The Pros & Cons Of 4-cylinder Engines

Four-cylinder engines person been portion of nan automotive segment for complete a century. Yet nan quest for much powerfulness nether nan hood dominated astir of nan 20th century, giving emergence to six- and eight-cylinder powerfulness plants, pinch smaller engines often relegated to base-model duty. However, today's marketplace is shifting arsenic four-cylinder engines, beefed up pinch turbochargers, progressively push speech V6s and V8s. The logic comes down to efficiency: less cylinders mean amended substance economy, and erstwhile mixed pinch increasing regulatory unit and stricter emissions targets, nan four-cylinder's resurgence becomes easy to understand.

The newly tubocharged 2023 Toyota Highlander is simply a bully example. The automaker replaced its long-serving 3.5-liter V6 pinch a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produces 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. While horsepower dropped by 30 ponies, torque output accrued by 17% complete nan V6. In announcing nan changeover, Toyota didn't hide its motivations: amended substance system and reduced emissions.

Chevrolet followed a akin way pinch nan revamped 2024 Traverse midsize SUV. The erstwhile generation's 3.6-liter V6 engine was dropped successful favour of a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-4. However, Chevy managed to summation horsepower and torque — 328 hp and 326 lb-ft compared pinch 310 hp and 266 lb-ft from nan outgoing V6 — showing that downsizing doesn't ever mean giving up performance.

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Efficiency is nan hallmark of four-cylinders. Smaller displacement and a simpler creation construe into engines that pain little substance and nutrient less emissions. Add modern turbocharging to nan mix, and powerfulness nonaccomplishment becomes almost a non-issue. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 clip of 6.7 seconds for a V6-equipped 2022 Highlander, while nan 2023 four-cylinder type reached nan people successful 7.2 seconds. Meanwhile, EPA-estimated mixed substance system for those aforesaid exemplary years roseate from 23 mpg to 25 mpg. Reduced emissions are different affirmative byproduct. Toyota reported that nan motor move pinch Highlander trim nitrous oxide output successful half.

Lightweight creation is different advantage of four-cylinder powerfulness plants. These engines person less moving parts and a smaller footprint, which tin trim conveyance weight and amended handling. A 2025 Ford Mustang EcoBoost pinch a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder weighs 3,588 pounds, while nan V8-equipped Mustang GT tips nan scales astatine 3,832 pounds. In a 2021 reappraisal of nan previous-generation Mustang, comedian and car collector Jay Leno had bully things to opportunity astir its four-cylinder version connected "Jay Leno's Garage": "I loved it amended than nan V8 because successful nan hills, it really handled lighter. I mean, I was stunned astatine how — what a bully driving car it was."

High-pressure nonstop injection, adaptable valve timing, and low-friction soul coatings make modern fours smoother and much responsive than their predecessors. Automakers person tuned these powerfulness plants to present much mid-range torque, truthful acceleration is little of a chore. Forced induction has besides helped Mazda engineers trim turbo lag successful nan company's SkyActiv engine family.

While four-cylinder engines person travel a agelong measurement complete nan decades, they're not perfect, moreover pinch modern improvements. One drawback centers connected refinement issues. Because a four-cylinder fires little often per crankshaft rotation, these engines tin consciousness little soft than larger ones. A V6 aliases V8 has much overlapping powerfulness strokes that nutrient much moreover crankshaft turns. An Edmunds review of nan 2023 Highlander calls retired really overmuch noisier nan compartment is pinch four-cylinder powerfulness compared to nan V6, particularly erstwhile nan motor velocity reaches 3,000 rpm.

Another downside tin impact towing. While nan motor move didn't impact nan Highlander's 5,000-pound tow rating, it tin matter pinch different vehicles. The 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped pinch a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder tin tow up to astir 9,200 pounds, while nan aforesaid motortruck fitted pinch nan 6.2-liter V8 and an optional tow package increases capacity to astir 13,300 pounds. When equipped pinch nan guidelines turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, nan Cadillac XT6 tin tow 1,000 pounds, but nan aforesaid conveyance equipped pinch a 3.6-liter V6 has a trailering capacity of 4,000 pounds.

Other disadvantages are little quantifiable: attraction and reliability. To present big-engine torque, turbo-fours require precocious boost pressure, which adds heat. There's besides nan mechanical complexity of turbochargers, intercoolers, and other plumbing, creating further imaginable problem spots complete people aspirated engines. And turbo engines require much predominant lipid changes. While nary metric points to a four-cylinder motor being little dependable aliases much costly to own, logic says that much parts don't thief support repair bills to a minimum. Turbocharged engines, sloppy of cylinder count, are nary strangers to problems.