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We are also in the market for a new car, and we are on a budget that seems to keep us in the 4 cyl. market. We are getting out of a Nissan Maxima that absolutely flies with the V6, but to fit a new one in our budget, we need to shorten the wish list. We have also looked other makes that are within our budget, hits most of the wish list, but feel so under powered with the 4 cyl. Turbo, coming from the Maxima. We are leaning toward foregoing the toys, and going with the power...oh yeah, by the way, it's for the Wife...she likes the power.
I agree with the comment above that it really depends on a car. Just test-drive what you think you might like and see for yourself. We got our first V6 over 10 years ago and never went back. It's not like we have some sort of principle but it's just not a single V4 car meets our expectations. I really like smooth and fast acceleration personally. When we rent car I just want to get out and start pushing it, it seems so painfully slow.
Ditto about the cost - these days it's unreasonable to make such blanket statements based on just number of cylinders. Our V6 Toyota cars cost us barely anything compared to a V4 lemon of a Dodge. Change in gas cost is rather marginal if you compare the same model. Unless you are on the road a lot. But then it's the whole other consideration.
I would stay with a 6 if you are hauling more people around. You can find many SUV's with 6 cylinder engines. I also think a 6 is better if you live in an area where you are having to merge into traffic frequently because of the need for the power.
I drive 4 cylinder Hondas, but we also have a 6 KIA SUV and I can appreciate the difference.
If you drive a 4 cylinder turbo spiritedly, it will give you lesser mpg compared to a V6 engine having the same power, and driven in the same way. Case in point: The mpg delivered by Ford's Ecoboost engines is very sensitive to driving style.
I have a 2015 Hyundai Sonata with a 2.4 four cylinder. It's very quiet and I can hit freeway speeds long before the on ramp merges with traffic. A friend recentyly had the spark plugs replaced on her V-6. $500, because they actually had to remove the motor mounts to get to the rear bank. I can change them in a few minutes on a four cylinder. If you're buying a new car, one thing you'll find is fewer six cylinder options out there. Most manufacturers are discontinuing them in favor of four cylinder engines, many with turbo chargers.
My current SUV is my first (and likely only) 4 cylinder.
I went with the 4 cylinder because I was driving from NC to MI and back several times a year, and I wanted the better gas mileage. Except that the gas mileage isn't that much better and getting that 4 cylinder up the mountains on I-77 was not worth the trade-off.
Now, I've moved back to Michigan, so long trips are no longer necessary. And Michigan is pretty flat, thankfully. But, still, I hate the 4 cylinder. Especially when merging onto the expressway.
Honestly, my opinion is opposite of many- I don't mind it much with city driving. I hardly notice most of the time. But on the expressway? Ugh. It takes forever to get up to speed.
I'm in the market in getting a new car. All three cars I've owned and driven have been V6 cars, and even prior to that my parents vehicles I learned to drive we're both a V6 ford pickup and chevy blazer.
It's not really intentional. Just more or less a coincidence I guess. But I'm always told V6 cars sacrifice very little fuel economy. I'm still wondering if that's true to the case or if a 4 cylinder is efficient enough.
I'm in the market to purchase a 4 door Sedan or small SUV as I've been lately needing more interior space and more people are riding along with me now then before. This is pretty much just a daily driver. Point A to point B. Often times I drive alone to work back and forth, running errands, weekend getting around. Transporting small number of family. An occasional 3rd or 4th may join along.
Not to mention I am in the least bit mechanically inclined. I don't really know anything about cars.
I like the idea of having something practical and fuel efficient. I live in Arizona, so most of my driving is clean road freeways and grid-like surface streets. I'm trying to convince myself if it's okay to get rid of the power of a V6 for some additional efficiency.
My previous cars have been a Nissan Altima 3.5 V6, Chevrolet Impala 2012 with the 3.6 300 HP V6, and most recently, a base model V6 Camaro. Obviously the Camaro is very fun to drive, but it's very hard to see out of, cramped, gets relatively mediocre fuel economy, and isn't passenger friendly.
Reasons I've kept a V6:
- I enjoy the power and smoothness. It sounds good.
- I like having the confidence of being able to make left turns, and merging onto the freeway.
- It's my perception that a V6 is only a very minor cost in fuel efficiency for far more power and refinement.
- It's my perception that a V6 is far more reliable and will last longer.
These are my thoughts of course. I welcome anyone to come along and prove me wrong. I'm looking for solid arguments on why I should drop my philosophy and consider a 4 cylinder.
Case and point, the 2017 Altima receives a EPA of 27/38.
I look at my Camaro which I'm getting a average of 21-22 MPG. I can't help but be intrigued.
Do I really need that power for the kind of driving I do that I described? Or am I being overkill?
Thanks for any input.
Weight should your deciding factor in making a decision. A 4 cylinder in a lighter car will perform just as well as a V-6 in a much heavier vehicle and give better MPG at the same time. But YMMV depending on your habits.
Nobody can convince you to buy a 4 cylinder car. I have had the old 4 cylinder cars and they had absolutely no power. Now, it's a different situation with the new technology. My advice is to drive all of the cars you are interested in and forget about the engine. (Unless your towing, then it's a different story.) you have to find something comfortable and powerful enough to suit you. Remember though the 4 cylinder is going to cost you less at the pump. We don't know where gas is going to be headed in the next few years.
If I've ever had a six cylinder car it's been many years, and I've never wished for one.
Here are some factors:
1. the six cylinder will have a higher initial cost than the four. Probably thousands of dollars.
2. the six cylinder will burn more gas than the four, which over the years you own it will add up to real money.
3. A four cylinder vehicle has plenty of power to do everything you need it to do. You can easily drive the speed limit or above even with 4-5 people in it. You will have no problem keeping pace with traffic. Just the other day I noticed I was up to 82 in my Prius and until looking at the speedometer it was not at all noticeable. Just how fast do you think you need to go?
4. You can do your own research, but I do not believe there is reliable scientific evidence that a six cylinder car lasts longer than a four, both being properly maintained.
I'll give you some of these, but not all.
1. Yeah, but that's usually because the V6 comes in higher trims only. If you want the higher trim, the V6 may not be that high of a cost. Going from the V6 to the V8 in my Jeep was a little under 3 grand.
2. Depends on how you drive. Fords EcoBoost is a prime example. I know a few folks that get great mileage, but they don't get on it all the time either. Drive it like I drive my V8 and you're not getting the rated mileage at all, which is a number of folks experiences as well. Another example - I get between 1-3mpg less in my V8 than I was my V6. I'll take the V8 any day of the week with that kind of mileage.
3. No. No, no and no. I've driven 4 bangers that make great power for what they are, and I've driven 4 bangers that can't get out of their own way with a tailwind. Chevy Equinox was one of them. I floored it coming down a ramp and it still barely got up to highway speed before I had to merge. There's no way I would have ever wanted to drive that through the mountains. Your Prius is an apples to oranges comparison. Yes, you have a 4cyl - but you also have the battery and electric motors to help with acceleration, which makes a difference. It's not all about driving over the speed limit, it's also about merging and passing. I'll take passing power over gas mileage any day of the week.
4. 'Bout even. Our 2004 Camry with the 4cyl has been rock solid. So have my Jeeps with V6's.
I had a 325 HP V 8 in an early 60s behemoth and even in that tank you could take off from a stop sign so I know the benefits of raw power. Our 80s and 90s cars had smaller V 6s and still had torque to pull out and to merge, at least adequately. These were 150 and 160 HP V 6s.
Now I have a 130 HP 4 cylinder in a much smaller car( Kia Soul) and there is a compromise. Merging and pulling out( if in a hurry) means you have to stomp on the gas and you get that rev and whine. But on the highway or on the road at speeds of 55 to 65 to 70 there is no engine noise or signs of strain. It just drives effortlessly. Likewise I did some hill climbing and had no trouble doing 45 MPH+. But I don't drive fast unless I really have to. And a good transmission factors in.
The engine is quiet and not buzzy at all. And its amazingly fast to warm up in the winter. Maybe its the direct injection or the engineering design. I did some long haul driving on highways this past week and recorded 37 MPG. That's with ethanol. And at 3 years the cars had no issues, not with the engine or otherwise.
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