Use the A/C or the Windows...not both

[BlazerLT]

Originally Posted by typesix

"the new cadillac escallade (sp) has the same coefficient of wind resistance as a corvette."

Yes, but the Escalade has more frontal area so it has a greater total drag.

huh?

[typesix]

The drag coefficient Cd only measures how efficient the body shape is at moving thru the air, it has to be multiplied by the frontal area of the vehicle to get the true drag, carmakers will usually only quote the drag coefficient but not the frontal area. As an example, I remember that the original Dodge Caravans had a Cd of 0.43, so did the Dodge Omni. But it's obvious that the smaller Omni(looks like an older VW Rabbit/Golf) had a smaller front area presented to the air and therefore less drag.

[Rufe]

Typesix, (Post #17), smart post.

Also, adding flares, spoilers, fins, and wider tires all add to frontal area, and increases drag and weight.

To all the posters who understand the difference between tests with ac vs. 100% windows down, and the real world with windows partially down...
...way to go people.