We hear from many drivers that atmospheric engines are much more preferable, because they are more reliable and “smoother”. They don’t have the mysterious “turbo lag” and all sorts of bells and whistles that turn the motor into a one-time craft. However, other motorists in response recall that supercharged “fours” in a taxi drive 300 thousand km. and at the same time they are much more dynamic, more economical, and generally more fun. Whom to believe?
To meet turbocharged 4-cylinder units in the secondary market is not a problem. The most common are, of course, the “downsizing” of the German concern VAG, installed on Audi, Skoda, SEAT and VW. Moreover, the most popular are 1.4-liter TSI engines, which develop 122 hp. With. or 150 l. with., depending on forcing. These turbo units were not only for B and C-class models, such as the Audi A3, VW Golf 7, Polo, Jetta, Skoda Octavia and Rapid, but even for heavier cars, namely the VW Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq crossovers.
The main competitors of VAG are the Korean brands Hyundai-Kia, owned by the Hyundai Motor Group. The Koreans have concentrated on the production of atmospheric engines, that is, those whose intake pressure is equal to atmospheric, which eliminates the need for minders to install expensive and complex boost systems.
The most massive in Russia were the units of the Theta II family, produced since 2008. They went to Hyundai Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, Kia Sportage, Optima, etc., and the upgraded Nu series was used on Creta, Soul and other cars. In general, the absence of a turbine leads motorists to the idea that “there is nothing to break”, which is not at all the case.
Flimsy designs
I don’t want to upset connoisseurs of “aspirated”, but they break down no less than turbocharged engines. Due to the lack of a turbine, the Koreans had to come up with alternative ways to reduce emissions of harmful substances in order to meet strict environmental standards. Their engines have complex injection and capricious gas distribution systems. For the sake of greater efficiency, piston skirts are reduced, connecting rods are reduced in size, shafts are lightened, which does not benefit the resource.
Cylinder blocks are no longer amenable to boring, and only re-sleeve helps to repair scuffs. And badass Korean units can gain mass, especially when drivers try to keep up with turbocharged cars and drive dynamically. Due to the small gap between the piston and the cylinder walls in winter, without proper heating, the piston under load scratches the surface of the liner.
Deceptive characteristics
At first glance, the 2-liter engine is more powerful. But in order to develop this power, you need to spin it almost to the red zone. Driving like this all the time will not work because of the extreme cost, because at maximum speed the engine consumes fuel, like the ZIL-130. Almost always, drivers keep the speed up to 2500-3000, and in this zone the unit cannot reach maximum traction, which is why it loses in terms of dynamics to turbocharged competitors.
Photo by globallookpress.com
When evaluating performance, many look at power, although torque must be evaluated. It is he who creates traction and is responsible for throttle response. The German unit develops the same torque as the Korean “aspirated” – about 200 Nm. At the same time, it reaches the peak thrust already at 1750–2000 rpm, in contrast to the atmospheric unit, which, for a good pickup, must spin up to about 3000–4000 rpm.
In general, a turbocharged car rides more cheerfully, especially on bottoms. It is because of the supercharging that it is possible to give the car that dashing that drivers like so much. Thus, turbocharged engines, even with the declared lower power, are much more interesting in everyday use.
As for the reliability of the turbine, it really breaks down. If you drive fast, the rings burn out and the oil creates layers of soot. If it is slower, the drive rod turns sour. The turbine is removed and sent for troubleshooting and repair, expressed in soaking and cleaning. And in turbocharged engines, due to complex injection, carbon deposits form on the valves and nozzles often become clogged, but there are no massive problems with scuffing.
In short, both motors have enough shortcomings. If earlier “atmospherics” were more reliable and could travel over a million kilometers with three bores, now everything is not so. Massive 2-liter engines are the same disposable consumer goods as turbocharged competitors. So you can buy whatever you like. After all, both the one and the other motors will not travel more than 300,000 km.
Author: Vladimir Gavrilov
Publication date: June 28, 2023
Views: 5462
2023-06-28 14:40:05
#choose #2liter #aspirated #car #1.4liter #turbo #engine #Cars
