What clearance is sufficient for city trips?
Blog,  Machine operation

What clearance is sufficient for city trips?

Most manufacturers on new models of their cars try to make the clearance as low as possible. This is due to the fact that high ground clearance reduces the aerodynamics of the car. Also, a higher center of gravity impairs vehicle handling.

All of these factors affect fuel consumption and cause reproaches from environmentalists. However, drivers are not happy with these factors. They expect better road cleaning not only in rural areas, but also in large cities. That's why crossovers are so popular.

What clearance is sufficient for city trips?

With the onset of winter and snow, the need for greater ground clearance increases. In addition, upon the fact of sales, customers often opt not even for all-wheel drive. The main thing is more space under the bottom.

Ground and urban clearance

What clearance will be enough in the city if the car leaves high-quality roads only 15-20 times a year when traveling to the village or to the country? Usually the entrance to the country house is gravel or dirt. Of course, this is definitely not the terrain that requires differential lock, all-wheel drive and 200 mm below the crankcase.

What clearance is sufficient for city trips?

Each driver feels more confident with a high clearance. He does not worry when he parks the car near the curb, and does not worry that it will damage the bumper. Even if we need to put the car on the sidewalk, 150 millimeters of clearance will be enough. Most business class sedans today have these options. Of course, not all borders are the same, so you still need to be careful when parking.

When driving on an ice track in winter, high ground clearance protects us from scratches on the rapids. And with poorly cleaned streets in a residential area, the doors of the crossover will not catch a snowdrift near the place where we parked.

Ground clearance and car traffic

For some motorists, this may seem strange, but the height of clearance is not the only factor affecting the car's cross-country ability. Bumpers and the ramp angle play an equally important role in this case. For example, on longer models, the ground clearance may be large, and the tilt angle, on the contrary, may be small.

What clearance is sufficient for city trips?

The best example of this is limousines. They have a huge wheelbase, and the car is difficult to drive through some speed bumps. Some short cars have low overhangs, for example, Peugeot 407. In these models, the bumper will cling to the road when entering or exiting a steep hill.

What clearance is considered ideal for urban environments?

There is no universal answer to this question. Much depends on the wheelbase of the car and the size of its bumpers. So, 140 mm will be enough for a small hatchback (given that the bumpers of many cars, regardless of ground clearance, are raised 15 cm from the road).

What clearance is sufficient for city trips?

For golf-class sedans and hatchbacks, this parameter is 150 mm, for business-class models - 16 cm. In order for a compact crossover to cope with road obstacles, the clearance height should be 170 mm, for an average crossover - 190 mm, and for a full-fledged SUV - 200 mm or more.

And if you want to park near the curb, do it the other way around, experts advise. The rear bumper is always higher than the front, so the chances of damage are much less.

Questions and answers:

What is the difference between ground clearance and clearance? Most motorists use both terms to describe the same thing. Ground clearance is the minimum distance between the body and the road, and ground clearance is the distance from the bottom of the car to the road.

What is the normal ground clearance? For a comfortable ride on modern roads of the post-Soviet space with pits and bumps, a clearance of 190-200 millimeters is enough. But the optimal parameter, taking into account country roads, is expensive - at least 210 mm.

How is ground clearance measured? Since in cars the difference in ground clearance can be only a couple of millimeters, for convenience, the ground clearance is indicated in millimeters.

Add a comment