4-Cylinder Economy Or 6-Cylinder Power: Here's Which Is Best For You

With exciting cars like the Toyota Supra and Nissan Z accompanying the almighty Hurricane inline-six from Stellantis, six-cylinder engines are having a bit of a heyday right now. As one might assume, leaping from four cylinders to six comes with a penalty in fuel economy. In addition, many modern four-cylinder engines are turbocharged, giving you a bit of a taste of that power without sacrificing too much fuel economy. That begs the question: which one is right for you?

That all depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a sporty weekend driving experience, there are plenty of vehicles to consider from either side of this cylinder count fence. On the other hand, opting for a four-pot under the hood of a truck like the Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra could have a detrimental effect on its usability as a truck, right? That's what folks assume, but you might be surprised. A handful of stigmas, from lousy fuel economy to low torque and towing capabilities, are things of the past.

There's a bit of a stigma surrounding four-cylinder engines as a whole. Many folks immediately think things like "slow and gutless" because of the four-cylinder engines of the past. Modern four-cylinder engines allow you to have your cake and eat it, too, to some extent. The blend of power and fuel economy is almost unbelievable, even in high-performance models. For example, the 2024 Golf R. 

Its direct-injected four-cylinder puts out a whopping 315 horsepower, it's available with a six-speed manual transmission, and it's all-wheel-drive with refined handling characteristics. With a zero to 60 mph sprint in just over four seconds, it's an automotive enthusiast's hot hatch dream. Yet, it still manages an EPA fuel economy rating of up to 31 mpg highway. If that's not a fair compromise, we don't know what is. But what about stepping outside the world of small performance cars? 

General Motors deciding to offer the Silverado and Sierra with a four-cylinder engine came as a bit of a surprise to the automotive world. Many truck enthusiasts aren't willing to negotiate on the number of cylinders that "belong" under the hood of a truck. However, they'd be surprised if they took the time to read the specs. The 2024 Silverado, equipped with a 2.7-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, makes 310 horsepower. However, the most impressive figure from the mighty four-cylinder is its 430 lb-ft torque rating. As a result, the four-cylinder Silverado has a higher payload capacity than the 5.3-liter V8 option and a towing capacity of up to 9,500 pounds. All this while still managing up to 22 mpg highway.

Maybe you're not too worried about fuel economy, though. Perhaps you're more interested in having an authentic sports car experience. Sure, the 315 horsepower output of the Golf R is nice, but 400 horsepower out of the 2024 Nissan Z or 385 horsepower out of the 2024 Supra just sounds a bit better. Plus, they're rear-wheel drive. If all that sounds appealing, the six-cylinder powerplant might be calling your name and walking you right past the fuel economy numbers. If you stop to look, though, you might be surprised here, too.

Like the Golf R, the Nissan Z offers a genuine driving enthusiast's experience with plenty of power on tap, a manual transmission, and phenomenal handling. Furthermore, its twin-turbocharged V6 engine grasps the elusive 400 horsepower mark. Its EPA ratings, though, aren't as bad as one might think with those characteristics. With an automatic transmission, a highway rating of 28 mpg matches the Golf R. However, with the enthusiast-choice manual, it sees only 24 highway. City ratings of 19 and 18 mpg, respectively, aren't the most phenomenal around-town economy one could ask for. It's not too shabby, though.

On the truck side, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 2024 Ford F-150 offers not only the highest towing capacity of any F-150 but also that of any truck in its class: 13,500 pounds. The model boasts an average of 20 mpg combined. Quite impressive for a 400-horsepower truck with that level of towing and hauling capability.

Almost universally, in a modern setting, a four-cylinder engine is plenty potent and useful for most folks. That being said, stepping up to the power of a six-cylinder does come with a bit of a dropoff in fuel economy numbers, but it's not as drastic as expected. If you're really after that little bit extra for power and performance, the six-cylinder is calling your name.

Ultimately, it boils down to personal preferences. Whether you're looking at four cylinders or six, there are plenty of options indiscriminate of your use case. Whether you want a sporty daily driver or a surprisingly practical pickup, they're out there. Whichever you choose, you're still likely to have a good time behind the wheel. You might have to make more frequent fuel stops with those extra cylinders, but the additional power is often worth it. You can't put a price on smiles per gallon!