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Ford of Germany made V4's for many years in the 60's and 70's. Saab used them as well. Some even had balance shafts. But they were still considered rough runners at the time. Actually started as a Industrial Engine design. Lots of videos on YouTube of 'em. First Mustang prototype (1962) used one. There is even a video of one being assembled in a British plant.
Look up video for Zephyr/Zodiac.
If its just a daily driver to and from work where mostly you are the only person in the car, I would go with the 4 banger.
If it s a family car and will be loaded up with multiple passengers and luggage, i would go for the 6.
For me, its not too much about the 0-60 but more so about the passing power needed when merging into another lane on the highway or for emergency maneuvers to avoid accidents. Sure it doesn't happen often but good to know that its there when needed.
If its just a daily driver to and from work where mostly you are the only person in the car, I would go with the 4 banger.
If it s a family car and will be loaded up with multiple passengers and luggage, i would go for the 6.
For me, its not too much about the 0-60 but more so about the passing power needed when merging into another lane on the highway or for emergency maneuvers to avoid accidents. Sure it doesn't happen often but good to know that its there when needed.
Good advice overall. Pretty much all of the midsize sedans are plenty adequate as a daily driver/commuter in I4 trim. However, add in a couple passengers, some stuff and crank the AC and suddenly they become less then adequate for regular highway driving. In my soon-to-be-gone Malibu, I opted for the I4 for the slight gain in MPG. With just me driving it's fine, but toss in the wife and kids and it suddenly becomes a real chore to drive.
Got rid of my '11 four banger for just that reason, passing and merging on the highway I commute on daily. And with the a/c on it just bogged down, had 170hp too. Yes, the fun factor did matter too, in the end.
In short, you may regret getting the four, but you certainly won't regret getting the six. I lost 10% in mileage for another 120hp, is that worth it to you?
Got rid of my '11 four banger for just that reason, passing and merging on the highway I commute on daily. And with the a/c on it just bogged down, had 170hp too. Yes, the fun factor did matter too, in the end.
In short, you may regret getting the four, but you certainly won't regret getting the six. I lost 10% in mileage for another 120hp, is that worth it to you?
I forgot about A/C dragging down the engine. That's a major factor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by frankgn87
cheaper by thousands to buy and cheaper to run on a day to day basis. Saving thousands over the life of the car just to not be able to merge at the speed of the v6? Are you kidding me?
BTW we load our 4wd Rav4 four cylinder with 5 people and it easily cruises at any speed we want effortlessly while giving up to 30 mpg on the highway. its a no brainer
Based on the last few posts it's not such a no brainer, is it?
I forgot about A/C dragging down the engine. That's a major factor.
Based on the last few posts it's not such a no brainer, is it?
In franks defense, it really comes down to your driving style, where you drive and how often the car is going to be really loaded down. Any of them are fine in I4 trim when it comes to cruising on the highway. You won't have any problem moving along at 70+ and even pulling grades. It's passing and merging where you will really see the difference.
One other thing to mention though is that the difference in MPG is not always as great as it looks on paper when it comes to real world driving. Check out the specific sites for the model you are looking at and see what people say they are actually getting. Many times the I4's are barely getting 1-2 MPG better in real world driving compared to the V6's. A lot of that has to do with people 'pushing' the I4's harder while driving. In the case of my Malibu, most people with the V6's are seeing 26 combined in the real world. The I4 folks are seeing 27-28. That's less then an 8% difference and the trade-off is gaining 100hp. The cost isn't even that much of a major deal as the V6's tend to recoup at least half of the cost of the bigger engine in resale down the road, so actual cost of the bigger motor ends up only being around $750-$1,000 in most cases for a comparable trim level.
I bet the fuel cost difference between the V6 and the I4 are quite negligible over the lifetime of the vehicle compared to every other cost. It's like people who think using premium fuel is a lot more expensive than regular
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