gerry100

Haven't bought a new car in five years, now thanks to VW buying back our diesel we've decided to upgrade to a sport sedan.
Every BMW,Lexus,Mercedes,Infiniti,Audi and even Caddy seems to have a 2 liter turbo no matter how heavy it is. Caddy even offers one in a 4500lb car.

what did I miss here? Did someone pass a law outlawing 6 cylinders a stick shifts?
( I know, 6s are available at a premium)

Marioshi

Kind of, turbo 4s perform better on fuel economy test loops. More performance = better fuel economy (in theory). CAFE standards mean all car companies need to raise their average fuel economy or pay a fine. Downsizing, forced induction, and hybridization are the way forward.

BTW it's not just the switch from NA 6s to turbo 4s, NA v8s are fading away quickly as well in anything besides dedicated sports cars.

Saki GT

Turbo charging and small displacement was a "quick win" for mpg, so they became very common recently. Now that we've reaped the benefits available, engine sizes may get larger again.

Mr.E.G.

It's 100% due to CAFE, I get that. But I kind of also feel like the manufacturers are pretty excited about this, since it has allowed lesser engines to become normalized across the industry.

gerry100

so this is a result of Obamas' executive order which will kick in when fuel price are low. Perfect

Does anyone know about the longevity of these energetic little devils?

Not comfortable putting these hamster wheels in anything bigger than an A4, if that.

I'm also thinking that we'll have low fuel prices for a while and that used larger displacement rides will gain in value

rob-2

You won't get the MPG the motor is rated for and the performance isn't as good as you'd hoped. It's a step in the right direction, but it's just a step. I wouldn't own a 4500lbs car with 2.0 turbo.

Futures on oil just inverted. Oil costs more today then futures are selling for in 2018. I cannot recall when that happened last. Shale oil will hold down energy prices for the long term and demand will crush it. OPEC has ruined themselves.

America and it's vast oil reserves are here to provide energy stability to the entire world. Buy a v8 and enjoy it.

darcyw

I remember when people complained that their car only had a 4 cylinder- a wheezy, underpowered, 4 cylinder.

there is no replacement for displacement...right? or boost...lotsa boost.

I agree with everyone above.

good luck with your search.

darcy
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windhund116

That 2-liter turbo VW seemed fairly reliable. They are going to even smaller displacements, now. Like 1.4 and 1.8 liters?


Know nothing about them.

Elistan

I have a 3400 lbs car with a 2.0 L turbo and it's as fast as my S2000. It gets better gas mileage than the S2000 as well.
Prior to getting it, we test drove the previous-gen 3.0 n/a inline six version of the car and found it anemic.

QUIKAG

I just put over 600 miles on a 1.5 liter turbo in a new Malibu loaner. It's not fast, but it's definitely not slow. Smooth and pretty quiet too and it goes down the highway in a surprisingly normal and easy way holding lower rpm and not downshifting etc.

Technology is here apparently to dial in smaller displacement four cylinder turbos to do a lot of good stuff. I wouldn't be afraid personally.