Team-BHP - 3-cylinder vs 4-cylinder engines

Voted for a 4 Cyl.
There was a time when the 1.2 GT TSI was being replaced with the new 1.0 3 Cyl, and that was when my friend and I hurried and grabbed those last 1.2-4 Polos.

Though the 1.0 3 Cyl is next gen, I would have expected them to make another 1.2-4 Cyl. I see the 3 Cyl as nothing more than cost cutting.
5 people + Luggage + AC; I am sure a 1.2-4 would have had little more breath than the 1.0-3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by prajwalmr62 (Post 5363220)

Turbo starts spooling at 1400-1500 rpm, so you need to be in that range if you want peak torque. But for bumper-to-bumper traffic, you don't need peak torque and even NA engine isn't generating its peak torque.

With Turbos , there is certainly a ' hesitancy ' when accelerating from idle and then followed by a surge. NAs are better in bumper to bumper.

This video explains why turbo are sensitive to throttle inputs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9aO2vC_iMTI

I'm sure no one bothers to bring TATA's 1.2L 3-cyl "Revotron" into the discussion here lol: But since I'm stuck with one, I'll share some points.

This is the 1.2L Petrol NA motor in my Tigor (Not much info on the 1.2 Turbo of Nexon)

1. NVH - With proper servicing and oil changes, acceptable. Might sound like a diesel motor from outside at times.

2. Performance - Simply does the job, nothing more to see here. my prev. G-i10's 1.2L 4-cyl motor (BS4 kappa vtvt from Hyundai) was way better. :disappointed

3. Efficiency - Decent, if driven not way too hard. Also, on relaxed highway drives, provides 19-20 kmpl with legal speeds and AC on in auto mode. Comparing that to the 1.2L kappa vtvt 4-cyl of Hyundai, it rarely gave 16+ kmpl despite being manual. clap:

4. Pairing with AMT gearbox - Save yourself if you're a driving enthusiast. I would best describe it as riding an untamed horse who doesn't want to follow your commands :Frustrati

4.

I voted for Depends on car/brand. Having driven multiple 3/4 cyl cars from multiple brands, I found that it hardly matters and it all depends on the tuning and engineering. A typical Hyundai 3 cyl NA engine is on par with the refinement of a 4 cyl swift. A 4 cyl petrol Zest has has similar refinement to a 3 cyl Hyundai diesel. Honestly, it all depends on how the engine is designed and engineered.

But a 4 cyl fills the engine bay better than a 3 cyl even with a turbo attached to it. It is also smoother during acceleration in the second gear speed breaker tests. Under similar conditions, a 3cyl requires more revs to ensure smoother power delivery. Hence voted for depends on the brand/car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajayc123 (Post 5361117)

What are good and bad use cases for?
3 cylinder NA
3 cylinder turbo
4 cylinder NA
4 cylinder turbo

Thanks !

Voted "Depends on the car & Brand"

The best case of 3 pot Turbo which I have driven is the 1.0 TSI is of VW. Even that of Kiger is good
The best one of 3 cylinders NA was the Alto/800 MPFi engine
The worst one was Mahindra 1.5 Diesel on Quanto

Best of 4 Cylinder NA petrol are many- 1.5 V-Tec of honda is my favorite. Good ones are 1.6 of VW, and 1.3 of Swift, the list is endless because of people playing in that segment
The best of the 4 Cylinder turbo (small) is 1.2 TSI. Nothing beats the punch even today. the new 1.5 TSI of VWs is just too tame for my liking.
4 Cylinder diesel's best one was 2.2 mHawk of Mahindra.
The worst was 3.0 dicor of Sumo

A different perspective here: The first thought I got on seeing this thread was: Triumph v/s Kawasaki.

Bikes I've owned:
CBR250R (1 cylinder)
Versys650 (2 cylinders)
Z800 (4 cylinders)
I've also ridden Street Triple (3 cylinders)

Z800 (4 cylinders) - Screams finesse and creamy smoothness with crazy power. Top end is maniac with these. Low end is average. Best sounding too.

Street Triple (3 cylinders) - Good mid range torque. Smooth but not like inline 4s. Loses out a bit on top end. Second-best sounding after inline4s.

Versys (2 cylinders) - All about mid range punch. Top end is mediocre. Smooth at cruising speeds. Useful power delivery for touring. Let's not talk about how they sound.

CBR250R (1 cylinder) - Does the job. Linear power delivery. Vibey compared to multiple cylinder motorcycles. Sound is meh.

Voted for 4 cylinders.

Voted for "depends on the car & brand"

We have owned 4 cylinder cars until 2012 when we got a Polo 1.2L Petrol Manual. One could definitely tell that this is a 3 cylinder engine - it had a certain thrum when revved too hard, also ran out of steam above 100 km/h on the expressway. In the city the car was quite responsive.

In 2018 we got a Ford Ecosport automatic with a 1.5L Dragon 3 cylinder engine. This engine is a hoot. One can feel the 3 cylinder engine only on starting the car. Once the engine is warmed up the performance is a joy. The NVH is very low and response to throttle is great. The only flip side is the fuel economy in the city - around 8 km/l.

Voted for depends on the brand.

Chevrolet Beat Diesel feels horrible to drive. It has a 3 cylinder version of the 1.3 Fiat Multijet. The swift feels much better to drive in comparision, as it has a 4 cylinder version of the same engine.

Hyundai Diesel engines are really refined. Their tuning is spot on. I have driven a Sonet Diesel manual. The turbo kick in feel is superb. Refinement is on another level altogether.
Suzuki diesels feel crude in comparision. They simply cannot keep up with Hyundai diesels in terms of refinement levels.

I feel all 3 cylinder naturally aspirated engines are sloths. They just exist to showcase attractive starting prices.

Voted: Depends on the Car/Brand

Used to own the Polo 1.2 NA 3-Pot engine and while the refinement levels were quite impressive as per 2012 standards, the engine didn't huff and puff during city drives and was fine even for most of my highway drives.

I ended up being so impressed with VW's NA Engines that I opted for a 1.6 NA engine when I picked up my Vento. Gem of an engine with reliability that allows me to sleep easy at night, for an NA, the grunt of the engine is quite impressive for me. I also have a 1.0 TSI in the garage now (pocket rocket of an engine) but personally prefer having an extra cylinder and 600 more CC in my other daily driven car.

All in all, I feel the experience varies massively for each brand and vehicle as no two machines are similar. You have to find your sweet spot!

Voted for Depends on the car / brand.

We have owned a Maruti 800, Fiat Uno, Hyundai Santro, Hyundai Eon and Hyundai Xcent (2017) Diesel. While driving Eon with AC on, acceleration always felt sluggish. The Santro on the other hand was a completely different car with respect to performance. The 1.2 litre diesel in the Xcent is also very good in both city and highway traffic.

Voted 4-cylinder.

For the same model I was looking for (Tata Altroz), it comes with NA Petrol, Turbo Petrol(3-cylinder) and Turbo Diesel (4-cylinder).

The drive for NA Petrol has too much of a lag, and is even lagging than using ECO mode on the diesel engine. Have not rode Turbo Petrol, as it was expected to be unfriendly on mileage front.

Hence, made choice of a 4-cylinder diesel engine with higher displacement as well. Happy with the car's performance.

I voted for 4 Cylinder Engine.

Though I have owned both 3 and 4 Cylinder Engines cars even own one each now, I believe the Engine Tune makes a vast difference in drivability. A powerful 4 Cylinder engine may be tuned for efficiency and vice versa.

I owned a Quanto which had a 1.5L - 3 Cylinder Engine. It served me for 1.3 Lakhs Kms and carried loads without fuss. Vibrations and all you get used to.

It all depends on what Expectations you have from the Vehicle.

I have driven both Alto 800 and Alto K10 before getting the Ignis. In my experience the 3 cylinders were noisy and vibration could be felt very prominently. Upgrading to a 4 cylinder brought peace and quiet, and a feeling that I have arrived finally. Unless modern 3 cylinders (with or without turbo) have improved refinement, it's 4 cylinder for me always. Disclaimer: haven't driven other 3 cylinders apart from Alto 800 and K10.

Voted: Depends

It doesn't completely convey my view on the number of cylinders. I wish I had the option to select: "doesn't matter."

Seriously! Our family car, the WagonR, was a 4-cylinder. My Beat is a 3-cylinder and the Nano has 2. In a 4-stroke cycle, a 2-cylinder is the worst at maintaining natural balance. Still, even the Nano doesn't feel as bad as it should. On the move, I can barely tell. It's noisy but it has nothing to do with the number of cylinders.

Driving at 80kmph, the harshness from the WagonR 1.1 was the worst although the refinement was there. The Nano and Beat at 80 feel smoother, quieter, and drive more relaxed.

So, it all depends on how well the manufacturer has damped the vibrations. I'll take a 1.0L turbo 3 over a 1.2L or 1.5L normal 4-cylinder. I'll take a 600cc 2-cylinder turbo over a 1.2L normal 4-cylinder any day. I value drivability a lot more than refinement.

Voted for the "depends on the car"".
I drive 4 cylinder 1.5 L, NA petrol Ecosport(2015) and 4 cylinder. 1.0 L NA petrol, Zen(2001) and 3 cylinder, 1.2 L, Turbo Diesel, Fabia(2012). I have also owned 1.3 L, 4 cylinder diesel, turbo i20(2012).
Overall I would say I prefer the NA engine for the instant response and linear power delivery. The turbos have lag, which is a bit frustrating but at the same time, the rush of the power, once the turbo starts singing is addictive. Turbo lag is lesser in Fabia than the i20 but the engine is coarser though definitely more fuel efficient.
The non aspirated engine of Zen is refined and fun to drive as well. Ecosport's NA engine is pretty good and tractable and the sound it emanates when pushed is simply out of the world.
So I find NA engines better than Turbo ones and Four cylinder turbo engine more refined than the three one. Also the character of the turbo engines varies with the engines so should be given a test ride before making a decision.

regards