V6 or 4 cylinder

[Cyclone06]

Which one is the better engine? When would one actually NEED a V6? Why would one pay 2k more for a car/engine that will cost more in gas?

Is the only reason to get a V6 speed? I have no need for speed, but is the answer that simple? I'm planning to buy new.

 

[pulse]

Depends on your needs. In a car, yes the difference between a V6 and a 4-banger it can be hard to justify the V6 when considering gas, cost, and (depending on the engine/car) acceleration.

 

[tman24]

engine sounds a lot better if you are into that thing

 

[illinoiscyclone]

depends on what kind of vehicle you are buying. if you buy a 4 cyl truck you are a joke.

oh and my mom bought a tiburon 4cyl because she thought it was "cute." it looks fast, but if it didnt have the tapshifter it would be slower'n pondwater.

 

[Cyclone06]

Depends on your needs. In a car, yes the difference between a V6 and a 4-banger it can be hard to justify the V6 when considering gas, cost, and (depending on the engine/car) acceleration.

My needs are reliable transportation from point A to B.

 

[cmoneyr]

If all you need is cheap transportation 4-cyl may be fine. Test drive on the interstate, getting on an on ramp with an underpowered 4-cyl can be somewhere between infuriating and impossible. I personally would not feel comfortable driving most 4 cylinders, I prefer to have enough juice to get out of my own way.

 

[pulse]

My needs are reliable transportation from point A to B.

Then the answer most likely would be...... 4.

 

[herbicide]

Depending on the model of car, sometimes the 6 will get as good or almost as good mileage as the 4. Sometimes.

My biggest complaint about some/many 4 cylinders is the noise they make; I'm talking about the noise while you are in the car and accelerating. V6's tend to not make the same loudness and tone. Not all 4 cylinder cars do it.

 

[kingcy]

I dont think a 6 would use that much more gas if any. Every 4 I have drove has been under powered.

 

[pulse]

4s can make more noise, but usually only if you are a quick accelerator guy. I can't speak for 4-cyl American cars, but in Hondas and Toyotas for example, their 4s are fantastic and noise isn't a big concern. Unless you like to take off, 4s aren't too noisy if you accelerate at a 'normal' pace.

Note: I've had the whole gambit, from American V-8s to little 4s, and trucks to cars. I loved em all. Just referencing the difference between a 4 & 6 in your average everyday-use-car.

 

[Phaedrus]

I'm a big fan of in-line engines. Of course, I do as much maintenance as I can myself, and convenience of maintenance is the big sell for me.

For most V-6 front-drive cars, the back spark plugs are mythical, because there is no way in heck you'll ever get to them.

As far as 4-banger trucks are concerned, I don't know anyone who has a brain that would call the Toyota 22RE a "joke". Likewise with the 4 cylinder jeeps and diesel engines.

Show me a car that is "underpowered" and I'll show you an incompetent driver. I spent 2 years in the Bavarian Jura mountains with a 70 hp Opel sedan, and I got along just fine. Of course, I'm a competent driver, and have the ability to think so that I can keep ahead of my car.

 

[Cyclonick182]

Ill take 4 Cylinders any day of the week, my car gets better gas than alot of cars and it still has no problem out performing alot of 6 cyclinder cars in the power category either.

 

[anticyclonic]

Actually I would recommend either a 454, 440 magnum, 426 hemi or for even more power a ford over-the-counter 427 from 66' or 67'.

 

[cmoneyr]

Ill take 4 Cylinders any day of the week, my car gets better gas than alot of cars and it still has no problem out performing alot of 6 cyclinder cars in the power category either.

What kind of car would that be?

 

[HGPuck]

It really is engine and car specific. My car is a 4 cylinder with more horsepower and torque than a lot of six cylinder engines in cars its size. But at the same time there are 6 cylinders that get better gas milage. The bigger and more a car weighs the more need there is for extra power. As an example if I wanted a Chevy four door car and got the Malibu I would probably be just fine with the 4 but if I got the slightly bigger Impala I would want a 6.

 

[illinoiscyclone]

I'm a big fan of in-line engines. Of course, I do as much maintenance as I can myself, and convenience of maintenance is the big sell for me.

For most V-6 front-drive cars, the back spark plugs are mythical, because there is no way in heck you'll ever get to them.

As far as 4-banger trucks are concerned, I don't know anyone who has a brain that would call the Toyota 22RE a "joke". Likewise with the 4 cylinder jeeps and diesel engines.

Show me a car that is "underpowered" and I'll show you an incompetent driver. I spent 2 years in the Bavarian Jura mountains with a 70 hp Opel sedan, and I got along just fine. Of course, I'm a competent driver, and have the ability to think so that I can keep ahead of my car.

Ill tend to agree with the maintenance on the inline motors. my sister bought a 99 ford contour 2.0L dual overhead cam for 200 bucks, and all that was wrong with it was it was out of time because the chain had stretched and eventually snapped, which is real common on those cars. Turned out the valves and pistons were ok, and putting the new timing chain and plugs and other small things was pretty easy compared to doing the same thing on my 94 caprice. The car isnt underpowered really that much, but the gas mileage isnt what you would expect and that caprice rides a whole lot smoother, even with close to 300g's on it. maintenance and the price were about the only advantages to the car.

as for the rest of the post, well have to agree to disagree. sure, the toyota 22R-E is an ok engine, but i honestly dont really account for foreign cars, im pretty much a made in america guy thru and thru (say what you want everyone, you wont change my mind, i dont want to hear your ). as soon as you lift and put bigger tires on that tacoma or whatever it is, it will slow down. sure you could put headers and a custom exaust on, but polish a turd all you want and at the end of the day its still a turd:biggrin:. One of those would be fun to toy around in thru the mud, but at the end of the day Im more of a full size guy.

Sure you can keep ahead of your car driving through mountains because you have a brain, and even those of us who dont can. you still cant account for the other idiot drivers on the road. and plus, why would you want to worry about staying ahead of your car when you could just ride so much more comfortably in a nicer car with a slightly bigger engine? sure my ol chevy is an ugly granny-getter, but ill take its little 4.3 v8 anyday. as i said before it rides smooth and its got enough behind it in case i need it.


ok. tear me down.

 

[Phaedrus]

Ill tend to agree with the maintenance on the inline motors. my sister bought a 99 ford contour 2.0L dual overhead cam for 200 bucks, and all that was wrong with it was it was out of time because the chain had stretched and eventually snapped, which is real common on those cars. Turned out the valves and pistons were ok, and putting the new timing chain and plugs and other small things was pretty easy compared to doing the same thing on my 94 caprice. The car isnt underpowered really that much, but the gas mileage isnt what you would expect and that caprice rides a whole lot smoother, even with close to 300g's on it. maintenance and the price were about the only advantages to the car.

as for the rest of the post, well have to agree to disagree. sure, the toyota 22R-E is an ok engine, but i honestly dont really account for foreign cars, im pretty much a made in america guy thru and thru (say what you want everyone, you wont change my mind, i dont want to hear your ). as soon as you lift and put bigger tires on that tacoma or whatever it is, it will slow down. sure you could put headers and a custom exaust on, but polish a turd all you want and at the end of the day its still a turd:biggrin:. One of those would be fun to toy around in thru the mud, but at the end of the day Im more of a full size guy.

Sure you can keep ahead of your car driving through mountains because you have a brain, and even those of us who dont can. you still cant account for the other idiot drivers on the road. and plus, why would you want to worry about staying ahead of your car when you could just ride so much more comfortably in a nicer car with a slightly bigger engine? sure my ol chevy is an ugly granny-getter, but ill take its little 4.3 v8 anyday. as i said before it rides smooth and its got enough behind it in case i need it.


ok. tear me down.

There's nothing wrong with your argument. You have some terrific points, and I've owned some pretty high horsepower machines, and appreciate what they can do.

Heck, up until last week, my car was a 3.8L Buick Le Sabre. Terrific car, and got high 20s to low 30s, gas mileage. You just can't do that in a full-size car with a 4 cylinder.

However, I'm just defending the 4-banger as a valid vehicle choice. They really are sufficient for just about anything, provided you realize what you have. I wish I had my old 2.4L Ford Ranger back, for instance. That was a stout little machine, capable of all sorts of good work.

 

[dmclone]

Another thing to keep in mind is that some 4 cyl's are coming turbocharged. It adds power but you also have to pay for premium gas. It really comes down to what kind of car you're getting.

 

[brianhos]

Gas produces CO2, so it is going to get really expensive soon. Get the 4 cyl.

 

[TxCycloneFan]

Actually I would recommend either a 454, 440 magnum, 426 hemi or for even more power a ford over-the-counter 427 from 66' or 67'.

Now that's what I'm talking about.

My Charger Hemi w/MDS gets better mileage than my wife's V-6 van.

Plus I can smoke her in the quarter mile! She really hates that.


I agree with who ever made the comment about getting on the freeway. I like to put my foot down and avoid trouble if necessary.

You may save a little gas and a little cash with those 4 cylinders, but a better accelerating car may save your life.