How many seconds should a car take to go from 0-60 mph in order to be considered good?

For a normal passenger car, an acceleration time of 0-60 in between 6 and 7 seconds is considered fast enough. A time below 5 seconds indicates a really fast vehicle while a time below 3 seconds aims at the level of super sports cars. However, it's important to note that appropriate values can vary depending on the car model and load.

How does this calculator estimate the 0 to 60 mph acceleration time?

First the theoretical minimum time is calculated based on the kinetic energy and power of the vehicle's engine to reach a speed of 60 mph. Then various factors are taken into account including body type, drivetrain type, transmission type, tires, road conditions, and gear shift times to adjust the calculations. The model constants have been tuned to match publicly available data from real production vehicles.

Why do drivetrain, tires and weather affect results?

When a car accelerates quickly, it is often the tires rather than the engine that limit acceleration. All-wheel drive and high-grip tires can transfer more power to the road, while front-wheel drive or wet pavement reduce effective traction. The estimated results take these grip differences into account.

Can a car with too little power reach 60 mph?

For very low power vehicles, typically below 25 to 30 bhp, it may not be possible to reach 60 mph. As this model does not account for these power ranges, an extremely long predicted time indicates that the vehicle in question is outside of the scope of application of this tool.

What's the difference between 0-60 mph and 0-100 km/h?

Both values represent the same acceleration performance in different units. Since 60 mph is roughly equivalent to 96.6 km/h, a 0-100 km/h acceleration time for the same vehicle will be slightly longer than its 0-60 mph acceleration time. This calculator displays both results.

0-60 Calculator

Your vehicle

Engine power

Empty (curb) weight

Payload weight

Vehicle type

Drive type

Motor

Gearbox

Tyres

Road conditions

Estimated 0-60 mph time (s)

Target 0-60 time (s), optional

Estimated 0-60 mph time (s)

0-100 km/h time (s)
Quarter-mile time (s)
Quarter-mile trap speed: mph

Power-to-weight (hp/tonne)

Good, brisk everyday acceleration. A 0-60 in the 6 to 7 second range is widely considered quick.

How power changes your 0-60

The 0-60 mph time is the amount of time it takes for a car to accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour. It's one of the most commonly used metrics to describe a car's performance and is primarily used in the United States and Great Britain. This calculator estimates the actual 0-60 mph time based on factors such as engine power, vehicle weight, drivetrain type, tires, and road conditions.

What is meant by a car's "0 to 60 time"?

"Zero to sixty" refers to the time in seconds it takes a car to accelerate from a standstill on flat ground from 0 mph to 60 mph. In many regions outside of the US and UK, acceleration from 0-100 km/h is more common, as 60 mph is approximately 96.6 km/h, so these values are very similar, and this calculator shows both.

For many drivers, acceleration performance is more important than top speed. When entering motorways or overtaking, you feel the acceleration again and again, while it rarely happens that you reach the actual top speed of the car.

Factors that affect a car's 0 to 60 time.

The most important factors are engine power and vehicle weight. The higher the power and the lighter the vehicle, the shorter the acceleration time will be. Equally important is how efficiently the driving force is transmitted to the road.

Four-wheel drive vehicles have the greatest advantage in acceleration. Even if traction is the limiting factor, all four wheels can transmit power. Rear-wheel drive vehicles are intermediate. Front-wheel drive vehicles have the most limited traction and at high accelerations weight shifts to the rear reducing load on the driving wheels. High performance tires, dry pavement, instant torque from an engine, and a quick-shifting transmission also contribute to shorter acceleration times.

Estimating the 0 to 60 time with this calculator

There is no single, absolutely accurate formula for calculating the 0-60 time because many factors affect the results. A reliable method involves developing a model based on physical laws and then calibrating it to real test data. The first step is to calculate the theoretically shortest time required to accelerate the vehicle to 60 mph, assuming that all power is transmitted losslessly to the wheels.

X = \frac{\tfrac{1}{2}\,m\,v^{2}}{P}

where m is the total mass of vehicle and load, v is speed in meters per second expressed as 60 mph, and P is engine power in watts. As a real car does not reach this theoretical lower limit, values are corrected accordingly when calculating, and also adjusted for the factors mentioned above.

\text{time} = \max\!\left(a\cdot X\cdot T,\; b+c+d\right)\cdot E\cdot F\cdot C + h

Here 'a' is the correction factor for aerodynamics and center of gravity dependent on vehicle type, and 'T' is the traction coefficient specific to each drivetrain. 'b', 'c' and 'd' form the lower limit of acceleration time determined by grip. So even a very high powered car cannot accelerate any faster than the limit that tires and road can create together. 'E', 'F' and 'C' adjust the results according to type of drivetrain, tires and road conditions while 'h' accounts for transmission shift times. The constants in the model have been tuned so they match published 0-60 acceleration times of various production vehicles.

Example calculation

Let's take an example of a rear-wheel drive sedan with a 260-horsepower gasoline engine and automatic transmission, running on standard tires in dry conditions. The vehicle weighs 3500 pounds empty, plus another 400 pounds for the driver and fuel. Enter those values and select the appropriate options.

Input	Value
Engine power	260 hp
Empty weight	3,500 lb
Payload weight	400 lb
Vehicle type	Sedan
Drive type	RWD
Motor	Internal combustion engine
Gearbox	Automatic
Tyres	Normal
Conditions	Dry

The result is about 6.7 seconds, which falls right in the range that many people would consider to be "fairly fast."

0 to 60 mph, 0 to 100 km/h, quarter mile time

In addition to the 0-60 mph acceleration time, results include a km/h (0-100) acceleration time which is more understandable for those familiar with the metric system as well as an estimated quarter mile time and final speed. The quarter mile is a common drag racing competition that measures the time it takes from a standstill to cross the finish line after traveling one-quarter of a mile, along with the speed at that point in time. These values are calculated using general power-to-weight formulas and should only be used as guidelines and do not replace actual measurements.

Methods to decrease acceleration time of 0-60 mph

Physically there are mainly two ways to do this; increase the power or reduce weight. Both of these improve the power to weight ratio which is shown in this calculator as horsepower per tonne. However on a powerful acceleration grip can often become the limiting factor. By using tyres with better grip, choosing dry road conditions and using your vehicle's traction control function will help transfer that power more reliably onto the road. Also basic maintenance such as cleaning the air filter and using fuel of the correct octane rating will also help ensure the engine is delivering its nominal power output.

This calculator is for general reference only and shows estimates based on physics models. The actual 0-60 time may vary due to factors such as tires, driver skill, traction control, road surface, temperature, and altitude, so it may differ from the calculated values. It does not replace real-world tests with proper instrumentation.

Frequently asked questions

How many seconds should a car take to go from 0-60 mph in order to be considered good?: For a normal passenger car, an acceleration time of 0-60 in between 6 and 7 seconds is considered fast enough. A time below 5 seconds indicates a really fast vehicle while a time below 3 seconds aims at the level of super sports cars. However, it's important to note that appropriate values can vary depending on the car model and load.
How does this calculator estimate the 0 to 60 mph acceleration time?: First the theoretical minimum time is calculated based on the kinetic energy and power of the vehicle's engine to reach a speed of 60 mph. Then various factors are taken into account including body type, drivetrain type, transmission type, tires, road conditions, and gear shift times to adjust the calculations. The model constants have been tuned to match publicly available data from real production vehicles.
Why do drivetrain, tires and weather affect results?: When a car accelerates quickly, it is often the tires rather than the engine that limit acceleration. All-wheel drive and high-grip tires can transfer more power to the road, while front-wheel drive or wet pavement reduce effective traction. The estimated results take these grip differences into account.
Can a car with too little power reach 60 mph?: For very low power vehicles, typically below 25 to 30 bhp, it may not be possible to reach 60 mph. As this model does not account for these power ranges, an extremely long predicted time indicates that the vehicle in question is outside of the scope of application of this tool.
What's the difference between 0-60 mph and 0-100 km/h?: Both values represent the same acceleration performance in different units. Since 60 mph is roughly equivalent to 96.6 km/h, a 0-100 km/h acceleration time for the same vehicle will be slightly longer than its 0-60 mph acceleration time. This calculator displays both results.

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Disclaimer: This calculator is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Our calculators are under active development, and results may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable for your situation. Always verify the figures independently and seek advice from a qualified professional before relying on them. We make no warranties and accept no liability for any loss or decision arising from use of this tool.

References

Wikipedia: Power-to-weight ratio
Background on how power-to-weight ratio governs acceleration performance.
NIST Special Publication 811: Guide for the Use of the International System of Units
The US national standard for SI units, unit names and symbols, and conversion factors.