The 1953 Cranbrook accelerated quickly than its 1952 counterparts in most ranges. Getting to 60 mph took 18.9 seconds, beating the 1952’s 21.2 seconds “but still not what you would call a hot pickup.” 0-50 acceleration was done in 13.9 seconds. With overdrive, the top speed hit 90 mph (registering 100 mph on their test car’s speedometer), but handling degraded substantially at 70 mph. There was relatively little body roll, with good tracking when crossing railroad tracks. Comfort was called “good” on rough surfaces, with less wind noise than average.
