I will like nairalaners to advise me on which of these type of cars to go for as I hav some mechanic who told me to avoid any 6-cylinder engine, siting cost of maintenance and complexity of engine as reason. meanwhile I know a lot of friends who use them without complaining. And most of the cars I like only come with v6 engines(acura, maxima etc). What is the real story, please I need useful advice from informed members

Thank you.

Go for d V6 without.

V6 engines are actually better than 4-cylinders. The only advantage a 4-cylinder has over the 6-cylinder is fuel economy.
NOTE: , ONLY advantage.

The v6 engine is stronger, last longer, faster and gives you a better driving experience, v6 engine cars are also more balanced on the ground at top speed than their 4-cylinder counter-parts.

I personally dont like driving 4-cylinder engine cars.


For me, V8 are my love 


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Thank you, what about the issue of maintenance?

Go for V6 only if u have a strong and reliable moneymaking venture.

v6 maintenance is expensive comparing with 4 cylinder.

I was driving a 4-cylinder car before and was so scared to buy a 6-cylinder. People told me i will spend more on fuel, engine problems will occur if i dont drive the car frequently.

So i decided to get a Toyota Sienna 6 cylinders and I discovered that most of the jists were not true

I totally agree with dgb4.

@ uchenageme-- I'll advise you to avoid buying V6 Honda babyboy/EOD, their engine/gear are prone to issues. They are costly to maintain when problem arise unlike V4 types which are better off with little or no complain. I've had experience on the cars, i can't speak for other brands

@GMcompere--- I want to ask if there is any V4 Toyota Sienna cos i've not come accross any

If it is just for school runs, shopping, etc , the in-line 4 cylinder engine is ok.

Just go for 4-c it is easier to maintain
6-C is a big problem, though it has good efficiency
But what if it develops a fault or you want to change it? YOU WOULD RATHER GO AND BUY ANOTHER CAR. I had similar experience few days back, i Spent close to 130k. can u beat that??
please go for 4-Cylinder except you are a biiiiiiggggggggggggg man

viperman:

V6 engines are actually better than 4-cylinders. The only advantage a 4-cylinder has over the 6-cylinder is fuel economy.
NOTE: , ONLY advantage.

The v6 engine is stronger, last longer, faster and gives you a better driving experience, v6 engine cars are also more balanced on the ground at top speed than their 4-cylinder counter-parts.

I personally dont like driving 4-cylinder engine cars.


For me, V8 are my love

yea this is so true, I have a better experience with V6

v6 is good except fuel economy

4-cylinder is the best if you know that you are not travelling at top speed everyday. The stability in V6 is when u are travelling at a high speed. If u spend most of ur time in town where the maximum speed is below 100km/hr the 4cylinder is the ideal choice.
maintenance is cheap
fuel consumption is better
parts are cheaper
and there is no prove that v6 engine last longer than 4 cylinder engines.

@OP, since you have access to the internet; carry out thorough research on both engines. Then compare your findings with life experiences.
The only reason we compare V4 and V6 engine is because:
• We have apprentice turn mechanics that learnt from people who had almost only v4 to work with.
• About 90% of the mechanics don't believe in personal development, so they stick to what they know
• Our economy has wired us in such a way that we always want it cheap, thereby neglecting the right thing when it comes to car purchase and maintenance
• Our dear country Nigeria is like a jungle, anything goes!
The list goes on and on and on….
V6 is in a world of its own, comparing it with V4 is like comparing a TV with tube and LCD. Technology will always advance. Move with it or stick to what rocks your boat!

A V6 engine is stronger. It is quieter, powers your power steering and airconditioner better, gives you higher speed
performance and its much more durable. The fuel consumption penalty is worth every drop of it and it isnt that much.

The only advantage that 4 cyl has over 6 cyl is fuel economy. Aside this, 6 cyl is the best. The mtce cost is not a factor if you get a good one. I've been using a 6 cyl engine car for over two years now that the last time i opened the bonnet was two months ago when i washed the engine. Just make sure it is serviced when due. The only cost I've incured to date aside servicing and fueling was when I changed the tyres. Go on man and get the 6 cyl. You dont neccessarily need to be a BIIIIGGGGG BOY. I'm not one anyway.

The V6 is superior to the V4 engine both in quality and performance. That much is not in doubt. The current argument is similar to the argument that raged on in the early 90s between manual and automatic transmission. If you remember back then, everybody raved against buying an automatic transmission simply because there were few mechanics for them in Nigeria. Now the reverse is the case.

If you have a competent mechanic and do regular maintenance, nothing should prevent you from buying a V6 engine. I have been driving one since 2004 and will never go back to V4.

All the reasons given for choosing a 6 cyl over 4 cyl are correct but actually outdated. In short it used to be a power issue (HP),  torque, stillness etc. The flip side was that you knew that you would pay more on fuel and possibly repairs. Nowadays auto manufacturers are discovering that with the latest technology a 4 cyl accommodates and make the 6 cyl an expensive alternative. There are 4 cyl with lots of HP, incredible torque ( torque is that ability to move force, so when you are climbing a hill or accelerating while in a high gear) etc. A good example is BMW and MB who have adopted this in many models of their 5 series and E Class respectively. Not to mention that they are good for the environment ( exhaust ext). I doubted a bit at first, but I have an E class 2010 and I was shocked at the performance and the fuel efficiency though its a diesel, is sick ( I get 17-18 KM per liter) and push the pedal on the highway (120+km). Torque is crazy. The dealer showed me the new S Class, yes you guessed it with 4 cyl. I test drove it and couldn't believe it. Who would have believed that you could make a S Class using a 4 cyl. technology means we can achieve more using less.

Need to say though that its easier to accomplish much of this in diesels though and who better than the Germans. also dont expect to see them in Jeeps and large pickups, though Kia has gotten away with it in their Sorento. Dont think you will be seeing this (for now at least) in the States as they love the huge engines. For those interested here is the link. The stats are crazy and having test driven this thing and owning an E 4 cyl, they have my vote.

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/09/28/mercedes-benz-s-class-to-sport-its-first-ever-4-cylinder-turbodi/

Siena:

I would only go for a V6/V8. Power delivery is much better, and so much smoother than the I4 will ever be. An inline 4 gets coarser at higher rpm, and to match a V6/V8 require the use of a balancer shaft.

And for those that feel the V6 is thirstier, think again. The extra fuel any engine demands is more to do with the engine capacity, and design. An old Peugeot 505 2,0 I4 will drink more than a 2000 Toyota Camry 3,0 V6.

Nigerians need to think beyond what their quack mechanics tell them. For those that feel an I4 engine's the bee's knees, would you buy a 2004 Volkswagen Touareg V6, then get your mechanic to replace the engine with an I4, just to satisfy his inadequacies when it comes to V6/V8 engines?

And lastly, no such thing as a V4, same way not all 6 cylinder engines are V6. Some are inline six (I6). Examples of I6 are the 6 cylinder engines used by BMW and Nissan Skyline R series.

Actually there is something as a V4 engine. Lancia were famous for building them if Im not mistaken. Though it seems some got the question confused by citing V4 and V6 which is a different issue as you pointed out ( not the same as 4cyl and 6cyl).

the fuel economy is very negligible. v6 has higher horsepower and is faster. i use a 2005 accord v6 and i get good mileage very much close to a v4

My stake is that "More is always better!"  V6 is better any day.

As ststed by eairlier posters, most of the things people fear about V6 are not through, it's also amazing what I4 engined cars are doing these days.

I drive a v6 car and never had any trouble with it.

my v6 cars dont disappoint me.

Good cars are by luck, 4-cyl, 6-cyl, 8-cyl, all depends on your luck in terms of maintenance. But for fuel economy, 4-cyl is the best. I drove BMW 4-cyl 3-series for 3 years and actually enjoyed having it. Still have it in my garage though I now use Honda. Whole idea is that, IF YOU HAVE THE MONEY, GO FOR 6-CYL. Start your driving experience with the best.

In Naija factor, I dont know why people would take 4cyl over 6cyl. The  roads are rough with sticky and muddy driving terrains. It's better to have  a v6 with higher  power that  would help in navigating through these rough roads.
Also there is going to be so much tear and wear on  4cyl engine because of the roads. Piston and rings would go bad more often on 4cyl than 6cyl.
V6 delivers more on power, torque,longevity, less on tear and wear, while 4cyl  saves on petrol if the 4cyl has close year of manufacture with the V6.


I dont know we are having this roadside mechanic argument.  These so called mechanics keep telling truck buyers that 5-6speed trucks are better than 9-13speed trucks. Guess what? 5-6spd trucks do 1-2 trips per week while 9-13speed trucks can deliver 4 trips in a week. Another kicker is that 5-6 speed trucks are older and suck more gas like NNPC and  are always making visits to the so called mechanics.

I prefer my V6 honda legend wen making inter-state travelling to my little golf whch i normally use for intra-state.
Overall,V6 has no comparison wt v4 only on d fuel consumption aspect.,maintenance depends on hw u use ur car coz i was discouraged d time i was planning to buy my honda legend car by some people dat hv used it b4 bt i consulted my mechanic and he encouraged me and i hv neva regreted buying it.

V6 is better than I4, but these days, what I see all these 1.8l engine-powered corolla and civic do on the road is amazing. They just pull up behind you and the next thing is they just whiz past!

with a tuning chip you can actually increase the torque of either 4 or 6 cylinder.

It depends also on the enviroment you want to drive the car as this determine the running cost as well.

If you are seeking comfort driving you can get it in both the V6 and 4 cyl engines but if you are are into mercedes like me you will know that if you drive an AMG version of the C class or the M3 BMW the driving experince is different

If you have the means go for a V6 it is all down to adhering to manufacturers routine maintenance

Which is better? It depends!

It is very hard to generalize but if you must do, with all things being equal, a 4 cylinder engine will consume less fuel and will be less complicated. Some manufacturers simply lump out 2 cylinders to make a lower cylinder equivalent. This is true with some BMW models (E60 M5 V10 and E9X M3 V8).

I think you should focus on a particular Make then you can decide. For example, Audi’s 2.0T is more developed and offer you more “everything” per liter than the discontinued 3.0 V engine. With BMW, the Inline 6 engines are probably better than the old 4 cylinder engines but BMW now has a great 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbo that will replace most inline 6s. BMW’s inline 6 is actually their bread-and-butter until the arrival of the new 4 cylinder because they use it across every model (X5, X3, 528, 530, 330, 325, 328, 128) and the engine is known for its balance/smoothness.

Once you decide on a particular Make, the next thing to consider is the weight of the car. A very heavy car like 5 series, E class, S class, 7 Series, mid-sized SUV will struggle with a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine because of low torque. A turbo 4 cylinder might offer enough torque to move a huge car but it will have a very weak top end. For example, it will take forever to accelerate over 100 MPH which is needed on US highways. Imagine trying to overtake a trailer traveling at 80 mph, you step on your gas and it takes eternity for it to respond:-) In the US, luxury cars can never sell with a 4 cylinder engine (even 6 cylinders won’t sell very well), which is one of the reasons Acura’s top of the line RL failed. But things are starting to change with the introduction of turbocharged 6 cylinder engines.

The last thing to decide on is what you want out of your car. Do you just want to get to your destination or do you car about the “feel” of your engine response?

Bottom line is that not all V6s are created equal and the same is true for 4 cylinders especially if it is turbocharged.

So, which is better? It depends on your need, the Make of the vehicle and its weight.

used to drive a 97 Accord L4 Engine, Now i drive a 2004 Accord V6 and i can tell u, i get better fuel economy on the V6, driving the V6 got me to conclude i was driving a toy before, it's just too powerful & responsive, i agree for accord, the V6 has a problem of availability of Parts though. but i love it die