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Sorry, not a car guy (never have been, although I've been to the Indy 500 about 25 times and love it).....what's the difference between a 4 cyl and V6 in terms of engine performance, fuel economy, giddy-up, etc? Is a V6 always going to be more expensive? If you're doing mostly hwy driving, which would you go with?
Thanks!
Sorry, not a car guy (never have been, although I've been to the Indy 500 about 25 times and love it).....what's the difference between a 4 cyl and V6 in terms of engine performance, fuel economy, giddy-up, etc? Is a V6 always going to be more expensive? If you're doing mostly hwy driving, which would you go with?
Thanks!
A non-turbo, non-supercharged 4 cylinder is going to be slower and less fuel efficient than a V6 engine. With today's technology, there's no easy answer as to which you should have for highway driving. Also, a V6 isn't always going to be more expensive depending on the technology added to the 4 cylinder engine. If comparing non-turbo and non-supercharged engines, yes, I'd go with a V6. The V6 doesn't work as hard to maintain interstate speeds and has the torque for accelerating to pass slower traffic. Regular 4 cylinder cars are perfectly capable of driving interstate highway speeds and do so with better MPG than V6 engines. If they're turbo or supercharged then it's easier for them to maintain highway speeds and pass slower traffic. With turbo or supercharged 4 cylinder cars, they're not always necessarily better on gas than a V6 engine vehicle. Performance and fuel efficiency is more than the number of cylinders. It's also about vehicle weight, transmission gearing, and ECU (car's computer) programing. It's because of this that some cars with high horsepower can be slower than a car with less horsepower. A midsize sedan or larger will generally be more comfortable on highways than compact or smaller. Haven't driving a modern midsize sedan with 4 cylinder on the highway. Previous midsize 4 cylinder sedans seem to be buzzy or whiney at interstate speed and struggle to accelerate from such speeds to pass slower traffic. V6 engines will run at highway speeds at a lower RPM which means less engine noise and plenty of reserve power for passing slower traffic. Several midsize sedans are no longer offering V6 engines. They're now replacing their exceptional V6 engines with 4 cylinder engines with direct injection and turbo giving them the same horsepower as V6 engines. Traditionally, turbo 4 engines from a dead stop have a lag before the turbo kicks in but when in highway speeds, the power is there when you need it. Though turbo 4 engines can be as thirsty as V6 engines, driving with a light foot can yield 4 cylinder fuel economy.
All that aside, I use to own a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier RS sedan with 2.2L OHV engine with only 120 HP. Because this car was so light, that engine had plenty of power to run smoothly on the interstate. Best to test drive the cars you're considering. Most compact (Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Dodge Dart, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza) and even some subcompact (Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa) cars are perfectly capable for highway speeds. Microcompact cars (Smart, Yaris, Fiat 500 for example) will have a harder time on the interstate.
Sorry, not a car guy (never have been, although I've been to the Indy 500 about 25 times and love it).....what's the difference between a 4 cyl and V6 in terms of engine performance, fuel economy, giddy-up, etc? Is a V6 always going to be more expensive? If you're doing mostly hwy driving, which would you go with?
Thanks!
There are just too many variables w/in that simple question to craft an effective response. The only apples to apples difference between 2/3/4/5/6/8/10/12 cylinders in a passenger car engine is that the greater # of cylinders, the easier it is to move more air thru said engine in the same time frame - and that is critical as all petro "engines" are air pumps.
Thus a 3.5 liter "Six" will, all things being equal, be able to move more air w/fewer restrictions than a 3.5 liter "Four", thus producing more power, but using more fuel. Beyond that, well...
Look for a car that has a "Overdrive transmission " that reduces engine rpm, when on the highway.
A practical example' If you have a car with a normal automatic transmission, at 60 mph it will be turning around 3000 rpm. The same car with a overdrive transmission will be turning 2300 rpm, at the SAME road speed. Lower rpm equals LESS gas used, per mile at highway speeds.
Many car makers have this type of transmission as a option, on their cars. I have had a number of cars that had this feature. I even had a Ford cargo van with it, and that really saved me money, as I was doing LONG distance deliveries, from Toronto, to the lower 48 states.
As for a 4 cylinder versus a six.........The number of cylinders is NOT the big consideration. It is the engine displacement, that counts. Using the metric measurment system..... A 2000 CC, is a 2 liter, a 3500 CC is a 3.5 litre engine. A smaller engine will do just as well, and uses LESS fuel, for the same road speed.
Unless you are racing, get the smallest displacement that you can.
I have a 2009 Chevy Cobalt, with the 2.2 liter 4 cylinder, with the double overhead cam shafts, AND the overdrive trans option. At 60 mph, it is just ticking over at 2200 rpm, in overdrive. I get about 44 mph on the highway. And just to make my point more obvious, the same car, can get up to around 135 miles an hour, without any modifications. Fast enough for yah ?
A non-turbo, non-supercharged 4 cylinder is going to be slower and less fuel efficient than a V6 engine. With today's technology, there's no easy answer as to which you should have for highway driving. Also, a V6 isn't always going to be more expensive depending on the technology added to the 4 cylinder engine. If comparing non-turbo and non-supercharged engines, yes, I'd go with a V6. The V6 doesn't work as hard to maintain interstate speeds and has the torque for accelerating to pass slower traffic. Regular 4 cylinder cars are perfectly capable of driving interstate highway speeds and do so with better MPG than V6 engines. If they're turbo or supercharged then it's easier for them to maintain highway speeds and pass slower traffic. With turbo or supercharged 4 cylinder cars, they're not always necessarily better on gas than a V6 engine vehicle. Performance and fuel efficiency is more than the number of cylinders. It's also about vehicle weight, transmission gearing, and ECU (car's computer) programing. It's because of this that some cars with high horsepower can be slower than a car with less horsepower. A midsize sedan or larger will generally be more comfortable on highways than compact or smaller. Haven't driving a modern midsize sedan with 4 cylinder on the highway. Previous midsize 4 cylinder sedans seem to be buzzy or whiney at interstate speed and struggle to accelerate from such speeds to pass slower traffic. V6 engines will run at highway speeds at a lower RPM which means less engine noise and plenty of reserve power for passing slower traffic. Several midsize sedans are no longer offering V6 engines. They're now replacing their exceptional V6 engines with 4 cylinder engines with direct injection and turbo giving them the same horsepower as V6 engines. Traditionally, turbo 4 engines from a dead stop have a lag before the turbo kicks in but when in highway speeds, the power is there when you need it. Though turbo 4 engines can be as thirsty as V6 engines, driving with a light foot can yield 4 cylinder fuel economy.
All that aside, I use to own a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier RS sedan with 2.2L OHV engine with only 120 HP. Because this car was so light, that engine had plenty of power to run smoothly on the interstate. Best to test drive the cars you're considering. Most compact (Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, Dodge Dart, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza) and even some subcompact (Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa) cars are perfectly capable for highway speeds. Microcompact cars (Smart, Yaris, Fiat 500 for example) will have a harder time on the interstate.
Wow SailorDave,
Thanks for the details. Good stuff.
I'm starting a new sales position that will have me on the road quite a bit. I'm used to driving SUV's and my wife has a 2012 Highlander but it's not as easy on the gas as I thought a Toyota would be. I'm considering a Hyundai Verzcruz, Kia Sorrento. Ford Edge or some other mid/large size affordable SUV that would get good MPG.
Any thoughts?
4cyls are still more fuel efficient than 6cyls. A 4 cyl is nothing like they were 10 years ago. Most 4cyls are over 180HP, which is what a V6 was putting out just a few years ago. Technology with Direct Injection has really helped.
Look at the new 2013 Altima. 38MPG highway and does 0-60 in the low 7 seconds. The Camry and Sonata 4cyls are getting 35MPG highway. Their V6 models get 30, about 5mpg less. The new transmissions (CVT and 6 speeds) are also a huge contribution to the improved MPG.
The Ford Edge, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Santa Fe are worth checking out for small SUVs, all with avilable 4 cyclinder turbo power plants if you want more grunt and keep good MPG. Should be able to get over 30MPG highway in 2WD trims.
Wow SailorDave,
Thanks for the details. Good stuff.
I'm starting a new sales position that will have me on the road quite a bit. I'm used to driving SUV's and my wife has a 2012 Highlander but it's not as easy on the gas as I thought a Toyota would be. I'm considering a Hyundai Verzcruz, Kia Sorrento. Ford Edge or some other mid/large size affordable SUV that would get good MPG.
Any thoughts?
another consideration, the Optima, hybrid, very good eco. Kia, also, mid size suv with a 4 cyl will not keep your vehicle cool on some rides. They really take a beating and have to run full to keep an suv cool, if you live where that mite be a prob. For Driving, I would look at a six cylinder, or the new hybrids, they get about 35 to 40 plus mpg. You can also depreciate it, and write it off on your taxes next year.
My 99 tacoma sr5 which I bought new in 2000 has 180,000 miles,gets better mpg on hiway at 73 mph and 2500 rpm than city,city 22-25 and 29-33 on highway.My mileage took a hit with ethanol.about 2-4 less mpg.The truck is 4cyl 16 valve.
Last edited by DanBev; 10-16-2012 at 08:30 AM..
Reason: add 4cyl
Agree on the OD transmission. My old 170 hp 3.1L V6 cruises along at around 2,000 RPMs on the interstate.
As for which vehicle, all I'll say is the smallest vehicle that meets your needs. Each person will suggest a different vehicle. Test drive the vehicles you like and pick the one you like.
It's impossible to find a modern car that doesn't have overdrive.
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