WHICH ENGINE SHOULD I CHOOSE WHEN BUYING MY CAR?
When someone asks me what engine and type of car to buy (and, believe me, this happens quite often), I return the question suggesting that my interlocutor should question himself about the need he has at that moment. View here for more info: Ford V10 Life Expectancy
Whoever rides alone in the car and occasionally gives a ride does not need to pay R $ 150,000 in an SUV with seven seats. A compact solves life.
The opposite situation is experienced by those who already have a larger family and usually travel with a full car.
One of the main requirements of those who think about changing cars or plan to buy the first one is under the hoods of the models. The engine's power and how much it 'drinks' end up deciding an acquisition. And the market offers everything: from 1.0 liter with 77 horsepower to 5.0 liters and 435 riders (the Ford Mustang has).
Where have you been?
First, let's regionalize the issue. Considering the geography of the Baixada Santista, only the hills and some roads of São Vicente have ascents and descents. In addition, we speak of a flat region.
Therefore, those who live and work in the region and hardly climb the mountain do not, in theory, need a 1.8 or a 2.0, unless they want to. For flat areas and the walk-and-stop of traffic (excess of traffic lights and lack of synchronization between them, one day we will discuss this topic ...) a 1.0 is of excellent size, provided that the size of the car is ideal for the family.
Well, if you agree with a friend of mine who, when buying an Omega 2.0, put a sticker with the message “Whoever likes a little engine is a dentist”, it’s worth taking a step up to 1.4 engines.
Fiat Uno and Chevrolet Onix offer these engines. And, in the case of the Chevrolet representative, with an advantage: it has a version with automatic transmission, something that the 1.0 hardly bring.
Whoever rides alone in the car and occasionally gives a ride does not need to pay R $ 150,000 in an SUV with seven seats. A compact solves life.
The opposite situation is experienced by those who already have a larger family and usually travel with a full car.
One of the main requirements of those who think about changing cars or plan to buy the first one is under the hoods of the models. The engine's power and how much it 'drinks' end up deciding an acquisition. And the market offers everything: from 1.0 liter with 77 horsepower to 5.0 liters and 435 riders (the Ford Mustang has).
Where have you been?
First, let's regionalize the issue. Considering the geography of the Baixada Santista, only the hills and some roads of São Vicente have ascents and descents. In addition, we speak of a flat region.
Therefore, those who live and work in the region and hardly climb the mountain do not, in theory, need a 1.8 or a 2.0, unless they want to. For flat areas and the walk-and-stop of traffic (excess of traffic lights and lack of synchronization between them, one day we will discuss this topic ...) a 1.0 is of excellent size, provided that the size of the car is ideal for the family.
Well, if you agree with a friend of mine who, when buying an Omega 2.0, put a sticker with the message “Whoever likes a little engine is a dentist”, it’s worth taking a step up to 1.4 engines.
Fiat Uno and Chevrolet Onix offer these engines. And, in the case of the Chevrolet representative, with an advantage: it has a version with automatic transmission, something that the 1.0 hardly bring.
Volkswagen just took the system to Gol and Voyage with this engine. You can test drive at any dealership.
The middle ground
What we see on the streets of Baixada Santista are many models with 1.6 liter engines. I would say they are the most 'honest'. Perfect for those who don't want something as weak as 1.0 and find a 2.0 overkill. And it is an engine that helps those who face the Anchieta-Imigrantes System with some frequency.
It consumes more fuel than 1.0 engines, but, depending on the car and the driver, it is not necessary to take a fuel pump along. Recalling that the technology has improved a lot in recent times and the lower fuel consumption is being worked on. I still defend that the way of driving the car determines this consumption.
There is still a middle ground, which are 1.2 engines, invented by the French PSA group, which involves Peugeot and Citroën. Peugeot 208 and Citroën C3 have this engine.
I spent a week with a 208. I took it in São Paulo, brought it to the Baixada, went to Mairiporã, came back. Then, I returned the vehicle to Peugeot, in Santo Amaro. There was 105 km of autonomy on the day that I delivered without having refueled during those seven days.
After all, which engine should I choose?
Just to explain quickly, this soup of numbers 1.0, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0 and etc. is based on a technical reason.
Combustion engines have cylinders, places where the mixture between air and fuel occurs. These cylinders move the pistons, which provide the driving force for the vehicle. A 1.0 car has 1000 cc, while a 1.6 has 1600 cc and so on. Only, to move 1600 cc, a larger amount of fuel is needed than in 1000 cc.
The most important thing when deciding which engine to choose is that you have in hand the car that fits your taste and in your pocket, provided that together we collaborate for a more human and sustainable traffic.
The middle ground
What we see on the streets of Baixada Santista are many models with 1.6 liter engines. I would say they are the most 'honest'. Perfect for those who don't want something as weak as 1.0 and find a 2.0 overkill. And it is an engine that helps those who face the Anchieta-Imigrantes System with some frequency.
It consumes more fuel than 1.0 engines, but, depending on the car and the driver, it is not necessary to take a fuel pump along. Recalling that the technology has improved a lot in recent times and the lower fuel consumption is being worked on. I still defend that the way of driving the car determines this consumption.
There is still a middle ground, which are 1.2 engines, invented by the French PSA group, which involves Peugeot and Citroën. Peugeot 208 and Citroën C3 have this engine.
I spent a week with a 208. I took it in São Paulo, brought it to the Baixada, went to Mairiporã, came back. Then, I returned the vehicle to Peugeot, in Santo Amaro. There was 105 km of autonomy on the day that I delivered without having refueled during those seven days.
After all, which engine should I choose?
Just to explain quickly, this soup of numbers 1.0, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0 and etc. is based on a technical reason.
Combustion engines have cylinders, places where the mixture between air and fuel occurs. These cylinders move the pistons, which provide the driving force for the vehicle. A 1.0 car has 1000 cc, while a 1.6 has 1600 cc and so on. Only, to move 1600 cc, a larger amount of fuel is needed than in 1000 cc.
The most important thing when deciding which engine to choose is that you have in hand the car that fits your taste and in your pocket, provided that together we collaborate for a more human and sustainable traffic.
