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4 Cylinder Turbo vs V6

MarMill

MarMill

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Could someone help explain the big differences b/w these two engines? We are looking at getting a new car. Probably the VW Atlas and it has these two options. I did a little research and seems if you want towing ability go with the V6. The turbo should have better fuel economy though.

The car will be for everyday driving for the most part. I don't anticipate any towing with it. We may look into a luggage rack or something, but that would be the extent.
 
Depends on how you drive. If the driver is aggressive (fast accelerating, hard breaking, etc) then get the V6 as a turbo booster and an aggressive driving style wear out a transmission super fast. I have the EcoBoost engine and I love it, but my wife would have worn the transmission out around the 60k mark LOL!
 
DataDude said:
Depends on how you drive. If the driver is aggressive (fast accelerating, hard breaking, etc) then get the V6 as a turbo booster and an aggressive driving style wear out a transmission super fast. I have the EcoBoost engine and I love it, but my wife would have worn the transmission out around the 60k mark LOL!
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Haha, that makes sense. May have to tell my wife to tone down her driving too if we get the turbo!
 
for a daily driver, i'd say forego the turbo...idk. just over the years with mild tinkering, i'd rather have my daily driver non-aspirated.
 
I just bought a Jeep Wrangler with the 4 cyl turbo and Etorque system. I don't plan to tow with it but when I drove that and it's V6 counterpart I thought the 4cy turbo was a bit peppier and I'm averaging right around 22 mpg in mostly town driving. This also had a better warranty because of the Etorque system (just on the 48V i think battery sort of hybrid part). So far I love it, and I beat my brother's V6 in a drag race so there is that.

I know it's not the same vehicle that you're looking at and I haven't had it long enough to speak to reliability but I'll be under warranty until I sell it to get another. Also 4cyl turbos have been around for a while so while some might be less reliable I think they have a lot of the bugs worked out.
 
Drive both of them and decide if the 4 cylinder has enough power. The 6 cylinder is about $2k more and has 30 more horsepower and an extra 10ft/lbs of torque. I had and EcoBoost 4 in a 2010 Ford Edge and at the time it had plenty of power but I was usually alone in that vehicle and didn't tow with it. The 6 cylinder in the Atlas is rated at 18 combined MPG and the turbo 4 is rated at 22 so fuel savings is a consideration.

We've gotten more powerful vehicles as we've gotten older including 443 ft/lbs of torque on our current SUV and once you own a more powerful engine it's hard to go back to something slower.
 
If you are someone who likes to drive fast, the the turbo will be better for you. At highway speeds, the turbo doesn’t kick in, so the 4 cyl will get better mileage than the 6. If you drive with a heavy foot on the accelerator your mileage will drop. When the turbo charger kicks in, you need more fuel to help burn the extra oxygen produced. The engine will also run much hotter. Repairs over the long run, if you keep the car for a while, will probably cost more with a turbo. Again, it all depends on how you drive.
 
Had had both albeit on different autos. I would take the v6 over any 4turbo 7 days a week. Not even a question. Turbo is lipstick on a pig imo. Pretend like it’s a 4 vs 6 and the rest is fluff. Then make a decision.
 
I have a 2016 Malibu 2.0L turbo and love it. Plenty of power when I need it and great gas mileage.
 
Not sure of the fuel requirements on the VW but, a lot of the turbos require 91 octane or better if I remember correctly.
 
Turtlerancher said:
Not sure of the fuel requirements on the VW but, a lot of the turbos require 91 octane or better if I remember correctly.
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most are higher compression, iirc
 
A lot of this depends on the model of engine....but I feel one thing is true.....RPMs are not free. So, say the performance of the turboed 4 and the 6 are the same....take the 6. unless there is a weight savings and you're a race car driver.
 
I've got a 2018 Atlas SE w Tech that I purchased in late 2018 and chose the 4 cylinder. I never even looked or drove the V6.

I was coming from a 2016 4runner. The gas mileage was killing me, and I had a second kid on the way. I felt like I needed better gas mileage and more space for the second car seat. I dont plan to tow anything either.. Did some research and chose the Atlas. For the price I couldnt beat it. And its really peppy for a 4 banger. We purchased a Subaru Ascent for my wife a few weeks later. I feel like my Atlas is the better SUV and more than 10 grand less.

Per the manual, 87 octane is sufficient.

Here she is as of a few minutes ago.
20200722_103044.jpg
 
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Turtlerancher said:
Not sure of the fuel requirements on the VW but, a lot of the turbos require 91 octane or better if I remember correctly.
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Ahhh, good point. My Malibu requires 91 octane, so there is an additional fuel cost to factor in.
 
Being a VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) guy/owner, for a vehicle that weights over 4000 lbs (without passengers) you'll appreciate the V6's added hp/tq vs. the turbo 4. They both use the same 8 speed transmission so your not gaining anything with choosing one over the other. I currently own a Audi Q5 with the 3.0 L supercharged 6 cylinder and had previously owned an Audi A4 with the 2.0 L turbo 4 cylinder. Don't get me wrong the turbo 4 cylinders are great motors, but in an SUV they just don't cut it. Obv. at the end of the day get whatever you feel fits you better, but for the slight added cost I say up it to the V6.
 
Ah. Stand by for a load of internet misinformation! I’ve driven 4 cylinder turbo’s most of my driving life! Most of those have been driven like I’ve stole them. I’ve never had a turbo fail on me. I’ve never had a gearbox fail on me. I’ve had no issues that I wouldn’t have seen on a non turbo car. Turbos may not be a huge thing over here, they are a very big thing in Europe, so this isn’t new technology we are talking about here.
With regards to the V6 vs a smaller turbo, I’ve only had one experience with a V6 motor. With that limited experience, the V6 is probably a smoother motor. The turbo is a lot torquier, tends to run out of puff though towards the red line.
we have the 4 cylinder turbo in our Mazda CX-9, a big car, and it handles the size well. The only downside I see to the 4 cyl turbo is they sound crap.
As for the gas, generally you can run a turbo charged car on lower octane fuel, but you’ll probably take a hit in power. I would lose around 10% putting 87 in my ecoboost.
 
I'm 4 months into ownership of a Mazda CX-5 Signature, that has the 2.5l turbo. I love it! 250 hp / 310 lb-ft of torque. It pulls effortlessly without any fuss. This is my first turbo 4 and it is really impressive.
 
I will have to test drive both types to see which one we like the best. Good info though.
 
Hard to answer, but modern turbo engines are worlds away from the old turbo motors. With most of them, you really can't tell.

I'd drive both and see.

If this is a long term (100K+ miles) car, the old school in me says V6, as there are less things to fail.
 
I would add, look at the fuel intake method as well. Some of the newer vehicles have only direct injection, whereas some of the v6 options have both port and direct. While generally a non-issue, the direct injection can sometimes cause carbon buildup and decrease longevity of the engine.

On the new ford’s the 2.3L 4 cyl ecoboost it is generally only direct Injected. Whereas the 2.7L v6 is both port/directed.

That said I have owned both, and currently own a 4 cylinder and have (knock on wood) had no issues.
This is something I am looking at for my next car next year, but not a deal breaker.
 
Fundamentally on newer engines, Turbo 4 cyls give you the benefit of gas mileage in cruise when you aren't boosting vs being able to get enough power/torque to move the car when you need it to. What they aren't great at is sustained towing/torque/heavy loading. Off the line from a stop, usually the V6 will give you more torque at a lower RPM to get the load moving. Peak torque on a v6 is lower in the RPM band than a turbo 4, usually.

That being said, when full boost hits and at what RPM can vary greatly based on the size of the turbo ( impeller and exhaust side ) vs air input/intake.

Thats if you want to have a daily hauler. If you want something more sporty, ususally a turbo 4 is going to give you more giggles per mile. My 2 liter turbo motor makes 408 hp / 423 ftlb at the wheels on a dyno sooooo.......yeah that's fun. My daily however is a supercharged v6. Which is also smile inducing but not as much.
 
Tevenor said:
Thats if you want to have a daily hauler. If you want something more sporty, ususally a turbo 4 is going to give you more giggles per mile. My 2 liter turbo motor makes 408 hp / 423 ftlb at the wheels on a dyno sooooo.......yeah that's fun. My daily however is a supercharged v6. Which is also smile inducing but not as much.
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What cars are these? I'm guessing an A4 with stage 2 tuning and an A6 with the supercharged 3.0.

I drive an A4 that is near the end of its life span. I'm considering moving up to a C7 A6 with the 3.0 and then going APR stage 2. I'm excited for the giggles that will provide.
 
campilobaxter said:
What cars are these? I'm guessing an A4 with stage 2 tuning and an A6 with the supercharged 3.0.

I drive an A4 that is near the end of its life span. I'm considering moving up to a C7 A6 with the 3.0 and then going APR stage 2. I'm excited for the giggles that will provide.
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2006 Mitsu Evo IX SE and 2015 Audi SQ5. The latter will be getting a chip and at least one pulley upgrade eventually.
 
My present Civic is the first turbo I've ever owned. The combined (75% highway) MPG is over 41 and it accelerates like no other four wheeled vehicle I've ever owned.

That said, I agree with others who suggest going with the V6 in a larger vehicle.
 
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