More V4 vs V6

[KrisZ]

I don’t mind the turbo 4 bangers from the power and especially the torque curve perspective. They have more torque down low, so they feel pepier than V6 engines and way less downshift on the highway when going over hills etc.

But the noise and harshness is what turns me off when they are put on premium brands. Having driven economy cars all my life, when I get into one of the premium or luxury models, the engines just don’t feel any different IMO. It kills the “premium” experience for me.

 

[dumkid]

The engine is no more than the power producing unit for any ICE vehicle.
Very few of us use anything approaching maximum power output for more than very brief periods of time.
The advantage of a small turbocharged engine in a pickup is that it can offer great low-end torque while also providing good fuel economy in typical use.
Best of both worlds.
You can buy some very efficient three cylinder turbo CUVs that have adequate power along with really good fuel economy. We rented such a thing a couple of years back, a Trailblazer, and it was a roomy and comfortable machine that delivered 36 mpg on two tanks of fuel in the week that we had it.
There is no free lunch, but small displacement turbo engines come pretty close.
Reliability and durability are entirely a matter of how well the manufacturer did their job in designing and assembling any given type of engine.

The downside to turbo engines is some manufacturers take a cheap little aluminum 4-cylinder and stick a turbo on it. Bye bye rod bearings

 

[Delta]

I personally have no issues with a turbo inline 4. First got one with my old GTI and now my current Tacoma. I don't miss the V6's at all after driving this powerplant. I actually like the noise; it's very diesel like. Torque almost right off the line with no lag.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

Gm 2.8 60deg v6 in my '83 S10 and the 2.5L V6 Duratec** in my 1995 Ford Contour were two of the finest engines I have had in over a half century of driving. Both were sticks. I had also owned a M Roadster with an I6.
________________________________
** Primary development by Porsche

 

[Alex_V]

From my observations, there are plenty of V6 designs over the years that last just fine, run smooth, and get good MPG. There are plenty of other examples but the Buick 3800 proved that point by itself, long ago. However, historically there are even more I-4 designs that are darn good engines AND are fundamentally easier to service because there's fewer moving parts and one head. Wife's DD from 2020-end of 2023 was a '03 Town & Country 3.3L that we drove from 185-235K, and I couldn't have been happier with that van for the work it needed to keep it up to par. The "mehh" reputation those vans have was countered by having worked on at least 4 different ones well over 200K and <not> being treated real well, but still not giving up the ghost as the 4th digit on the odometer ticked ever upward. In the case of the Dodge 3.3/3.8L specifically, being plain old OHV it's not the worst to tear down in the event of a blown head gasket which I did on one last year at 265K. However, because of other factors we sold that van and transitioned wifey to a 1st gen CR-V with, now, 366K on it; we have no plans of getting rid of it soon and I plan to have a head refurb'd for it so if/when the head gasket or a burned valve rears its head, it'll be particularly quick and easy to swap heads and keep it rolling - even easier than the van's OHV V6. With the reputation the Honda B series has overall, I'm totally confident in putting money into the rig perpetually.

You really can't go on basic engine configuration - there are particularly good and bad designs of basically every type.

 

[John105]

From my observations, there are plenty of V6 designs over the years that last just fine, run smooth, and get good MPG. There are plenty of other examples but the Buick 3800 proved that point by itself, long ago. However, historically there are even more I-4 designs that are darn good engines AND are fundamentally easier to service because there's fewer moving parts and one head. Wife's DD from 2020-end of 2023 was a '03 Town & Country 3.3L that we drove from 185-235K, and I couldn't have been happier with that van for the work it needed to keep it up to par. The "mehh" reputation those vans have was countered by having worked on at least 4 different ones well over 200K and <not> being treated real well, but still not giving up the ghost as the 4th digit on the odometer ticked ever upward. In the case of the Dodge 3.3/3.8L specifically, being plain old OHV it's not the worst to tear down in the event of a blown head gasket which I did on one last year at 265K. However, because of other factors we sold that van and transitioned wifey to a 1st gen CR-V with, now, 366K on it; we have no plans of getting rid of it soon and I plan to have a head refurb'd for it so if/when the head gasket or a burned valve rears its head, it'll be particularly quick and easy to swap heads and keep it rolling - even easier than the van's OHV V6. With the reputation the Honda B series has overall, I'm totally confident in putting money into the rig perpetually.

You really can't go on basic engine configuration - there are particularly good and bad designs of basically every type.

My 1998 Maxima VQ lasted until 2022, and it was a fine engine. It did leak and emissions destroyed it. If in a non inspection state say FL, it’d be still driving. But it doesn’t compare to an inline 6, nor a V8. A choice t bone is good enough for me and I can’t even afford it (15.99/lb at the supermarket, unless on sale for $6.99/lb). But it doesn’t compare to a prime rib eye. I prefer to look at it realistically. Jmoymmv

 

[MaximaGuy]

Yesterday saw a Lexus TX350 (size of a Durango) and checked the specs and was floored. Baby V4 with an 8 speed and serious horsepower. No turbos as well... Engineering smaller engines and on the Honda you won't find a V6.

 

[Tikka]

The Ford Granada/Consul were possibly the biggest selling cars with a V4. IIRC SAAB and a few others also used Ford V4.

Hi.
I'm in UK and am old enough to remember Transit vans using this V4 engine.

 

[mr_boring]

Turbo is the future…..

I'm holding out for Impulse and dilithium crystals

 

[Snagglefoot]

The only vehicle that I'm aware of that was a true V-4 was the Saab Sonnet. Cool vehicle.

Here is some stuff from Wiki on that.

 

[GR_CoB]

Yesterday saw a Lexus TX350 (size of a Durango) and checked the specs and was floored. Baby V4 with an 8 speed and serious horsepower. No turbos as well... Engineering smaller engines and on the Honda you won't find a V6.

It does have a 2.4L turbocharged engine. That's where TX350 (aka Toyota Highlander) gets it's 275 horses from.
And it's L4, as in Linear-4. As in all 4 cylinders are in-line. One block, one head.
V4 would be a one block, with 2 heads, and 2 cylinders per head on the same crankshaft in a V-formation.

 

[JHZR2]

Totally agree! Unproven, not tested properly, CAFE, big government/greenpeace pushed technology. They shovel turbo just because someone figured out few years ago you could put turbine on an engine.

For example:

This young fella definitely needs some time to prove:
View attachment 217625

Or, one that really, really has a hard time finding customers:

View attachment 217627

Now this one has truly new turbo technology. We are just not there to put turbo on 4 banger:

View attachment 217628

lol! Yeah they’re diesels, but my fleet of turbo, egr, 30-40yo vehicles would have something to say too.

Heck, the best and most long lived and reliable automobile engine ever produced (MB OM617.952) is a turbo.

 

[Rmay635703]

In the recent past more and more cars and even big SUVs are going back to V4. Any reasons for this change?

V4 would be amazing, smooth as silk and less likely to blow head gaskets despite having 2.

What’s unfortunate is many turbo 4’s are less reliable than NA V6’s

They are used because they get slightly better economy per government testing but not necessarily in the real world

 

[brages]

Edit, this is not my car, it's a photo from swedespeed.com by the guy who made and sold these stickers