Modern Car Engines

[Metr0Land]

Ford are currently offering a car scrappage scheme of £4K which suddenlay makes my 06 plate Mondeo a lot more valuable, although I suspect a new car is still beyond my means.

 

I was looking a Kuga engine options (other types available) and was disappointed to see that in petrol engines they only now offer a 1.5L engine and no longer a 2.0L engine, and a 1.5L seems a bit underpowered to me.  Within the 1.5L petrol versions they offer:

 

EcoBoost 120PS 6 speed manual box front wheel drive

EcoBoost 150PS 6 speed manual box front wheel drive

EcoBoost 182PS Automatic AWD

 

Is this some way of tweaking a modern engine block to pretend it's actually different sizes of engine as I would understand them?

 

 

[Pete the Elaner]

Judging by those horsepower figures, they are all turbocharged.

Turbos on petrol engines have seen a lot of development over the past few years. They have moved on since the days of having to throw in loads of extra fuel when on boost to prevent detonation.

[Horsetan]

.....Is this some way of tweaking a modern engine block to pretend it's actually different sizes of engine as I would understand them?

 

This may involve a combination of (fuel-stratified) injection, a turbocharger and a suitably programmed ECU / engine management unit. You can apparently achieve some quite unreal power output figures, out of all proportion to that normally expected from a particular engine capacity.

 

Just by having my diesel Bora reprogrammed, the nominal output increased from the standard 100hp to about 138hp. The next step would be to swap the turbocharger for a bigger or more efficient unit, but I'm leaving that well alone.

[Pete the Elaner]

An easy upgrade for a diesel turbo is to increase the boost.

 

Before doing anything like this, it is worth asking why the manufacturer never did this in the first place?

They will have their reasons. This may be because an increase in power compromises economy, or maybe they felt it would reduce the life of another part in the drivetrain like the gearbox or clutch.

More power generates more heat, so maybe the the cooling system may not be able to cope?

Edited August 25, 2017 by Pete the Elaner

[teaky]

Ford are currently offering a car scrappage scheme of £4K which suddenlay makes my 06 plate Mondeo a lot more valuable, although I suspect a new car is still beyond my means.

 

I was looking a Kuga engine options (other types available) and was disappointed to see that in petrol engines they only now offer a 1.5L engine and no longer a 2.0L engine, and a 1.5L seems a bit underpowered to me.  Within the 1.5L petrol versions they offer:

 

EcoBoost 120PS 6 speed manual box front wheel drive

EcoBoost 150PS 6 speed manual box front wheel drive

EcoBoost 182PS Automatic AWD

 

Is this some way of tweaking a modern engine block to pretend it's actually different sizes of engine as I would understand them?

My previous car was a 2.0 Focus.  My current car is a 1.6 (150PS) Focus.  The current car is faster, more responsive and more economical.  The small turbo chargers do a good job on these new engines.  I recommend you arrange a test drive with a local dealer.  I'm sure you'll feel the power is sufficient.

 

They even do a 1.0 engine in the Focus which, although it isn't quick, has sufficient power to cope.  My wife has a 1.0 (100PS) Fiesta which is fine though if it was mine I would have been tempted by the 1.0 (125PS) version I think.

Edited August 25, 2017 by teaky

[Zomboid]

Displacement has next to nothing to do with power output these days.

The power output is the PS (a metric hp, just under an imperial hp). Your 2l Mondeo probably has about 120PS if it's naturally aspirated.

To illustrate the meaninglessness of the displacement, if you buy a Volvo (diesel or petrol), it will have a 2l turbo engine. They don't offer a different size, it's just a 2l in different states of tune/ with different amounts of electrical assistance.

 

More significant than power in everyday use is torque, and the rev range where the maximum is generated. Turbo engines tend to have a lot of torque, and from quite low down (lag is not a major issue these days), but are often gutless from idle until about 1500rpm.

 

Really tiny engines are a bit of a con though. They are optimised to do well in the NCAP test, but in the real world you have to thrash them to make any progress, and actually get worse economy from them than a bigger engine.

[Metr0Land]

Really tiny engines are a bit of a con though. They are optimised to do well in the NCAP test, but in the real world you have to thrash them to make any progress, and actually get worse economy from them than a bigger engine.

 

Indeed, hence my concern that there's no longer a 2 litre petrol option.  It's always seemed to me that larger engines (within reason) are actually much more economical in the longer term.

[MarkC]

The original design Smart (before they got 'middle age spread') had the same 3-cylinder turbocharged engine for the 3 different spec power outputs, iirc - the power was set by the engine management firmware, nothing else.

[81C]

I've the new style 1.0 ecoboost 125ps Fiesta it's as quick as my daughter's older 1.6L Zetec S 125 bhp.

 

 All car manufactures are putting smaller engines in with a turbo to get high MPG figures, if I'm easy on

 the pedal it will do 80 mpg on a long run.

[49395]

I've now got a 1.0 litre petrol focus and the fuel economy and power are reasonably comparable to the 1.8 diesel focus I had a couple of cars previously.

 

All depends on how you drive it and the terrain you navigate I suppose

 

True you do have to thrash it a bit to get going but it cruises at 60-70 well enough.

 

As said above go for a test drive and see what you think.

 

My other half has a fiesta with a normally aspirated 1.25 litre engine (I think) and that really is gutless

[Zomboid]

The 1l in a focus is probably as far as you could push it. They offer(ed?) it in a Mondeo but that is a bridge too far.

 

Fiat's Twinair is a nice sounding engine, but you'll struggle to get 40mpg from it, which most people could get without trying in the same car from a 1.3.

[Wacol]

Get a V8 -

 

 

 

[Dunsignalling]

I've the new style 1.0 ecoboost 125ps Fiesta it's as quick as my daughter's older 1.6L Zetec S 125 bhp.

 

 All car manufactures are putting smaller engines in with a turbo to get high MPG figures, if I'm easy on

 the pedal it will do 80 mpg on a long run.

A mate of mine has the lower-powered version (99PS) and reckons he averages mid-forties in real world mixed motoring.

 

My (significantly heavier) 1560cc, 92PS HDi (diesel) Peugeot estate averages mid -fifties in similar usage. 

 

John

[Oldddudders]

I have a Mk 4 Clio with a three-cylinder, 0.9 litre petrol turbo engine, producing 90 PS. It is a delight to drive, with plenty of urge above 2000 rpm, and is giving me 42-ish to the gallon.

 

Sherry has a Fiesta with a three-cylinder, 1litre petrol turbo engine, producing 100 bhp. Automatic, it is simply brilliant to drive, but while consumption is certainly good, I can't quote figures.

 

Both cars drive really well at motorway speeds - I am grateful for the cruise control on mine, as it stops me exceeding the 130 kph limit as the car is eager to do. Sherry's car lacks that, and I constantly have to rein it in on autoroutes.

 

These modern engines are a triumph of design, and I have yet to find the down side in everyday motoring.

[MarkC]

Get a V8 -

 

 

 

stang.jpg

Earworm time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5TQtREyhSM

[28XX]

I have the 4 cyl VAG TSi 1.2l in my Skoda estate. I have put about 40k on it in three years and it hasn't missed a beat. It is said to be 105 hp,

[81C]

A mate of mine has the lower-powered version (99PS) and reckons he averages mid-forties in real world mixed motoring.

 

My (significantly heavier) 1560cc, 92PS HDi (diesel) Peugeot estate averages mid -fifties in similar usage. 

 

John

The difference between your mate and myself is I used to train drivers for economy driving with good results those methods I practice myself so your mate  must be  is heavy footed.

[micklner]

This may involve a combination of (fuel-stratified) injection, a turbocharger and a suitably programmed ECU / engine management unit. You can apparently achieve some quite unreal power output figures, out of all proportion to that normally expected from a particular engine capacity.

 

Just by having my diesel Bora reprogrammed, the nominal output increased from the standard 100hp to about 138hp. The next step would be to swap the turbocharger for a bigger or more efficient unit, but I'm leaving that well alone.

 

Hope you have told your insurance. You now have a non standard modified vehicle , most insurance companies won't touch them !!

 

 

 

I have a 2016  Petrol 1.4 150 PSI Skoda Octavia Estate 0-60 8.5 sec, 46 m.p.g and £30 excise license, thanks Skoda, excellent car.

Edited August 26, 2017 by micklner

[tomparryharry]

Many years ago, a friend of mine had a Lotus Sunbeam. Very nice car.

 

The old adage was:- "Get to 70, change to second..."

 

Aah, happy days....

 

Ian.

[Dunsignalling]

The difference between your mate and myself is I used to train drivers for economy driving with good results those methods I practice myself so your mate  must be  is heavy footed.

Maybe, but credit where it's due, on a long run (300 miles+), with three adults plus luggage aboard, driving to arrive at a specified time, give or take an hour, he was still getting around 45 and that included the best part of an hour of start-stop fannying about on the northbound M6 in Cheshire. He also had the aircon working fairly hard at times.

 

I consider that the current 1.0 litre Fiesta is actually very good on fuel so far as petrol cars go (certainly way better than my gutless 1985 1.1 Mk.2 with half the power ever was).  

 

The figures I quoted are real-world averages maintained over a number of months and several thousand miles, under whatever traffic conditions are encountered, not the best that can be obtained on an easy run on a good day.

 

I regularly nudge 60 mpg on a run with my Peugeot and could probably get that up to 63-65 if I tried and the route allowed, but my sanity wouldn't survive 2 or 3 hours of driving like that ........

 

John

Edited August 26, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[russ p]

I have an MG ZR which has been remapped and different injectors its 155bhp but smokes like a 47 when the turbo is spooling up

I'm trying to get it remapped again with a different MAF sensor to reduce the smoke even if I loose a few BHP,it still does 50-60 mpg

[Coppercap]

They even do a 1.0 engine in the Focus which, although it isn't quick, has sufficient power to cope.  My wife has a 1.0 (100PS) Fiesta which is fine though if it was mine I would have been tempted by the 1.0 (125PS) version I think.

I've got a 1.0l (125PS) Focus. Goes quick enough when needed, and midrange acceleration is really good. Six speed gearbox is nice to use, and the three cylinder engine sounds good too (well, it does from inside anyway!). Is the 125PS available on the Fiesta? Don't think it was two years ago when I bought my Focus. Might be available on the new-out model?

[Horsetan]

Hope you have told your insurance. You now have a non standard modified vehicle , most insurance companies won't touch them !!....

The premium went up by about £50.

[81C]

Maybe,.

 

John

That's better.

Edited August 26, 2017 by 81C

[lapford34102]

 

I have a 2016  Petrol 1.4 150 PSI Skoda Octavia Estate 0-60 8.5 sec, 46 m.p.g and £30 excise license, thanks Skoda, excellent car.

Nearly bought the hatchbackversion but in end went for Golf 1.4TSI, 125PS and a nadges slower to 60. Get 49mpg on along run, that's based on fuel in/miles covered.

A tuning company rolling road tested a variety of VAG turbo-petrols and found they were all conservatively rated PS wise.

 

My only caveat - if you intend to keep a modern turbo-petrol for a length of time then best to feed it a diet of branded petrol from the big 3 rather than supermarket stuff that can be variable in quality - another can of worms though this.

 

Stu