Re: The fashion league of Turbo-Petrol engines Contrary to popular opinion, I have always preferred naturally aspirated (NA) engines simply because of their long-term reliability and cheap & easy maintenance. I completely agree with the original poster's views that most people do not need turbocharged engines in their cars. A turbocharged engine will always wear out faster than its naturally aspirated counterpart. Let us not forget that the current record for the longest driven car is held by one with a NA petrol engine. Anyone remember Irv Gordon ?
If someone thinks that these NA petrol engines are underpowered, I would share my experience with them. My earlier car was a 1986 NA petrol Mark 4 HM Ambassador with approximately one third the power of my current 2017 1.6 NA petrol Creta (1st generation). And that Ambassador didn't even have an air conditioning system. Yet I was able to drive that Ambassador all over the treacherous terrain of North East India for close to 2 decades often in overloaded conditions (leaf springs would almost be flattened) without facing any engine power issues. That is why I feel that in today's day and age, engine power is definitely overrated for regular use unless the driver is an aggressive one.
Whenever someone mentions the word "turbo", I seem to be able to hear Jeremy Clarkson at the back of my mind screaming "SPEED & POWER" Following the herd mentality of more power in turbocharged cars often distracts car buyers away from the ground realities of expensive repairs and maintenance, higher fuel bills due to lower fuel efficiency, higher NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness), higher taxes, higher insurance costs, etc. The fuel efficiency can be increased in some turbocharged cars by driving below the turbocharger spooling/boosting RPMs but then the question arises as to why pay extra for a turbocharged engine if that turbocharger is not going to be used.
Additionally, the newer GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) engines used by most brands today are becoming increasingly infamous for reliability issues in as early as 5-6 years with issues like injector failures, broken piston rings, high cylinder wear, bent rods, bent valves, etc. Add a turbocharger into the mix (T-GDi, TSi, etc) and we have a recipe for even earlier engine failure due to higher overall pressures that come dangerously close to diesel territory. The car forums of many countries (where GDi engines have existed for a few years) are full of people complaining about such engines. Even motorcycle owners who have GDi engines from brands like KTM, Husqvarna, etc are facing issues. If anyone is offended, I am sorry for my rant.
In summary, I believe that tried and tested naturally aspirated engines are way more practical for regular use cases for most people |