Smaller engines

saker75

Hi all

i currently drive a 61plate Mondeo estate 1.6 eco. At times it has felt underpowered but on the whole okay. Looking at my next car now and I see bigger and heavier cars (e.g Nissan X Trail) offered with 1.2 b 1.5l engines. I’m looking for a Euro6 car but need power because I live in the hills with lots of hairpin bends and steep hill-starts. I am looking at 2-3l vehicles but should I be considering those smaller engines? My driving is mostly local single lane tracks, country A roads but also long motorway drives to Scotland and Switzerland. Are these new smaller engines going to give up or make loud whiny noises?

Herzlos

You'll struggle to find anything new-ish with a big engine now, but the small displacement turbos certainly don't feel any different.

I'd focus more on the power and torque figures, because a turbo charged 1.2 could easily be putting out as much power now as a naturally aspirated 2.5 did 10 years ago. Also give it a test drive involving the sorts of hills you're likely to face.

Car_54

As above, look at the power & torque. The days when engine size was a useful comparator are long gone.

CliveOfIndia

To add to the above (and at the risk of being shot down in flames here!) you may also want to look at a smaller diesel engined car.  A diesel gives a lot more torque than an equivalent petrol, which is what you want for steep hills (and towing, though that may not be a consideration for you).  And if you're doing the sort of driving that won't cause the DPF to start sulking, it may be an option.

MattMattMattUK

A 1.2 or 1.4 turbo (or twin, or super and turbo) charged engine from the last five years can easily generate 200PS, even a run of the mill 10-15 year old version could generate 150+PS, where as a naturally aspirated 2.0L from 15 years ago might struggle to hit 120PS.

Modern engines are much more performant, more power, torque and efficiency per litre of displacement, not just turbos or superchargers, but also VVT and modern electronic engine management, less loss in the drivetrain, especially with dual clutch vs old fashioned automatics, better aerodynamics for motorway cruising, lower rolling resistance on tyres etc. Unless you are towing or carrying heavy loads in a large vehicle there is not much need for a big engine these days, two or three litres would be excessive. 

saker75

Thanks everyone. I find that fascinating! I would most likely be going diesel. 

My first car was a 1.3l Metro and it was fantastic fun to drive but since then I’ve associated engine size with power. I’ll explore more options now.

Stubod

Some years ago I went from a 2 ltr diesel Octavia to a 1.4 petrol Octavia....did not really notice any significant difference in either performance or mpg, (although the petrol was a lot smoother, quieter and a lot nicer to drive...IMHO).

As above, small petrol engines with a turbo are the way to go.

Stateofart

They don't call the Ford 1.0 turbo EcoBoost 'EcoBoom' for no reason.  Yes, these engines are under a lot more stress and can be thirsty on motorways, but for driving around town they're fine.  Lazy 2.0 diesels are the best for motorway stuff.

Bigwheels1111

I have a Peugeot 5008 1.6 Bluehdi 120hp.

Its not a race car but sits on the autobahn at 90mph on cruise with 7 adults.

Im looking at a Toyota Corolla estate 2.0, most of my driving is local.

I borrowed one last month for the weekend, Got 50mpg on local and motorway driving over 605 miles.

I was not being gentle on the right foot.

forgotmyname

I remember one of the car mags raving about how much  torque the new 1L focus  had for such a small engine. They raved about the
torque for several articles until they did a trip with 3 passengers and some luggage then they said it lacked torque and needed
downchanges on the hills.

tiger135

i would like to add, i had a new corsa 1.2 turbo as a courtesay car.
it was responsive, plenty of power, but unless you drive extremely carefully you wont get the stated mpg. 
same with the new electrics, only in eco mode with no heater and using engine braking will you get close to the stated range.
i much prefer my older corsa d 1.2 16v, slow but takes off with revs, however it gets a guaranteed 45-50 mpg.