4 verses 6 cylinder engines

[MacTech]

I split the difference and went with 5 cylinders…

A bit peppier (and a heck of a lot torquier) than a four
A little less thirsty than a six

2.5L inline 5, 150 HP 172 TQ

Also makes a great growly noise under hard acceleration, and technically speaking, at least one piston is always creating a power stroke (120 degree stroke) whereas a four cylinder can have times when no piston is on a power stroke (180 degree stroke)

[leftfield6]

@Melchior

Of which vintage? If you mean late 1990s to mid 2000s, I would disagree.

Anecdotal for sure, but I had a 99 Passat 1.8T that I ran to 325K. Regularly scheduled maintenance (including 3 timing belt changes that I did myself). Maybe a sensor or two, but the engine itself was solid.

It was a 5-speed wagon. Damn I loved that car.

[leftfield6]

@Johnny_L.A

Re: Better gas mileage:

I bought a new Jeep Cherokee in 1999, with a 4.0 l straight-six engine. A few months later, a coworker bought a new Jeep Wrangler. He bought one with a four-cylinder engine because he wanted better gas mileage. It didn’t work. My ‘six’ got better mileage than his ‘four’…

See, that kinda proves the point. That inline 4.0L 6 cylinder that was in your Jeep is one of the best engines ever!! It’s origins go back to 1964 and was a stalwart engine for AMC and then Jeep for decades.

[Krouget]

@davida03801

What are the advantages and disadvantages on a 4 cylinder verses 6 cylinder
engine for cars-SUV’s these days ?

In a very general sense, the difference is usually in quoted power figures, mpg, and at times, octane requirements. In actuality, it really depends what you’re looking for.

@bump

But… these days, I’d go with a combination of fuel economy and test drive to make the choice, because “all else” is rarely equal anymore. Things like turbo and superchargers and stratified charge burning, and the like change the playing field and make things much less dependent on straight-up displacement or # of cylinders.

Agreed, it comes down to a lot more than just the motor. Everything from the method for fuel injection, to the gearbox and drivetrain determine fuel mileage. My current 8 cylinder makes better mpg numbers than my previous 6, thanks in part to gearing and refinements, elsewhere, among other things.

In other cases, a turbo system and plumbing can add weight to a four cylinder and make the weight difference from a 6 negligible, while providing superior mpg returns, so the actual driving dynamics may not differ much, where power will. A manufacturer will more generally engineer a greater list of eco-friendly traits into a car with a 4 cylinder motor, with the idea that the buyer is looking for those things. For this reason, I’d pursue the car which feels better to drive, fits the budget, and meets the minimum criteria for practicality.

Personally, I’d rather have more available power from the motor, plus good gearing, and control fuel consumption with my right foot.