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Let me clarify, when I say higher-powered vehicles, I'm not talking about V8 muscle cars like BMW M5 or Mercedes C63, but rather regular commuter vehicles that are accessible to ordinary people. The commuter vehicle market used to include a preponderance of V6 options from Toyota RAV4 V6 to Honda Accord V6, Nissan Altima V6, Ford Escape V6, Mazda6 V6, Hyundai Sonata/Santa Fe V6, even Tuscon V6.
Three things stand out in my mind.
1. Except for the Camry, the V6s have been replaced with I4 turbo engines that deliver increased complexity, decreased durability, turbo lag, increased engine noise, and in some cases decreased real-world performance and fuel economy.
2. The V6 models that permeated the market 5-10 years ago were markedly cheaper than the 4-cylinder models on the market today.
3. With the exception of the Camry, if one wants a V6 engine today, they must step up from a standard marque to a luxury marque. This price differential is much greater than that between a 4 and 6-cylinder version of the same model.
Why is a V6 better than a turbo 4 if they produce the same HP, given the 6 uses more gas?
Why is a V6 better than a turbo 4 if they produce the same HP, given the 6 uses more gas?
I think in the real world, the difference is less than indicated on the sticker.
I wanted to buy a 2.5L normally aspirated Ford Fusion. However, there was a 1.5 turbo 4 cylinder on the lot in the color I wanted. I ended up buying that car.
With all the new cars I've bought, I never had a problem meeting or exceeding the gas mileage as listed on the sticker. My turbo Fusion NEVER got the highway mileage listed (36 mpg). I think the highest I ever got was somewhere over 33 mpg.
Not only that, the engine lasted 30,000 miles before imploding. Yes, I needed a new engine. Got rid of it soon after. I had a 2012 Fusion with a 2.5 before that, and had NO problems in 50,000+ miles. I traded it in on the new car because it was a manual and I had left knee surgery.
So for me, a good six cylinder is smoother, likely to be more reliable and has an even power band. A good turbo 4 is nice, but it has to be designed well to minimize (most cars it's not really eliminated) turbo lag and long term maintenance can be more expensive.
I rented a 2.0T Ford Escape AWD for a week. Real world mileage was about 16-17 city and 24-26 highway. I would think a good six cylinder would produce similar numbers.
Why is a V6 better than a turbo 4 if they produce the same HP, given the 6 uses more gas?
I think in the real world, the difference is less than indicated on the sticker.
I wanted to buy a 2.5L normally aspirated Ford Fusion. However, there was a 1.5 turbo 4 cylinder on the lot in the color I wanted. I ended up buying that car.
With all the new cars I bought, I never had a problem meeting or exceeding the gas mileage as listed on the sticker. My turbo Fusion NEVER got the highway mileage listed (36 mpg). I think the highest I ever got was somewhere over 33 mpg.
Not only that, the engine lasted 30,000 miles before imploding. Yes, I needed a new engine. Got rid of it soon after. I had a 2012 Fusion with a 2.5 before that, and hand NO problems in 50,000+ miles.
So for me, a good six cylinder is smoother, likely to be more reliable and has an even power band. A good turbo 4 is nice, but it has to be designed well to minimize (most cars it's not really eliminated) turbo lag and long term maintenance can be more expensive.
The audi RS3 with a 2.5t puts out 400hp are you saying that's not enough for these cars? The mercedes 2.0 twin-scroll outputs 375hp , and these will get more powerful soon. No need for V8's at all! The RS3 gets 28 mpg with 0-60 in 3.5 secs from a freaking 4 cyl with an awesome exhaust note too. Keep in mind a standard suburban comes with 355hp from a beefy useless V8.
Sure. Now blow the engine in all three and see which one costs the least to replace. I betcha it’s that ‘useless’ V8. By a long shot.
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