what makes more difference HP or I4 vs V6

[MASTER YOTA]

well officially talked to insurance today and was told my car is considered total loss. With the long list of stuff he had to tell me, if i was considering buying back. NOT EVEN worth it for me, beacause i dont know anybody in the biz, and don tknow how to weld etc.


So im looking at suitable Toyota replacements i can get, without having to come out of pocket more than the insurance settlement.


Seeing I am no longer a lean mean 185 lbs (probably more like 50-60 lbs heavier lol)
and never in my adult life bought a car that wasnt v6. Im wondering if i mainly do around town driving, and maybe 3 times a year do long distance highway driving. If i can make it with a I4. I rarely carry more than one passenger. and I am not a speed demon.
I just dont want to feel like car is struggling lol!


What is more important with the toyotas Horse power or the I4 vs v6 thing? I know v6 means more hp but, is it really that much of a difference for what i am looking to do with it?

[fenixus]

4-bangers make excellent daily drivers. easy to work on, plenty of cheap (or used) parts to choose from, great MPG, etc.

you live in relatively flat area, so no hills is a plus for weaker i4 engine.

however honestly the difference in HP between the two is vast (around 70 HP) and you will feel it like hell if you have always driven V6 cars so far

[Safari Wagon]

Get a 4 and enjoy the reduced fuel cost!
You may have to get the RPMs up higher to have it do what the 6 did, but you'll be fine with the 4.
Best way for you to make your decision is to do some test drives.

[Silent Runner]

I've test driven a 4cyl, Gen4, around town. I think it has lower gearing, so it feels pretty peppy around town. Honestly though, 70hp makes a big difference once your rolling. I'd have to think that in areas like traffic merging and highway passing, there would be no comparison. I'd be like pulling two plugs off a V-6. But with fuel prices being what they are, and a little easier/cheaper maintance on the 4cyl., I wouldn't berate you for trying the smaller motor.

The other half of the equation is how much of a car/driving enthusiast are you? The V-6 does more than add 70hp to the power available, it really transforms the car in a sensory and sound mannner into a much more expensive feeling, refined ride.

[MASTER YOTA]

Originally Posted by Silent Runner

I've test driven a 4cyl, Gen4, around town. I think it has lower gearing, so it feels pretty peppy around town. Honestly though, 70hp makes a big difference once your rolling. I'd have to think that in areas like traffic merging and highway passing, there would be no comparison. I'd be like pulling two plugs off a V-6. But with fuel prices being what they are, and a little easier/cheaper maintance on the 4cyl., I wouldn't berate you for trying the smaller motor.

The other half of the equation is how much of a car/driving enthusiast are you? The V-6 does more than add 70hp to the power available, it really transforms the car in a sensory and sound mannner into a much more expensive refined ride.

Funny thing when i was testing out cars for the original camry, i test drove a same year (95) 4 cylinder, and it didnt seem that bad, we did some hills, but wasnt really checking for that, was trying to pay more attention to see if it shifted smoothly.

[fenixus]

if engine/trans mounts are good and trans is taken care of (regular fluid changes, clean strainer, good quality ATF), then 4cyl can shift pretty much as smooth as V6's.

of course it will rev higher than V6 if you try keeping up with V6 acceleration habits

as noted above, most differences you will see when merging hwy traffic or trying to quickly pass someone.

in city (25mph zones), not much of a difference, except for engine/exhaust tune

[robtpren]

I recently bought a 2011 Camry LE with a I4. My wife has a 2000 Avalon XL with a 6. Last weekend went on a cruise in the camry. No problem at all passing or getting in and off the freeway.
I can tell little difference between the two as to performance. Both respond well to the gas pedal.

If you want better fuel economy the I4 will work the best.

2000 Avalon XL
2011 Camry LE

[fenixus]

2000 camry i4 2.2L 5s-fe w/ A140E trans (136 HP, 9.5:1 compression) and 2011 camry i4 2.4L 2az-fe (160 HP, 9.8:1 compression) are not much comparable if you ask me, totally different engines (non-VVTi vs VVTi), transmissions, computer programming, add parts wear & tear to that, etc...

but yeah, when you compare the new 4cyl (160HP with 9.8:1 compression) to old 6cyl (around 200HP with 10.5:1 compression) then there is not much difference between them, let's say they feel similar if you keep the a/c turned on with older V6 and turned off with newer 4cyl

[GA-Guy]

I've been to ATL a couple times with my 4banger. I didn't have any trouble getting around town even with 4 people, myself included, in the car (700-800lb load).

The highways are a different story. During late rush hour on HW85 (or was it 285?) traffic was gnarly and she didn't respond well to that. I don't see how people or cars can put up with that on a daily basis. BTW, "Spaghetti Junction" is known for being one of the worst traffic spots in the US.

[pmesfun]

We have this thing called the mixmaster, 4 lanes of traffic try to get into 1 lane that goes to another highway. Pure insanity.

[MASTER YOTA]

Originally Posted by GA-Guy

I've been to ATL a couple times with my 4banger. I didn't have any trouble getting around town even with 4 people, myself included, in the car (700-800lb load).

The highways are a different story. During late rush hour on HW85 (or was it 285?) traffic was gnarly and she didn't respond well to that. I don't see how people or cars can put up with that on a daily basis. BTW, "Spaghetti Junction" is known for being one of the worst traffic spots in the US.

lol I-85 and I-285 are both like that. I know the junction well. For 4 years i use to drive from fayetteville to alpharetta 5 days a week. (dont know how i did it) I remember a few years ago seeing a dog go flying on 285 and chain reaction accident after that

[bigbird]

fuel consumption isnt really an issue here, due to the extra beating you have to do to the 4 to make it go, it is actually pretty close. i use to get 30mpg highway in my v6. but you have to use mid grade or higher. thats the only draw back. that being said. the huge difference in power and equal reliability makes the V6 the one id go for.

[pmesfun]

My avalon has had regular gas since the beginning. I like the fact that the V6 can be kept under 2k rpms and still keep up with traffic.

[rebuy]

I would not hesitate to buy another I4. Very good combo's by Toyota and Honda.
My Camry at 270K runs very well up and down the mountains of West Virginia.
Not a lot of engine noise in the cabin. I never worry about power to keep up in traffic.
She goes as fast as I want her to go!
And I even have the smoking package.

[Yuko]

The older I4 was good enough for city drive back in Chicago. It kept up with traffic fine. But moving down to Texas, my little 2.2L struggles to keep up with everyone. Most trip required me to be at WOT a few times. Everyone drives fast here and I have to go from 0-50 mph on FM 157 quickly when exiting the neighborhood. Forget about passing on the highway... As bidbird stated, fuel economy must be close to the V6 because I have to work the little engine hard and average 20mpg. The extra HP would help me around here.

But the newer I4s with variable valve timing (2AZ-FE for example) works just fine around here and keep up with traffic easily.