Horsepower vs Torque: What’s the difference and why does it matter?

When you’re shopping for a used car in Australia, you’ll hear two performance figures thrown around constantly: horsepower and torque. Salespeople cite them, but most buyers aren’t entirely sure what either one means in practice. Understanding horsepower vs torque won’t just help you decode a spec sheet, it will also help you choose the right car for how you actually drive.

What is horsepower in cars?

Horsepower is the measure of a car’s peak power output. This refers to how much sustained work the engine can perform over time. The term comes from 18th-century engineer James Watt, who used it to compare steam engine output to a horse’s pulling power. 

In modern cars, horsepower refers to the rate at which the engine can do work at a given engine speed (RPM). The higher the horsepower figure, the more energy the engine produces at full throttle. That translates directly into top speed and high-RPM performance, which is why high-horsepower can feel like exhilarating on a freeway on-ramp or a racetrack.

The average horsepower in cars sold in Australia sits roughly between 100 kW and 200 kW (1kW ≈ 1.34 hp). A modest city hatchback like a Toyota Yaris produces around 72 kW, while a performance sedan like the Toyota GR86 pushes 173 kW. Performance vehicles like the Ford Mustang GT can reach 330 kW or more.

The key thing to know: horsepower tells you about a car’s top-end performance ceiling, not how it feels in everyday driving.

What is torque in an automobile?

While horsepower tells you about peak power, the meaning of torque is about rotational force, the twist the engine applies to the drivetrain at any given moment. The torque in an automobile is the force that actually gets your car moving from a standstill. It’s what pushes you back in your sear when you pull out of a side street, tow a trailer up a hill or merge onto a motorway at low speed. The higher the torque figure, the more pulling and pushing force th engine can generate.

Torque is measured in Newton-metres (Nm) in Australia. A family SUV might produce 300-400 Nm of torque, while a diesel ute like a Toyota HiLux can produce over 500 Nm, which is why utes are the go- to for towing and hauling.

The key thing to know is that torque is what you feel most of the time when driving in real conditions like traffic, hills, loaded vehicles or overtaking at highway speed.

Horsepower vs Torque: What’s the difference

The relationship between power with torque is mathematical:

Power (kW)= Torque (Nm) x Engine Speed (RPM) ÷9,549

Simply we can say that torque is the force and horsepower is how quickly that force is delivered. A car can have an enormous torque but modest power if the engine can’t rev freely, think of diesel truck or it can have sky-high horsepower but modest torque if it only makes real power at high RPM, more like a naturally aspirated sports car that you need to rev hard to feel.

Real life split:

• High torque, lower horsepower: Diesel engines, SUVs, Utes. Excellent for towing, off-road and relaxed highway cruising. You don’t need to rev them to feel the pull.
• High horsepower, moderate torque: Petrol sports engines. They reward being driven hard and rev-matched. The power comes alive above 4,000 RPM.
• High torque and high horsepower: Turbocharged and electric vehicles. EVs in particular deliver peak torque from 0 RPM, which is why electric cars feel so immediately responsive off the line.

Which matters more: Torque or Horsepower?

It depend entirely on how and where you drive.

Torque matters more if you:

• Do a lot of city driving with regular stop-start traffic
• Tow a caravan, boat or horse float
• Drive loaded passengers or work tools
• Regularly tackle inclines, gravel roads or regional highways

Horsepower matters more if you:

• Prioritise top-speed performance or highway overtaking ability
• Drive a lightweight car you like to rev
• Track your car or attend performance driving days

For most Australian drivers, commuting through suburbs, heading up the coast on weekends, or occasionally towing, torque is more needed in daily driving. A car with 350 Nm and 120 kW will feel more effortless in the real world than one with 120 kW and 200 Nm scraped together only at high RPM.

Real world examples: Torque vs horsepower in Aussie favourites

Notice that the HiLux has less horsepower than the Mustang, but it is a superior towing machine because its torque is available at low RPMs, where you actually need it. 

What to look for when comparing cars

When you’re comparing used cars in Australia, don’t just scan the peak figures. Look for following:

• At what RPM does peak torque arrive? Lower is generally better for real-world driveability.
• Is it petrol or diesel? Diesels typically produce torque lower in the rev range. Petrol often climbs higher before peaking.
• Is it turbocharged? Turbocharged engines tend to deliver torque across a broader PRM band, which makes them feel punchy in everyday conditions.
• What are you actually using it for? A number that sounds impressive on paper may not suit your use case.

Conclusion

Horsepower vs torque isn’t really a competition, they are two different ways of measuring what an engine does. Torque is the force that moves you, horsepower is how much of that force you can sustain and at what speed. For most everyday driving in Australia, a car with strong torque at low RPM will feel more responsive and satisfying than a high-horsepower car that only wakes up at high revs.

Are you looking for a used car with the right balance of power and practicality? Browse Cars24’s range of quality-checked used cars and find a vehicle that suits your driving style and budget.