4 bangers- Love'em or Hate'm?

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The AP1 s2000 is an amazing 4 cylinder. 240 HP N/A reving all the way up to 9000 RPMS. It is also reliable as ****. I believe I heard there has not been a single vtech failure, although that might only be on the s2k, but no matter what u don't have to worry about that on a honda. Automatic transmissions are another issue though
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The same can be said of mini-vans!!!!
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Ummm, the 2.4L engine in our 94 previa is more than enough for any responsible driving that would ever need to be done... and we have LOTS of short merges with no running space, cars driving 70 in the slow lane, etc.

at 198k with no oil use and UOAs that nobody can challenge as being some of the most excellent this board has seen, I have to disagree.

At the same time, for real high capacity vehicles, and especially vehicles with lots of parasitic loads (4wd for example), 4-cyl is not really a good choice. The subaru legacy and some others are good exceptions though.

The thing I like about a 4cyl engine is the ease of maintenance... Unless they design stuff too tightly together (honda), they are really nice to do all sorts of PM - in a lot of ways superior to rwd cars with v engines.

A we;ll designed 4-cyl engine, with or without turbo, a well designed drivetrain, and a decent sump (5.5+qts), and its a recipe for a great setup... I know, I have a number of different examples of this!

Id like to see the 6 cyl drivers have 195 lb-ft of torque from 1500RPM up, and get 40 MPG out of their 3000+ lb car like I can in my 4cyl saab!

JMH
 
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You can probably count the number of VTEC failures on one hand
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One of my co-workers has an early 90s Prelude.
It needs an engine. It failed at 120K. He told me that it's a known problem with those engines. I don't recall the exact details of the failure.
 
I've been consistantly pleased with both the performance and economy of the 2005 2.5 Subaru engine in my OBS. Quick, fun, and easy on fuel.

The only other modern 4 cylinder that I've had was in an 87 Sentra. For it's age and what it was it was an excellent engine. Not fast by any means but totally reliable.

The most relaxing 4 cylinder to drive is my 1947 Ford 2N tractor. Huge amounts of torque, good fuel economy (designed for 10 hours of plowing on a single tankful) and easy to maintain. And there's nothing like the sound of a flathead engine.
 
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I don't know why any of you guys would want a Japanese 4-banger, when you could have the reliability of a German-engineered VW like mine.
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I didn't feel like paying a couple thousand extra for a car with a 0-60 that's 5 seconds slower than mine.
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The VW TDI with DSG is looking very nice.
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Unlike before, those transmissions now have a mandatory 40,000 mile service interval for the fluid/filter as the twin friction clutches ride in the fluid.

It costs $199 for 7L of the DSG ATF and the correct filter when bought in a package special online, imagine what it'd cost if bought individually at retail, which dealer mark up!
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Oh man, if you guys ever got in a Saab 4 cyl made in the last 7 years or so, you'd forget a lot of other 4 cyls. My 2.3l turbo 9-5 is one nice engine. In Aero trim, they are shipping from the factory w/ 260 hp!
 
I love Honda's (and Toyota's) 4 cyls. I had 2002 Camry LX and now have 2005 Accord LX 4cyl. Both Autos.

Very reliable, smooth, and maintenance free almost. The way my Accord rides I have no need or desire for 6 cyl. None.
 
I am beyond happy with my 2.5 Turbo motor in my 2005 Subaru Legacy GT wagon. A tiny bit of lag but then it pulls very strongly to 250HP@5500RPM. Its rated for 0-60 in 5.5 secs.
 
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One of my co-workers has an early 90s Prelude.
It needs an engine. It failed at 120K. He told me that it's a known problem with those engines. I don't recall the exact details of the failure.
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Umm.. being an admin of a Prelude webboard, I also know of plenty of engine failures due to oil starvation. But we are talking about the VTEC system on ALL Honda engines and overall reliability.
 
Well, I've got a Honda in addition to my saab and I can say that the Honda iVtec IS nice. Just not the off the line power of my saab. I've never expereinced a turbo'd or supercharged Honda, so I can't really compare.
 
That $200 every 40k miles is 1.6% of operating cost. Now, if the DSG lasts longer then a conventional autotragic, coupled with its lower fuel cost, it may be both more economical and provide a better driving experience.
 
I have 2 Hondas and a Mazda 4 bangers. Even the CRV I got for winter driving has 4 cylinders. I figured that if I need 6 cylinder power in winter then I am probably driving too fast on snow, will get myself into trouble.
When I want power I use my Kawi Ninja 4 banger. In the power/weight ratio equation it is much easier and cheaper to deal with the weight as opposed to power side. I think 4 bangers provide plenty of power most of the time.

In fact, the only time when 4 bangers lack power is hard acceleration. The new hybrid tek deals with that problem using power assist, additional electric motor that is activated on hard acceleration. It can work on any car really. In a few years it will become a standard feature. The point is while crusing you are using less than 50% of engine capacity on a 6 cylinder. Some companies try to switch off half the cylinders, but I am not sure how well that works as fuel efficieny remains poor. Anyway there are ways to deal with getting more power other than just increasing number of cylinders.
 
I love my AMC/DC 2.5 4 banger. It's about as thrilling as stale bread. It gets lousy fuel economy. It will challenge V8's for lack of fuel squeezing on the highway ..at least with an automatic. It has no performance aspect to it. If you have imagination ..you can feel the torque and take consolation in that you can leave the stop light @ 2000 rpms ..and between the power production and the higher stall torque converter ..you can attain 50 mph without the engine changing rpm ..except when the lockup occurs.

My daughter can achieve 12.5-13.5 around town in this thing. My wife can muster no more then 17.5 mpg on her highway 50 mile round trip commute. This is bested by her 4.0 5speed with 33" tires and winch/heavy bumper. I can achieve around 20 on a suburban type cycle.

I expect it to receive a trophy for the smallest gas guzzler in modern automotive history.
 
I've previously owned 2 V6-powered GM vehicles, but I'm glad to be driving 4cyls again. I'll gladly tolerate the mediocre HP of a european SOHC 4cyl engine in exchange for maintanence simplicity and potential longevity.
 
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