In a country where anything bigger has long been presumed superior, such value statements are being tried yet again.  The USA is finding that downsizing engines is not so horrible as was once presumed; in fact, for the most part, Americans are gladly taking the switch from V6 engines to 4-cylinders.  This is, of course, easier when they don’t have to sacrifice engine power to do so.

The Growing Trend Towards 4 Cylinder

V6? Old News.
Maybe not quite yet, but they’re taking a popularity dip.

The 4-cylinder engine was once shunned as a clanky, unreliable, underpowered piece of trash to have under your car’s hood.  A V6 engine, on the other hand, delivered power and performance.  Now that’s all changed.

While V6 engines are still delivering power, dedicated engineering work on the formerly-neglected 4-cylinder has resulted in engines that deliver all of the power needed, and sometimes power fairly equivalent to a standard V6.  And they do all this while delivering better fuel economy.

The drive towards 4-cylinder engines has been driven by two major factors:  an increased desire for fuel economy and government regulations on car emissions.  With these two motivating factors, car companies have made cars lighter and engines more efficient, sturdy, and compact.  While V6 engines are still around, their popularity, and even their availability, is waning as the small 4-cylinder engine begins to take center stage.

Tags: 4-cylinder, better, bigger, downsize, engine, engines, fuel efficiency, isn't, power, used engine, used engines, V6