distance are recorded. Because distance measurement begins with actuation of the brake-pedal-mounted pressure switch, the vehicle’s brake-system response characteristics are reflected in the stopping-distance results.

Roadholding: The maximum lateral acceleration, or “grip,” that a vehicle can generate during cornering. The published figure represents the average of one complete lap in each direction around a 200- or 300-foot-diameter skidpad. The laps are either timed with a photocell device and then converted to g or measured with the VBOX.

EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy: The fuel consumption measured in a laboratory test strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Test vehicles are run on a chassis dynamometer, which is loaded to simulate the car’s weight and its aerodynamic and frictional drag losses. After a cold start, the test vehicle follows several precise speed-versus-time traces that include running with the air conditioner on. Fuel consumption is calculated based on a composite of those tests, which were modified for the 2008 model year to better represent real-world driving conditions. As a result, city mileage estimates dropped by about 12 percent and highway estimates by roughly 8 percent from 2007 figures.

Article source: http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q2/road_test_digest-feature