Car Engine Choice

[FB.]

When you buy a car, what influences your choice of engine?

Will any engine "do" if the price is right?
Road tax bands?
Petrol/diesel?
Power to weight ratio?
Acceleration 0-60?
Fuel economy?
Latest engine technology?
A very small car with a very small engine?
A medium car with a small engine?
A small car with a fairly large engine?
Must have a turbo?


Having recently bought another car, I found myself bombarded with a wide range of often-conflicting opinions (from friends, family, salesmen and reviews) on what I should get in terms of both the car and the engine. I was happy to make my own decision, but I think a lot of people find it difficult or confusing - or are influenced by a salesman's pitch.


So how do you decide?

 

[dan86]

well I am a motor technician and also own and run a garage. I personally let my knowledge and experience tell me what's right for the type of vehicle I am buying.

so come on then. what did you buy?

 

[FB.]

what did you buy?

Vauxhall Astra, petrol, 1.6 (115PS).

I expect to be doing about 8000 miles per year, probably an equal mix of road types (city/rural/dual carriageway/motorway).

 

[telectrix]

for that low a mileage, shove a chevy V8 in it.

 

[Geordie Spark]

When you buy a car, what influences your choice of engine?

Will any engine "do" if the price is right?
Road tax bands?
Petrol/diesel?
Power to weight ratio?
Acceleration 0-60?
Fuel economy?
Latest engine technology?
A very small car with a very small engine?
A medium car with a small engine?
A small car with a fairly large engine?
Must have a turbo?


Having recently bought another car, I found myself bombarded with a wide range of often-conflicting opinions (from friends, family, salesmen and reviews) on what I should get in terms of both the car and the engine. I was happy to make my own decision, but I think a lot of people find it difficult or confusing - or are influenced by a salesman's pitch.


So how do you decide?

3 litre V6 Toyota in a Toyota MR2 Mk2 rev. 5

Just sublime.

 

[telectrix]

when it goes!

 

[Geordie Spark]

when it goes!

Shouldn't you be out nicking hub caps or something??

 

[MDJ]

Shouldn't you be out nicking hub caps or something??

It is drain covers off the roads in Liverpool Geordie :smilielol5:

 

[Geordie Spark]

It is drain covers off the roads in Liverpool Geordie :smilielol5:

Oh sorry Mark .... I always get Liverpool confused with Sunderland.

 

[Geordie Spark]

You looking for something a bit special??

Try this: The Stanley Steam Car - YouTube

 

[telectrix]

drain covers???>?? they're our air con vents.

 

[Robotstar5]

I'm looking to replace mine at the moment and one thing I've learnt is it won't be another diesel as I mainly use it for a 7 mile commute, modern diesels have a DPF (diesel particulate filter) fitted which require regular high speed runs to keep them working properly or it gets very expensive!.

 

[FB.]

I'm looking to replace mine at the moment and one thing I've learnt is it won't be another diesel as I mainly use it for a 7 mile commute, modern diesels have a DPF (diesel particulate filter) fitted which require regular high speed runs to keep them working properly or it gets very expensive!.

From what I can see of upcoming EU emissions regulations, there is a phasing-in of CO2 emission targets for new car engines as we head towards 2020.

By 2015 the limit will be 130g CO2 per km. By 2021 it will be 95g CO2 per km. For light commercial vehicles it is 175g reducing to 147g by 2021.

As comparison: my 1.6L petrol Astra officially emits 147g CO2 per km, so by 2021 with current technology that'll be the biggest petrol engine allowed in light commercial vehicles.
Cars with such engines will have to be discountinued within a year to meet emission targets; my Astra looks set to be one of the last 1.6 engines before 1.4 becomes the largest permitted.
The 1.4L petrol version officially emits 129g CO2 per km and looks like it will be the largest petrol engine fitted to an Astra by 2015, being just under the 130g limit.

Even the "turbocharged lawnmower" Ford Ecoboost 1.0T petrol engines (100PS =109g/km or 125PS =114g/km) with start-stop do not meet the 2021 target.

Diesels more easily meet the CO2 targets, but at the price of the DPF potentially being a problem if used on short slow journeys. From 2014 it is apparently an offence to remove the DPF from a diesel that had one factory-fitted and will result in a MoT fail if discovered.

Engine choice for anything except small cars looks set to become challenging in coming years unless significant leaps in engine technology can be achieved.

 

[FB.]

In case you're wondering why some cars are still available with petrol engines larger than 1.4*; it's because for the next year manufacturers are allowed to have a phasing-out period where they are permitted to produce a minority of their cars with non-compliant engines.
20% of a manufacturers total production for 2014 can be above the CO2 emissions limit, but from 2015 no cars from any manufacturer are allowed to exceed it.

At the moment, the Germans are apparently disputing it and trying to get some kind of exemption due to their high market share of large cars.

*
The actual size limit is measured in CO2 emissions, with an average simple 1.4 petrol engine being just about compliant in 2015. However, variations in manufacturer designs and the use of turbochargers or other technology can cause wide variations in emissions. The current trend is to fit a small engine that complies with emission targets when on tickover, and which uses a turbo to boost the power (ironically by increasing fuel consumption and emissions!).