[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by RadiantKarma

Absolutely agree with you. Still, what would you pick if you can't get the best of both the worlds - as often is the case?

Talking about Petrol engines, i would pick option 1. An example which fits here perfectly is Civic vs Corolla Altis, while the Civic is great to revv but has weak low end, Altis on the other side is nowhere as close when it comes to some revving fun but has more grunt in low and mid revs.

The 1.8 TSI from Laura scores well on both aspects, but it's a technically more complicated engine with Direct Injection and a Turbocharger, meaning in the long run it may be more expensive to maintain. Plus the usage of Synthetic Oil alone pushes up the servicing costs a bit too much for customers seeking lower running costs.

[arindambasu13]

Excitement of a silky revving petrol engine. No two ways about it. Recent drives on (small capacity) diesel engines show that they are much more rev-friendly, and refinement levels have gone up several notches. But nowhere close to similarly priced /specced petrol cars in the same or parallel stables (I assume here that both engines are capable ones, and not dead feeling ones). Turbo lag also does not help the cause, since that immediate feeling of acceleration is just too awesome as compared to bothersome turbo lag (in most smaller diesel engines).

A silk smooth engine, a feelsome steering, and snicky gearbox, all wedded to an able chassis. Beyond nirvana, beyond excitement. Paradise.

On a related point, here is a question that frequently occurs to me. We all hear a lot of praise for great low end torque of diesels. However, if one actually drives a small diesel engine (for instance the famed Multijet), it is very apparent that the torque comes in only at 2000RPM, below that it is very ordinary in terms of power. This (2000RPM to 4000RPM) would qualify as good mid range, would it not? Rather than low end, as is often stated. Reaching 2000RPM under normal driving conditions (and more importantly, keeping the engine above that level for any appreciable span of time) in a traffic laden city like Bangalore is itself a task.

[Durango Dude]

Depends what your and your car's home ground is like. If it lives on the high ways mostly then a car with a high revving engine of a refined nature will be good; in the city car with better drive ability and lower end torque will be preferred. I prefer the second as I stay within city confines mostly.

[Santoshbhat]

I would pick Nirvana because that is the way I drive (or am forced to drive ) more often, than in a manner which you have described for 'excitement'. I did vote for 'Engine' as the one deal maker in the other thread. I definitely would want the engine to deliver excitement when pushed hard. But that cannot be at the cost of driveability, because that is what I will need when I drive in the city on a daily basis. Of the cars that offer this quality, I would then pick the car that offers the most excitement. I am a T-BHPian after all.

My Laura TSI has been the perfect car for me in that respect.

[xander]

For me, Nirvana is listening to the sweet music from a free flow exhaust of a free revving petrol engine revving through the power band between shifts.

[1self]

I am a certified petrol-head (as opposed to diesel-head). Through mods on my cars, I have tried to get the best of both the worlds.

I get huge low end torque on the NA V6 - try 1400 rpm in 5th with A/C on - & this WITHOUT lugging....on a car that goes to 7000 rpm! So in traffic I don't need to rev at all.

On the NA 1.8 i have achieved the same goal via ignition advance & mods with o2 sensor electronics.

What actually matters is a good spread of torque throughout the rpm range. That is what gives daily drivers stress-free motoring & keeps their engines stress free too.

Top end power is becoming more & more obsolete & dangerous to try out on our crowded roads.

[RadiantKarma]

Originally Posted by 1self

I am a certified petrol-head (as opposed to diesel-head). Through mods on my cars, I have tried to get the best of both the worlds.

I get huge low end torque on the NA V6 - try 1400 rpm in 5th with A/C on - & this WITHOUT lugging....on a car that goes to 7000 rpm! So in traffic I don't need to rev at all.

On the NA 1.8 i have achieved the same goal via ignition advance & mods with o2 sensor electronics.

Thanks for sharing this. Just went through your mod threads on the forum. Truly awesome mod jobs these! Most of us won't dare doing these things to get best of both the worlds and will, not so happily, settle for either.

[aaggoswami]

I would like to have both, which unfortunately, today's so called modern cars do not offer.
The earlier generation cars like Baleno, 1.6 Ikon, first generation Honda City are examples of good engines, one which were flexible. When carrying around family and/or driving in city, the torque was more than sufficient ( particularly Baleno and Ikon ).
If one needs excitement, revv to higher rpm and what you have is great fun.
Baleno in particular was a very flexible motor. Ikon had lower gearing but was fun without doubt. City had the best top end.

In today's times, only two cars offer this under Rs. 10 lakh.
1) Ford Fiesta Classic 1.6
2) Current generation Honda City.
The current Honda city is not stable at high speeds, but engine is still quite flexible as compared to what Hyundai and VW are offering right now ( and looting customers IMO ).

[kiran]

An ideal car engine should possess all types of characteristics isn't it? Car should be smooth in heavy traffic. The same car should be powerful zooming off over the expressways. Do we have any thing like this? I feel we always compromise on at least of this point.

[chetanhanda]

I used to love hi revving engines.. till I got the point.
Torque is what matters even for enthusiastic driving.

[carwatcher]

I have Fusion (1.6 P) and Linea T-Jet.
So experiencing best of both worlds in both the cars.

[Mr_Bean]

Originally Posted by carwatcher

I have Fusion (1.6 P) and Linea T-Jet.
So experiencing best of both worlds in both the cars.

I own the baleno, so my car also should fall into both the categories.

To me this poll in reality discusses inclination of an enthusiast towards petrol or diesel engine, when we talk about oodles of torque it reminds us of a diesel car & when it is high revving, it is obviously petrol.

[csshyamsundar]

Originally Posted by ssh1979

Driving ease & pleasure, power available on tap for those extra passengers or heavy luggage during occasions, a long bond with the engine: these are much more important.

Nirvana, all the way!

For this very reason, I chose Nissan Sunny based on the K9K workhorse.

[pganapathy]

For city use nirvana. For anything else, excitement. Finally voted for excitement because it is easier to take a few more minutes in city commute, and as a corollary, drive safely, than it is to forego highway driving pleasure

[tacho9000]

For regular driving nirvana always as traffic requires great low end torque. But once on the highway or on the occassion when the car is revving away to glory the exciting high revving engine is a requirement. However for daily drive a nirvana diesel is the ultimate solution atleast for me thanks to their negligible turbo lag and awesome drivability.