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Sedans Midsize Sedans 2.0
13141 messages, Last post on Oct 23, 2009 at 10:10 AM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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A V6 is not necessarily more refined by design than an I4. Also, having owned both "refined" and "unrefined" fours and sixes, I feel I can speak to the issue of engine refinement. Most engineers talk about NVH, or noise vibration and harshness. When I think of noise, I don't think volume is related, more just the "character" of the noise. An engine can be both loud and refined, or it could be both quiet and unrefined. When evaluating an engine, I like to first give it a few good blips of the throttle in neutral, then hold the engine at various RPMs both in neutral and while pulling the car, listening to all the sounds it makes. Again, I'm not judging volume. I'm listening to the intake/exhaust, or any unusual or unpleasant sounds. By this criteria , one of the most unrefined engines I have experienced is the 4.0L Ford V6. Even when new this engine had some unpleasant noises such as whines, ad when revved over 4,000 RPM had a very harsh sound and character. Car & Driver states, "By 5000 rpm, pieces of interior trim begin to buzz. At idle, at 70 mph, and at wide-open throttle, this [engine] makes way more racket than any of the five full-size pickup trucks in our [recent] comparo." I didn't often hold the engine at high revs because of the NVH. It sounded strained and damaging to the engine. In contrast, both the 2.4L in my Accord, and the 2.5L V6 from the late Mazda 626 seemed happy spinning along at 4,000 RPM and above. No unpleasant sounds, vibration, or harshness, just intake/exhaust noise and hum. Truly a pleasant experience, and it doesn't give me the impression of straining or damaging itself at all.
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Replying to: benderofbows (Mar 19, 2008 11:57 am) I've never owned a V6 (except for a smooth, 2.3L supercharged Millenia S for a short time), but my folks traded their 4.0 Explorer for a Mazda MPV 3.0L a few years back, and the refinement of the MPV's motor is shockingly better than the Explorer. I would bet the 2.6, 2.8 & 2.9 versions of the Cologne V6 would be nearly as harsh as the 4.0, so I assume it's not just a size issue. BTW - It's been a long time since I drove a Saab 96 V4 or Ford Taunus V4, so I can't recall if that version of Ford's V-engine is nasty too.
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I would think that you tell whether you like the NVH level of your vehicle when you test-drive it? I'm surprised so many people find this to be an issue. Or aren't you test-driving them? Or better yet many of these sedans are available at rental agencies. Go and rent one with a few thousand miles on it, and drive it 100 miles in a day or 2, before you buy one! |
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Replying to: colloquor (Mar 18, 2008 4:35 pm)
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Mar 19, 2008 1:32 pm)
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Mar 19, 2008 1:32 pm)
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Replying to: elroy5 (Mar 19, 2008 1:44 pm)
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Replying to: maxamillion1 (Mar 19, 2008 11:52 am) |
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Mar 19, 2008 1:48 pm) It hasn't been a problem at this point, and I do my own maintenance. I don't think changing the oil, or air filter are any easier on the 4cylinder. I don't know where the oil filter is on the new 4cylinder, but on my V6 I can get to it without getting under the car. Changing the oil filter on my old 4cylinder Accord used to be a lot more difficult. I think the V6 is well worth any extra effort needed to perform the maintenance. |
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Replying to: elroy5 (Mar 19, 2008 3:04 pm) Anyone unfamilar with this term needs to look up "VR6" to see how VW made a 6cyl as compact as many 4cyls. Sorry for any confusion 
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