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To me, this is a matter of knowing the value of your purchase. Some people will never get it. Even more than not having a clue about the car, it's a matter of not understanding the deal and how good or bad it is. At least the people referring to a "V4" have some inkling that the cylinder count matters.
A larger engine usually means more motive power, which means the components are less stressed. The car will feel more responsive and should accelerate much more quickly. However this does get blurred as the state of tune can vary even with the same size motor, especially with different size turbos.
Take the engine options in the BMW 3-series:
BMW 320i: B48, 2.0L turbo straight-4, 180 hp
BMW 330i: B48, 2.0L turbo straight-4, 248 hp
BMW 330e: B48, 2.0L straight-4 hybrid electric, 248 hp
BMW 340i: B58, 3.0L turbo straight-6, 322 hp
I'm not exhaustive, but I want to know what I'm getting. I want to know whether it has a CVT, a dual-clutch automatic, a planetary automatic, or a single-clutch automated manual. I want to know if there is a turbo and if so, whether it is intercooled. I want to know whether it has multiport injection, electronic fuel injection, direct injection or some combination. Some people go much deeper into wanting to understand the technology and engineering choices.
When my wife bought a used car long ago, the dealer tried to convince her (and later me) that it was a 6 cylinder engine. He kept insisting. I opened the hood and pointed out the four spark plug wires and he said on this model the the other two wires run inside the engine where you cannot see them.
I do not know why he did that. We knew it was a four, and we bought the car anyway, I guess he just could not handle being wrong.
My daughter recently bought a spark. 87 horsepower. She never even drove it ont he freeway. It was "cute" end of story.
My other daughter bought a Fiesta. It was cute too. She drove it around the block and liked how easy it was to park. Since she never drove on the freeway, she did not get the full experience of the DCT transmission that is now the subject of a class action lawsuit that Ford just settled. It was recently wrecked so now she is looking for a new recent model car. I am pointing her towards a Mazda 3 or a Ford Fusion. Not "cute" but at least they have some redeeming qualities.
A larger engine usually means more motive power, which means the components are less stressed. The car will feel more responsive and should accelerate much more quickly.
A smaller engine also often means higher compression - usually through turbocharging. That translates to two things other than higher HP (but not as much torque at the lower end as most NA v-8s): higher octane gas (more expensive); and a higher likelihood of blown head gaskets later in life. Also sometimes the turbos are integrated and cooled by engine coolant. This can lead to huge problems or major costs later in life. I generally prefer to stick with an NA V-8, but I keep cars forever. I might start thinking about a replacement at 200,000 or 250,000 miles. If the turbo is bolt on and the head was designed for high compression (not just stronger bolts and a better gasket), turbo is ok, but I still generally prefer a NA engine. it is not jsut about longevity, but also how easy it is to work on. In later years, it is not worth paying a mechanic to work on a 200,000 mile car, so I want to know I can figure it out and can get my hands where they need to go with a minimal amount of bloodshed.
A lot of people just don't seem to care. I like stats, and specifications, so research, engine, horsepower, torque, fuel economy, maintenance requirements, etc. I do this before I even go into a show room, and typically know more than the salesman. It is too big of a purchase to not be informed.
I pulled my Sonata into the dealer service dept one time for some recall work, the service advisor walks over and says "so what are doing to your Elantra today" . This is a guy who sits there all day every day watching Hyundais roll in, yet he couldn't tell the difference.
Women in General do care about engine size
1)Is it Cute
2)What color is it
3) Is It fast(for some ladies)
I have lady at my job that drives a nice clean BMW M3. I asked her one about her BBS Rims on the M3, Her response was "Whats a Rim"
I was done
A smaller engine also often means higher compression - usually through turbocharging. That translates to two things other than higher HP (but not as much torque at the lower end as most NA v-8s): higher octane gas (more expensive); and a higher likelihood of blown head gaskets later in life. Also sometimes the turbos are integrated and cooled by engine coolant. This can lead to huge problems or major costs later in life. I generally prefer to stick with an NA V-8, but I keep cars forever. I might start thinking about a replacement at 200,000 or 250,000 miles. If the turbo is bolt on and the head was designed for high compression (not just stronger bolts and a better gasket), turbo is ok, but I still generally prefer a NA engine. it is not jsut about longevity, but also how easy it is to work on. In later years, it is not worth paying a mechanic to work on a 200,000 mile car, so I want to know I can figure it out and can get my hands where they need to go with a minimal amount of bloodshed.
The modern 4cyl turbo craze has changed that thinking quite a bit. It's now possible to get a turbo that uses 87 octane and has no lag. They act and feel much like a V6.
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. This is a guy who sits there all day every day watching Hyundais roll in, yet he couldn't tell the difference.
