Finally someone calls out the concerns of having turbochargers in a hybrid setting. It definitely drives well but the reliability of this setup in the long term needs serious consideration
this is a plan by the auto makers to shorten the lives of their cars so they can sell more cars. GM has done that for years, that's how it remained number one, make them last about 10 years at the most, so people will have to buy a new one 10 years later.
@@mikem9536 WRONG... Get a Lexus 450h+ "F" Sport.....drive 49 miles on batt. and never use the ICE...However you always have the ICE and can use regular gas and get 89 empg...However, since I never use the ICE my ICE is as NEW!...only using Batt. plug-in to 120V is QUIET Quick / Huge Torq and no wear on ICE!
This just enforces what I believe that a naturally aspirated engine is less of a headache. I'd rather have e bigger slightly less efficient engine ; Take the example with the 2.0 L and 1.5 l Turbo Honda, it proves my case. 34 MPG over 33 MPG is not worth extra problems even if it has 22 more HP.
If you're a car guy and understand how the car that you drive works and the type of engine it has then you should have no issue picking whatever car you want, keeping in mind the upsides and downsides, or extra maintenance you gotta keep an eye for. I'm getting a twin turbo GDI and im pretty confident with it being brand now it will give me no problems and it will last me a long time, because i know that it has turbos and gdi and i know the potential problems and how to take preventive measures to probably avoid complications.
Exactly. I already have a weekend fun car so I bought my daily driver 2020 Civic Sport Sedan with the 2.0L Naturally Aspirated port injected engine paired to a 6 speed manual transmission. To me the NA motor and manual gearbox was the more reliable option over a direct injected 1.5T engine or a CVT transmission.
The issue with ALL hybrids and EV’s is the resale value is going off the cliff at a certain age….no matter if it is a good brand or not. On a lesser scale, same thing for turbo engines unless you know the original owner and know they took care of it. If you want to keep a new car a long time….go with nonturbo, nonhybrid.
I feel like federal emissions and mpg requirements have something to do with it, as well. They are moving towards turbo for less pollution without trading too much horsepower for it. That said, I sure do miss my V6 naturally aspirated sedan. It was fast, but fuel economy was fucking terrible.
I’m a mechanic for the past 14 years and about the only thing of value in this video is keeping with the maintenance schedule. Good maintenance habits go a long way in having a good ownership experience. I am very familiar with some of the engines you called out in the video and agree that some have issues but I think their faults are in the design and not the fact that they are turbocharged.
I greatly value your experience and opinion. I bought a 2020 Mustang Ecoboost instead of the 5.0. I don’t abuse it but do open it up at times. Car has only 11K miles but I’ve already changed the oil three times, and plan to run no more than 4K between changes. Do you have any thoughts on the 2.3 in the Mustang?
@@doubledranch871 Toyota Just call it cvt. And Turbo Chargers: old VW/Audi 1.8T 300.000km no Problem. Old Mercedes Turbo Diesel 600.000km no Problem. It's not that black and white. Good engineered Turbos and CVT's arent a Problem. The Problem is, that there are many people who dont care about their Car, dont Change oil, Drive it warm/cold and stuff like that. The other Problem is, that there are a lot of Cars with badly engineered technic. Opel Transmission cant hold 100.000km, old BMW 318 Engine has a lot of Problems even without Turbo.....and so on.
@@oliver4005 "Toyota Just call it cvt." I have seen toyota called it ECVT and have seen the actual schematic of operation. Very different from "standard" CVT.....
Turbos, direct injection, cylinder deactivation, stop start system plus mated to a hybrid system with a dual clutch transmission, I'd be terrified out of warranty
40 years ago you would have said, electronic fuel injection, 5 speed automatic transmission, ABS, airbags, power windows and locks, I’d be terrified out of warranty 🤣
Thank you for your candid video. It's nice to see some serious journalism again. I purchased an Audi A4 with a 2.0 turbo engine. It was the most disappointing car I've ever owned. I noticed right away that the oil level went down steadily between changes. I checked out my Audi owner's manual and found "in print" that it was normal for the 2.0 turbo to use oil. In fact, my A4 had a special light on the dash that lit up when it was time to add a quart. That's when I began to swap information with other Audi owners. Yep, all of us had the same oil consumption and black oily tailpipes. Not exactly environmentally responsible. But the biggest issue was with the turbo itself. At about 35K miles, engine performance began to lag. Balky performance and poor milage led to several trips to the dealer. Modules were replaced, tuning done, and so on. At just over 50K miles, the turbo actually DIED. The dealer told me that it wasn't that unusal. Almost $4,000 later, I had a new turbo. Traded my A4 for a Toyota Avalon V6 the next week--problem solved. VW and Audi have been making this 2.0 turbo for decades. You'd think that, by now, they would have the engine and turbo design sorted out. Needless to say, I'll never own another Audi or VW product.
What year was your Audi A4? My boys car is a 2017 and he’s had to change the water pump but that’s all so far. He’s owned it for over a year and it has 98,000 miles on it. I tell him often that he should trade it for a Honda, Acura, Toyota or Lexus .
I have a 2021 Mazda 6 with a 2.5 liter turbo engine. I only commute in the suburbs with light to moderate traffic and I am averaging 21.7 miles per gallon with zero highway driving. And I drive aggressively. The engine puts out 250hp and 320 ft lb of torque on premium which I do use. My car sees redline twice per day at least 😂
You basically confirmed everything I've been telling people for years! Part of the issue to me is using the turbo to move to a smaller engine. If it's a choice between a 2ltr or a 2ltr with a turbo; you will still have reliability issues down the road, but it's an add on that's just there for additional power. As opposed to compensating for the power lost by downsizing the engine. Two different things!
@@SeudXe Might be OK for "car guys", but the average person who has no idea about maintenance, turbos are a disaster. Even with proper maintenance they won't last as long as a non-turbo.
This guy is absolutely spot on! I’ve been wrenching and researching cars for 30 years. He’s saying it like it is, you want to definitely change your oil onto it always give it 30 seconds to a minute to warm up and drive it as you normally would and don’t let it cool down too long or idle
You have to let it cool down, 2 to 3 minutes is good. Or just drive modestly for the last few miles of your journey without going into turbo and you’ll accomplish the same.
Big rig owner here…. The simple secret ingredients are proper warm up, proper cool down and proper maintenance. I’ve dealt with turbos most of my life and I absolutely love them. A little patience each time you start and end your day goes a very long way. If you can’t exercise patience then stay N/A.
Yep! Assuming the engine, turbo, and transmission aren’t fundamentally flawed to start with… being very gentle on warm up, making sure the engine gets to & maintains operating temperature, allowing proper time for “spool down” before shutoff, and frequent oil changes will make all the difference in the world. I love my turbo I4s and I6s!
I am about to buy my first car with a TURBO because I thought it is a good buy. I will be using it for short drives. Damn. Glad I saw your video, very informative. You just saved me some money.
I have 15 years of expiring with 2 turbo cars. 1. Passat b6 1.8 tsi bzb (200k kms) 2. Passat b7 2.0 tai cczb (270k kms) Both were charged to stage 3. (K04 turbo) No problems. I used good ECU software, oil changed every 7500 km, filter washed 7500 km as well. Oil = motul 5w40.
In the 1990's, I remember test driving a car that the salesman kept want me to drive harder, because of its "superior engineering". On the way back to the dealership, a light in the dash lit up red and it said "turbo"!! Needless to say, the salesman didn't push buying the car anymore. Things have come a long way, but some of the issues, so well discussed here, do still exist.
Incredibly informative video! My suspicions and biases against turbocharged engines are confirmed. I hold onto my cars for 10-plus years so long-term reliability is a priority for me.
All semi's have turbo engines, and regularly go a million miles before a rebuild. I have a 1993 mr2 turbo that has been rock solid as well. The issue isn't "turbo's" in general, it's the specific design and how well it's maintained.
@@spol1622 Diesel engine blocks are made of iron. Many car gasoline engines are also made of iron, but others are made of aluminum alloys. This however has nothing to do with the turbo.
I've used diesels for the past 10 years. Both Me and my other half. And have never had any issues with the turbo. The cars are looked after with oil changes done more than the factory recommend. Both cars have also been mapped and overall a joy to drive.
Good video. The only turbo I ever owned was a 99 Audi 1.5 L Turbo. I had the car for ten years, and while the turbo itself was never a real issue while I owned it, the car's complexity caused many other terribly expensive repairs in it's final years. The main problem I had with the turbo was the slow start and stop performance in city traffic. On the open highway, it performed fine, but in regular stop and go conditions, it sucked.
I know what you're talking about, scrolling turbos (they're everywhere now) were not common back then (I think porshe 911 had one back then). I drove a 97 RX7, making a U turn, no power, no power mid U turn, boost and we go sideways lol. Incredible power difference in those engines.
@@unclejim1528 Right. The point is that turbos have been improved, and auto makers need to increase fuel economy. A logical way to do that is with smaller displacement engines, adding turbos to make up the power deficit.
Your Audi with an exhaust system would have been ok but back then port injection meant ok not great power. My 00 1.8 was not bad. With updated turbo, tune, and exhaust it was plenty quick.
Honestly this was the reason I bought a Camry instead of an Accord. Yes the Accord is more fun, quicker, has better tech, and Honda products are generally reliable, but I wanted a daily drive (100ish miles daily) car that I would be 100% sure that I wont have any major problems with for the next 10 years at least.
We’ve had 2 Camry’s. I kept mine for 9 years and traded it in for a Rav 4WD Limited with a 3.5 V6. I’ve had it for 11 years and plan on driving it for another 10 years. Since retirement I only drive about 4-5K miles a year. So in 10 more years I should only have 160K miles. My wife drove her Camry for 18 years.
I have owned Hondas for 3 decades (1980s to 2010s) and recently completely abandoned Hondas. Last 10 years have gravitated towards Toyotas and absolutely amazing built quality. Toyotas ages so gracefully.
Long term Honda (including Acura) owner myself, too many to count. But not the same worry-free experience it has always been. Next purchase will be a Toyota.
I agree, but if you are driving 100 miles daily the turbo should be OK as you have given it time to warmup. I would have chosen one that is the most comfortable so that a long commute would feel good. Also, a good sound system would help the commute be more pleasant.
A well designed turbo engine will last 200k+, I just traded in my Civic hatch with a 1.5T engine. Key part to keep it reliable is change the engine oil early or at least on time. During morning coldstart, dont drive it hard right the way, keep the rpm low and drive slow before it fully warm up. There are several Honda 1.5T with over 200k miles, 1 Civic makes it to 520K miles on original engine, turbo and CVT.
@@jcman240I bought my turbo civic 2018 new and can still sell it for 8k more than what I owe on it. The only mistake I made was leasing it for 2 years Resale value is definitively NOT affected by turbo cars, only if they don’t come that way from the factory
I have a GM Ecotec 1.4L turbo. I get excellent mileage. Currentlt 35.2 mpg. However, even with on time routine maintenance, I have replaced the Turbo unit twice @ $2,000 a pop. Currently, the vehicle has 178,000. Overall, I am happy with the car, just wish the warranty on the turbo unit would be longer than 1 year.
All engines, petrol and diesel, turbo and NA, should be regularly driven at least once a week so that engine oil, coolant and exhaust comes up to full operating temperature. Especially if you are constantly doing small, constant trips. And even more so for a hybrid where the engine turns on and off regularly. With a turbo engine especially, drive it very gently from cold with the lowest revs until the engine warms up a bit. When you are coming to the end of your trip, drive very gently the last couple of kms so that the turbo winds down a bit. I drive a Kia Stinger. If I know I'm driving a short trip, I leave it in comfort mode which short shifts each gear. The engine doesn't go over 2000 revs. When I'm near my destination, I actually put it back into comfort mode to wind the 2 turbos down and drive extremely gently those last couple of kms. Not hard to do.
I drive my turbo Mazda 6 about 8 miles city (one way) to work. I drive it fairly aggressively once the car warms up but I do let it idle for 2 minutes before I turn it off. I do also change the oil 3 times per year even though I only drive about 2k miles per year. Once per week I take the long way to work so my commute is 30 minutes. I plan on keeping my car for 15 years, we shall see if it lasts 🤞
Good advice. I was initially alarmed when my new Audi’s fan kept running for a couple minutes after shutting off the engine. Was told this is intentional to continue to dissipate heat. Sounds like manufacturers are learning. Also, for all these new “efficient” 4 cylinder turbos, the more you use the boost you will see mpg’s fall rapidly-it seems EPA numbers are at RPMs with limited or no turbo boost.
Excellent advice. I wouldn't need it since I tend to put into practice anyway. But, I very much appreciate you for sharing the advice very few of us xsn understand.
I bought a turbocharged Jeep Wrangler 4 years ago…So far it has been running fantastically. Definitely...I’ll keep my oil change on time. Thanks for the info from this video!
Turbocharger is a component that you'll eventually need to replace. It's not cheap and replacing it isn't easy. Naturally aspirated engines don't have it. I think that's all you need to know.
But also don’t forget that turbo chargers come with trade offs! Lots more fun for a very slight reliability - -, however Turbos are likely to last the whole life of most engines, and certainly outlast the worst parts of an engine, usually if something goes horribly wrong it won’t be the turbo, other things will cause extreme damage and write off the car long before the turbo will
@@finnsstuffs Only if you compare turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines with the same displacement and cylinder number. I'd argue that a naturally aspirated 3.0 or 3.5 V6 or I6 is more fun than a 2.0 4 banger with turbo. Which is the more meaningful comparison.
@@vecernicek2 That’s true 4 cylinder turbo engines are usually pretty rubbish and laggy, (atleast older ones are) but this also depends on how it’s tuned too, I suppose my only real complaint about large non turbo engines is just that they consume so much fuel and arent particularly fast either 😕 had a M3 from 2009 which had a V8 NA engine, made 400 or so horsepower, that car would do 0-100 in 5 seconds which for the amount it cost to run was pretty atrocious.. now i drive a 3.0TDI which makes 308HP, does 0-100 in 5 flat but doesn’t cost mountains of money to fill up and is quite economical (5-6L per 100km on the highway and about 8-9L per 100 in city) These are just my views, of course you can have your own and speed isn’t the only factor but personally i don’t want to spend ridiculous amounts of money filling up all the time on cars that aren’t very fast.. personally i’d much rather own a turbo V6 than an NA V8
@@finnsstuffs It depends. I had a V6 VTEC Honda Accord and I was getting 33 MPG on highway. Then I drove a newer Škoda Superb 2.0 TSI with less power than that, but couldn't touch the Honda fuel economy. Modern V6 diesels have mountains of torque from low rpms, so they get to speed quickly, much like a NA petrol V8. They're perfect engines for family cars. But they suck for sports driving, as the useful rpm range is pretty narrow.
I'm in a quandary. I want a new Mazda CX-5. Problem is, the standard 2.5L engine now comes with cylinder deactivation, which I just don't trust to last. But the only way to avoid the cylinder deactivation is to get the turbo, which I don't particularly want, either.
I naturally aspirated engine is like a bodybuilder or marathon runner who fuels himself with good nutrition. A turbo engine is identical but pumps himself up with steroids; improve results but not healthy.
At one point in time turbos were only included on high performance sports cars. So now it makes sense why the turbos won’t last on a regular car if they need to be kept at a higher temperature to function correctly. Most high-performance sports cars usually get run pretty hard anyways. So temperature is never going to be a problem for those.
Yeah my 1G DSM turbo gets up to operating temp within minutes so this has never been an issue for me, but I can see it being one on non-performance cars.
Fun factor, driving dynamics, performance are just a few reasons why I chose a turbo vehicle. I now have over 85,000 trouble free miles on this vehicle. No oil burning, no noises. good MPG. Granted, I am in the maintenance field so I am not your typical car owner. I have performed oil changes every 5K with full synthetic top notch oil and filters. Only run premium fuel. Maintain my vehicle very well.
My 10th generation Honda Civic EX-T 1.5 liter includes the first production turbo for the Civic. I bought the 2018 model new in June 2018. I live in Westchester county, NY. I maintain my Civic religiously. I change the oil/filter early (between 3,800-4,200 miles) using Honda 0W-20 synthetic oil and OEM oil filter. I only use top-tier fuel (containing the highest detergent additives). I rarely drive short distances…about 60% highway miles. I also rarely exceed 4,000 rpm. I’m averaging 33.8 mpg (combined city/highway) My plan is to exceed 300,000 miles without any major repairs to the engine/turbo or transmission. As of Aug 2022, I have driven over 114,500 trouble free miles. So far, so good.
Great video!! This is why i chose the Camry XSE v6 over the Honda 2.0. I just ordered it two weeks ago. My job is only 7 miles (Highway ) from home and so i was worried about the warm up and cool down with the turbo.
If you only drive 7 miles each way, make sure to change your oil 3-4 times per year even with good synthetic oil. Your oil will get diluted with gasoline and your engine won’t get a chance to burn it off. I personally commute 8 miles one way but once per week I take the car for a 30 minute drive, still change my oil 3 times per year even though I put on 2.5k per year or so.
Turbo charged engines are usually design from the ground up to accept the higher pressures. You can see this in the engine displacement. (Smaller Numbers) Usually a larger displacement engine is reduced to have thicker cylinder walls. Yes some manufactures get it wrong with all their plastic parts etc. This all sums it up, in terms of 4 cylinder engines, if you want a grin on your face and like your car response (even with some turbo lag) get a turbo charged engine. Normally you should run the engine a minute are so after hard driving. Manufactures such as VW and Audi used after run coolant pump so you don't have to do that. It's a good habit though.
I tend to let my car run minute when it has been sitting for a while before I take off. Old habit from having really old cars. I also tend to let my car rest for a min after I have parked (Nina) for the day, before I shut her down. Will see if that will help. I have had all types of cars, and all had some problem or another. (they all do, hopefully they remain small). Most people don't maintain their cars well. You HAVE to change the oil when it is do. Save you sooooooo many headaches. But even then..... You want to talk about a bad Turbo set car then let's talk about the EccoSport. The turbo on that car has not worked more than it works. In fact I had to replace the engine (On Ford's Dime) due to a oil pump recall. (Found out AFTER the engine seized up (2018 with 50kish miles) I just got a 2019 1.5t Accord. Yhea might be been better with a Camry but could not get the price right, and the Honda just looks better. I do live in a hot place (Vegas) so that does help. I guess only time will tell how the Honda holds up. I have known cars with a Turbo that where old as hell and should have been dead (Saab), had no issues, and where running where my newer car was always braking down. I just know I am doing 5 thousand mile oil changes, without question. (will do it myself)
I’m old enough to have owned Saab turbo cars 35 years ago. Had no issues but remember the advice to allow the engine to keep running after a high speed trip to ensure it cools down properly
I would take the new 2.5 Mazda turbo any day over any other. I have seen more than a few with 300,000 kms. A couple of people I know, one is a friend of mine and the other guy is someone I work with, Both have an old VW EA888 2.0 turbo, both with 400,000 kms and still going on their original turbos and internal components.
Your absolutely right Kevin. I bought a 2022 Mazda CX5 Turbo and absolutely love it!! Mazda makes one of the best, if not the best turbocharged engine. Longevity of any engine all depends on how well it is maintained.
I was confused choosing between civic’s 2.0 NA and 1.5 turbo. Thanks to your video, I’ve booked civic sedan 2.0 NA sports now in favour of long term reliability.
Good video. You are correct about the maintenance at the correct intervals. Far too many people ignore proper maintenance because they are in over their heads on car costs, period. Manufactures also offer too many miles (i.e. 10K) oil changes when the engine only has 5 qts of oil. If the cars had 20 qts like a large truck diesel, this could work OK, but they don't.
When I was buying our 2020 Civic Coupe we got the turbo. When my wife and I chose a car, I choose the model, my wife picks the trim level. I explained that I've driven turbos off and on since my 1984 Merkur XR4Ti . I explained all the negs you did, and more. But she opted for the EX trim which only offered turbo. My point is, sometimes other factors push you to less desired engine options. By the way, I follow ALL your guidelines (syn oil every 6k + OEM filter) and a turbo has never failed me. And that Merkur? That turbo ran 184,000 before the car died in a roll over. But my personal choice is, skip the extra ponies (and speeding tickets) and go Naturally Aspirated.😄
I had a Jeep Wrangler with the Hurricane 2.0 Turbo. It was a great engine with plenty of power. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. It received regular maintenance and synthetic oil only. No issues over 80,000 miles.
I think it still depends on the brand and make.. I had the same worry when I bought a used 2008 Acura RDX with a 2.3 liter turbo engine.. But the engine/turbo has never given me any problems. As a matter of fact, not many people had any engine issues on this car. Mine has over 340k kilometers now and still running strong. I see plenty of the same cars on the road until now, which is a testament to its reliability despite the turbo engine
Very well said and helpful. Thank you! Subscribed. We were fortunate enough to get a car with an NA engine for our daily and a car with a turbo for some fun driving. There is no denying the added power and fun of that turbo, but the oil changes are more frequent than in our NA car and the oil changes are more expensive plus the turbo needs higher 91 octane fuel whereas our NA car is just fine with 87 octane. Especially now with the insane cost of fuel that can be a big deal on your budget. Also there is no denying how much more our turbo heats up our garage after we drive it when compared to our NA car. The issues of having a turbo in a hybrid I did not even think about, and you are 100% on point with that. Again, very well said and researched.
I'll avoid the turbo at all costs PERIOD. The next time my wife and I trade vehicles. She has a 2019 Honda crv and I have a 2020 Ford Ranger. And we both drive mostly short distances. Thanks for the heads up. 👍
I just bought a 24 Camry with 2.5L naturally aspirated engine. I'm glad I didn't wait for 2025 since Camry will be going all hybrid and Accord is going all hybrid or 1.5T. 1. I live in an extreme cold area. 2. Most of my driving is 2.8 miles to and from work.
The real problem is regulations forcing manufacturers to choke out engines with all the added emissions machinery. So to compensate they have to either make engines bigger or push them harder. Bottom line a turbo will accelerate wear and tear and add significant repair cost after the warranty expires.
Great video Shari, as usual you nailed it with all the truths about Turbos. Thank you for all your knowledge sharing for the lost generations now days. I personally, will not touch a Turbo vehicle unless I have money to burn. Most of us working class should just stay away from Turbo engines.
Thats kinda hard to do since most automakers are using Turbos (mated to CVTs which are even worse). I'm wary of Turbos, and will never but a CVT so idk what to do smh.
@@carhelpcorner Can you explain how semi's can easily go a million miles on a turbo without issue? Those engines are easily the most reliable on the road, and they ALL have turbos.
I had a Saab turbo in 1980, everyone told me don’t buy a turbo. I had the car for 13 years and not once did I ever have any problem with the engine or turbo. Used regular gas and changed oil every 5000 miles. Put about 15000 miles on it every year. Best car I’ve ever owned. I have a Hyundai with a turbo now so far it’s just fine.
@@nicholasdidesidero2336 The old Saab were over built and they were premium vehicles which are not mainstream economical vehicles. The later Saab were GM influenced garbage. My suggestion to Hyundai to not put any Turbos on any of their vehicles. Hyundai is never known for their overbuilt standard, they always barely made the standard and for them to risk their reputation on Turbos is a terrible combination. Hyundai is just passing on their risks to owners which on long term going to hurt the pockets. Just remember the old Saab and Volvos with Turbos were made to last unlike the later versions.
@@Matys1975 I thought he meant tractors as in the ones that haul large trucks. I have troubles coming to terms with a farm tractor going 300K miles. I see you have never operated a farm tractor. They are rated on hours of operation not by miles. It defies logic to have an odometer on a vehicle that on the best of days are knee high in mud and moves along at a break neck speed of 15 mph
Nice vid. It’s very specific to the model. I have a F150 2.7 v6 eco boost. It has a great reputation (was improved in 2017 with side port). But the same engine in the new Bronco has been a disaster (so far).
Agreed. Ive got a 2016 Ford fusion Titanium with the 2.0 ecoboost. Think Scotty Kilmer had a video on an earlier year with the same setup (plus awd) with over 200k miles and the only thing wrong besides the crappy backup camera Ford uses was the turbo was finally starting to go. The only other faulty thing is the transmission, but as long as it’s maintained the chances of the transmission failing are slim
I have a new CX30 non turbo.........Bought because its the most reliable car on the planet............Also, getting better milage,In spite of reviews, Than any car i've owned, mostly cvt Subies............Paul
My mind was already made up, and what you explained confirms my thoughts. I’m sticking with naturally aspirated engines. I don’t need a car that screams away from stoplights. I’ve got a naturally aspirated 4L in a Toyota 4Runner. All I’ve ever done is change oil faithfully and changed plugs once. It has 440k miles on it and runs like new. It’s fast enough. Thanks! Great video.
I just spent $1600 repairing the turbo on my 2011 sonata 2L with about 85000km. This was replacing one small part on the turbo that cost $800. The rest was labour. With the shortage of new and used cars in Canada I will have to hold onto this car a bit longer.
@John Franklin Yes, I bought it new. Never had a car with a turbo but lots of manufacturers use them with small engines. The 2L engine in 2011 was the last year it produced 274 hp. It now is only 245 hp. I'm retired and can't afford a new car with or without a turbo.
Depends on which manufacturer built your turbo engine. The Honda turbo has been out for close to 8 years and I haven’t heard of any major turbo failures yet.
@@dystopia-usa The only trouble with the CVTs that I've heard about are people who brake boost them to win the stoplight grand prix, dumb abuse. Otherwise they're dead reliable if you don't trash them. Same with the turbos, take care of them and they never fail. Oil dilution? Please, never had a problem in 8 years.
I drive my 2020 Honda Civic Si like grandma during these NY winters until the engine is completely warmed up. I Audi don’t park, turn the car off, and jump out; I wait 1 minutes for the turbo to cool down. Regular oil changes every 4000 miles. I expect to break 300k miles with no major issues. We’ll see.
My 2022 Ford Ranger truck is a 2.3 liter turbo. It is unbelievably fast, and so far it is quite reliable. It has more towing power, and more get-up-and-go than my old half-ton pickup, and more fun to drive than most cars I've owned. I have also had a Saab 900 turbo, and, way back in the day, a Chrysler New Yorker turbo, '85 model, I believe. Never an issue with the drive trains. I am a stickler for maintenance, though. I remember the Saab had over 170,000 miles before I sold it, and the Chrysler had over 100,000 before I traded it in. Both were in great shape and ran fine before I upgraded. It's all in the maintenance, I believe.
I just bought a turbo charged car. The secret is to not flog the engine. Turbocharged cars tend to be bought by drivers who are more aggressive than others. Their cars suffer as a result and that skews the perception of turbocharged lack of reliability. Driven sensibly and only using the turbo to assist in rare demands for more power results in longevity and reliability … along with good maintenance practices.
Back in the day before strict epa regulations it was this simple: Economy: Inline 4 Acceleration: V6 Towing capacity: V8 Now we have Heavy Chevy Silverados (A FULL SIZE TRUCKS) with an Inline 4....but it has a turbo! Lunacy.
After watching this video I’d still buy a turbo car and have tons of fun with it, most of our life ( which is very short btw) we worry about problems that never happen Edit : had a Cadillac ATS turbo, Ford Escape 2.0 t , and currently a Mazda CX-5 turbo , not an issue. sorry but I can’t go back to a non turbo unless it’s a v8 ( had two Camaros and one charger v8 as well ) problems ? Let me cross that bridge when I get there
Agree...V8 Tundra 4.7 '03...awesome truck 20 years old original frame. '16 Audi A5 2.0 Turbo 133K miles...only thing changed is two front wheel bearings. Highway long hauler in Northeast. Put ice & snows on and it rocks! Came with a 100K warranty. Drained 1/2 tranny fluid. Oil changes @ 7K.
Wow, it's almost as if a low-stress, naturally aspirated, port-injected engine that is mated to a traditional automatic or manual transmision could possibly be simpler to repair, cheaper to maintain, and cheaper to buy.
Over time, things can be engineered to be reliable. It just takes time. When cars were first invented, they weren't reliable and definitely weren't safe. But look at them now: much more reliable and safe and they'll only improve over time.
New turbos are very reliable. Everything will fail at some point of time. All these car companies are not putting these out with out proper testing. The engine fails due to bad design not due to turbo. With so much emphasis on better fuel economy turbos are here to stay. Many long term reliability report doesn’t reports turbo as problem. If one has to eliminate turbos it would hard to buy a car now a days.
I have a Ecotech and I have had to go through several UA-cam videos through past 4 years of dealing with car to troubleshoot the exact problems of turbo engines and I agree with a lot of the perspective of this video. I grew up with a Mazda B2200 truck and it was a simple truck to maintain. …enter this beautiful harlot on wheels turbo in my life, and I know what Ryan Adam’s meant when he sung love is hell….cause this ecotech you have to love it to get it to work right after a 140k. Well the ecotech has crankshaft pressure issues with the stock parts so if you don’t figure that out you keep throwing money at the plastics parts. So for anyone with a turbo ecotech there are several UA-cam videos you should seek out before you start. Fix the manifold because the pcv valve is bad stock. Then fix head cover cause it blows the plastic rim and seal. Then all the coolant parts bolted to head that are plastic. Then check your intercooler for oil. That will tell you if your turbo is being abused. I have to replace mine mainly the exhaust manifold gasket is probably gone and actuator on turbo…. There’s so much. But you stay determined and you will get it to another 100k. But really do your research because any auto mechanic will charge extensively. Great video. Think about turbo maintenance before you get one. 90% agreement of video here.
I change oil on schedule and use the recommended specification oil. 210000 miles with no issues on my 2017 Chevy Cruze. Too many people dont take oil changes seriously enough.
Thank you for posting. You saved me a big headache by almost buying a Chevy Trax (only comes in turbo). Would have lost a lot of money if I bought that. Remember - looks aren't everything when buying a vehicle.!!!
An NA engine is the long term choice especially if you plan on keeping your vehicle for over 8 years and hope to keep the maintenance costs affordable. My choice has always been Toyota, the older ones at least.
We own 3 vehicles and none of them have a turbo. We are looking into replacing one of our cars currently and I was wondering about the short trip aspect which you covered in your video. Awesome video and thanks for posting.
I will never purchase a full-size truck with anything less than a V-8 engine. My 2016 Silverado is well maintained (88,000 miles), and I expect to get at least 200,000 miles out of it. I will be purchasing a Subaru Outback Onyx sometime this month. You enforced my opinion, I was right-no turbo for me at all costs. Thank you.
Toyota T24A is direct and port fuel injected and can open the waste gate while the engine is not needing boost. Also it can divert coolant channels around the engine to help warm up.
There is no reason for a turbo to be a problem other than a manufacturers bad design/defect. I ran Saab turbos for hundreds of thousands of miles and never had a turbo problem. This was even without water cooled turbos. Now all the turbos are water and oil cooled. If you use high quality oil and change it and the filter regularly you should not have any problems.
You pinpointed the "issue". Turbo charged engines are more complicated and produce a lot more power and therefore absolutely need to be well maintained with high grade products. If you treat them like a low Hp normally aspirated engine.......it will go wrong.
Saabs were extremely well engineered and (mostly) designed for easy service - alas modern cars are not engineered to the same standards. German cars are some of the worst offenders with regards to service - and often reliability (
Working at auto repair shop for almost a year, 19 out of 20 cars that come in for repairs or service are turbo. Haven't seen any cars with turbo related problems yet. I drive 15 years old car with chip tuned turbo engine, nothing to complain about.
2016 VW Golf MK7 with a Stage 1 tune and zero issues so far. Change your oil regularly, allow your oil to get to operating temperature before using your turbo, and allow your turbo to cool down before shutting off your engine.
If you have a turbocharger, use a high quality full synthetic oil changed at least when recommended in the owners manual, and replace the coolant earlier- I found that the Engine Ice brand makes my inline 4 motorcycle run cooler. Hybrids especially plug in hybrids run the gas engine less often, so the engine should last longer. Maybe look at an all electric Mini Cooper for 30 thousand new, it should be a lot more reliable than their gas engine version, it looks good and is fun to drive, and the weight of the battery makes it ride smoother for long drives.
Plug in hybrid like mine is becoming a great option. The short distance driving never starts the engine and the tax rebate offsets a lot of the extra cost. Road trips are no problem either since I can go almost 500 miles on a 16 gallon tank and refuel in 5 minutes.
This video was fascinating and incredibly helpful. I drive a V6 Toyota Avalon and I was feeling like I was missing out on the better fuel economy of a turbo charged four cylinder engine. But I also live in a very cold climate, make short drives all the time, and don't have the patience to drive my car longer to wait for it to warm up. My car isn't amazing on gas but it's fast, smooth, and has had no mechanical issues. Learning about these trade-offs has made me happy with my naturally aspirated car.
I have a 2014 lincoln MKZ 2.0 turbo awd 64000m my wife drives a 2019 hyundai veloseter turbo.She uses penzoil full synthetic 1 x year.I use cam 2 synthetic blend every 4000m.So far no issues
Very informative video! I opted for the NA engine in my 2022 Mazda CX-5 instead of the turbo mainly because I plan to keep this car for the long haul and heard that NA engines are the more reliable option. Heard many horror stories about turbo engines with premature issues like you mentioned.
@@jakenoltensmeyer7366 That's great to hear. I had a 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo, had about 15K miles on it and started consuming oil. It was a defect in some of the valve seals in some 21 turbo models and a fix wasn't and still isn't available though Mazda acknowledges there's a problem. That car was a lease and they offered to buy it out early due to market/demand so I took advantage of it for a bigger vehicle. But I do miss that car and the turbo for sure, definitely an awesome engine!
I opted for a turbo model CX-5. I plan on keeping it for the long haul but have a bit of fun doing it. Lol. There are a lot of turbo'd CX-9s with triple digit odometers and no issues. Same engine.
@@scottsdale4899 what’s crazy is that the same engine in the Mazda cx30 and Mazda 3 doesn’t have cylinder deactivation. I can’t understand why Mazda decided to put cylinder deactivation in their 2.5 na in the CX5 and CX50
As always, thanks for the great advice. I have had two cars with turbo engines and I did not experience problems; however, I did not keep either of those cars beyond three years. Today, with the type of driving I do, I am not at all interested in owning another turbo engine. My wife has been thinking of trading in her wonderful 2015 Highlander on a new Grand Highlander, and I have done everything I can to convince her that a car that size with a four cylinder turbo is a disaster waiting to happen. I don’t know if she will listen, and I’m sure a lot of people will disagree, but I just can’t imagine spending so much money on a car like that. Anyway, I do appreciate your show very much.
In Japan they use the Toyota Prius for taxi cabs.......because they're an extremely reliable car. Look at what kind of cars/powertrains have been used for taxies over the years, most all were very reliable and relatively inexpensive to repair. I never looked at the Prius as a long lasting car until I went to Japan and seen them running all over the place as taxies.
Always had turbocharged cars, never had any problems (Mercedes-Benz and VW). One of them has near 200.000 kms, still as powerful and efficient as day one.
Sounds like all one's fuel economy savings will be "contributed" towards maintenance/turbo replacement out of warranty! I get the feeling that car manufactures have set themselves up for massive after sale maintenance profits which makes good business sense but the system is working against the consumer ultimately. I have always bought naturally aspirated cars since they are so reliable over the long run. Your videos are excellent. Thank you for making them!
That’s why I am not getting the Lexus NX300 turbo, instead I am getting the NX350H non turbo hybrid for my wife, she doesn’t need the turbo power anyway and the NX hybrid gets 40MPG in city.
The real problem has been a federal government in the United States and Canada that has gone out of its way to produce the most unrealistic and excessive regulation of the automobile. Yes we do want low emissions and low fuel consumption but there's a limit to both. Emissions and consumption can only be reduced just so far. 200 horsepower and 50 miles per gallon is just not possible. Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant whereas carbon monoxide clearly is. The governments need to take a little step backward. The 1981 standard for emissions was clean enough. As far as gas mileage standards go, no. Not the government's place to mandate what kind of car we Americans or Canadians can have. As it is Americans and Canadians are not fond of small cars especially Americans.
I love my 2021 Mazda CX-5 CE Turbo w/ AWD. I got the turbo because I didn't want cylinder deactivation, which came with the naturally aspirated engine. I'm very happy with my turbo. My trips are short, and I never drive it immediately after starting it, and I never turn it off immediately after parking it.
In 2010 I bought my first BMW--a 2008 535 xi Touring Wagon. Manual states 300 HP and 300 Torque,with the 0 to 60 mph at 5.9 seconds. And top speed limited to 155 mph. The reliability of this inline six is amazing. Because I was doing a little track time had the Dinan Stage 2 installed, with 375 HP and 415 Torque. Mods included a small plaque mounted at the top of the cooling system--"Normally Aspirated Engines Suck". Put in some high-performance brake rotors and pads then quit the track events, so they have never been changed--pads or rotors. Repairs have include the composite header tank failing, wearing of a short rod that engages the AWD. A few minor tuning problems occurred. Spark plugs changed once and that's it. Since I turned 80 five years ago I have done few highway trips. Most reliable car I've had with my first being a Model A Ford in 1955--still have the bill of sale.
Should have included that the engine runs 10 to 1 CR and has two turbos. Ignition and fuel controls are amazing. Cruising at 60 mph delivers 36 miles to the Imperial gallon.
Spot on observations. That's why as a long term Tundra owner I'm kicking woke Toyota to the curb when I purchase my next vehicle. Who in real life has the time to wait for the vehicle to warm up in cold weather, who has the time at the end of a long day to sit in your vehicle when you get home to let it cool down. I will not engage in this automotive version of wag the dog. Plus the lack of longevity and out of warranty repair cost seals the no buy decision for me.
My solution is remote start. Have had remote start on my last 6 cars. You can warm it up in the morning and leave the engine on after exciting car with it doors locked. Although I park on my driveway, not in the garage.
Ironically, the Hyundai and Kia turbo engines are more sturdier than their naturally aspirated counterparts, due to their strengthened connecting rods and pistons. Connecting rod failures are a key issue in the Hyundai and Kia engine recalls involving their naturally aspirated Nu and Theta engines.
It really seems like modern turbos are worse than older ones! I own a 1987 Dodge Daytona TurboZ with the Chrysler 2.2L Turbo-II motor which was a new version of the 2.2L turbo-I for 1987 and added an intercooler and brought up the hp from 146 to 174 with 200lb/ft of torque. I have owned this car for 23 years, second owner and it now has 166K miles on it. Obviously I have taken extremely good care of it and it has had a lot of work done over the years but that 2.2L Turbo II still runs great and pulls hard. Of course this engine is much more simple than those of today but maybe thats the secret? A turbo can last if its not ridiculously complicated. The actual turbo on my car has not been replaced but the intercooler has and it runs pretty consistent coolant temp wise. I don't push it as hard as I use to because I want it to last but I do push it some! Anyway, I agree, modern turbos arent great. If BMW can make trash turbo motors, anyone can! And they do, I'd never buy a turbo BMW...or Audi, or Ford or VW or GM, okay, your point is even more appreciated!
My 2cents turbos have bearings and internal fan driven by exhaust gases change your oil earlier yes warm up and cool down restart engine immediately if you stall engine to maintain oil lube. I have equipment with over 4000 hrs no turbo issues. Basically it's a air pump.
Hey man i just wanted to say thank you! For telling it like it is, a lot of people who prefer turbo engines will be butt hurt, but that is the truth. I've had a naturally aspirated 1.5 16v 88hp mazda 323f engine, very simple and cheap maintenance, no problems with the engine, my mechanic always liked working on it, very easy to fix, doesnt matter what you have to change, but the car body was very rusty, so i had to buy another one. So i got a mercedes c class c180 kompressor, very sensitive parts, the timing is expensive, the kompressor has certain mileage and then it breaks down, parts on the chasis or brakes werent cheap either, ive never red-lined it, but over some time the kompressor started rattling, the timing chain was stretched in a short amount of mileage, sooner or later electronics start to break down too, especially if its with automatic gearbox. So your best bet for a car always will be 4/6 cylinder naturally aspirated gasoline engine and manual gearbox, it can take a lot of abuse and will do its job for years and if you take real special care of it, it can even last a lifetime. Some people buy cars for ego, while others buy them for daily tasks. That pretty much sums everyone.
I have been a turbo machinist for twenty years . Listen carefully ..... They belong on diesel engines and racing applications . Full stop . The fallacy of gas 4 cylinder economy with V6 power is idiotic . Driven with force they can blow the gas like a V8 . Also G.D.I. engines are killing turbos AND catalytic converters . The chunks of accumulated burnt oil from the intake valves damage the turbine side of the turbo , on their way to plugging up the expensive cat . I made a good living remaning these . If you gave me one for free , I wouldn't thank you for it . AND I couldn't sell it fast enough ........... Discuss .
These are 4 cylinder, the majority that's the problem. I own a 1987 Buick grand national. No problems. Warm up the engine before you go and let it cool down before shutting down. CHANGE YOUR OIL. Very fun car to drive and fast as hell
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Finally someone calls out the concerns of having turbochargers in a hybrid setting. It definitely drives well but the reliability of this setup in the long term needs serious consideration
this is a plan by the auto makers to shorten the lives of their cars so they can sell more cars. GM has done that for years, that's how it remained number one, make them last about 10 years at the most, so people will have to buy a new one 10 years later.
If you're going hybrid, you're better off with a diesel generator/engine, lol.
@@mikem9536 We don't get diesel in the U.S. F the EPA.
@@mikem9536 WRONG... Get a Lexus 450h+ "F" Sport.....drive 49 miles on batt. and never use the ICE...However you always have the ICE and can use regular gas and get 89 empg...However, since I never use the ICE my ICE is as NEW!...only using Batt. plug-in to 120V is QUIET Quick / Huge Torq and no wear on ICE!
all engines are down sizing with turbo
This just enforces what I believe that a naturally aspirated engine is less of a headache. I'd rather have e bigger slightly less efficient engine ; Take the example with the 2.0 L and 1.5 l Turbo Honda, it proves my case. 34 MPG over 33 MPG is not worth extra problems even if it has 22 more HP.
If you're a car guy and understand how the car that you drive works and the type of engine it has then you should have no issue picking whatever car you want, keeping in mind the upsides and downsides, or extra maintenance you gotta keep an eye for.
I'm getting a twin turbo GDI and im pretty confident with it being brand now it will give me no problems and it will last me a long time, because i know that it has turbos and gdi and i know the potential problems and how to take preventive measures to probably avoid complications.
Exactly. I already have a weekend fun car so I bought my daily driver 2020 Civic Sport Sedan with the 2.0L Naturally Aspirated port injected engine paired to a 6 speed manual transmission.
To me the NA motor and manual gearbox was the more reliable option over a direct injected 1.5T engine or a CVT transmission.
real world MPG testing the NA does better.
The issue with ALL hybrids and EV’s is the resale value is going off the cliff at a certain age….no matter if it is a good brand or not. On a lesser scale, same thing for turbo engines unless you know the original owner and know they took care of it.
If you want to keep a new car a long time….go with nonturbo, nonhybrid.
I feel like federal emissions and mpg requirements have something to do with it, as well. They are moving towards turbo for less pollution without trading too much horsepower for it. That said, I sure do miss my V6 naturally aspirated sedan. It was fast, but fuel economy was fucking terrible.
I’m a mechanic for the past 14 years and about the only thing of value in this video is keeping with the maintenance schedule. Good maintenance habits go a long way in having a good ownership experience. I am very familiar with some of the engines you called out in the video and agree that some have issues but I think their faults are in the design and not the fact that they are turbocharged.
Naturally aspirated engines work around 200 years.
I greatly value your experience and opinion. I bought a 2020 Mustang Ecoboost instead of the 5.0. I don’t abuse it but do open it up at times. Car has only 11K miles but I’ve already changed the oil three times, and plan to run no more than 4K between changes. Do you have any thoughts on the 2.3 in the Mustang?
But since you got almost years experience, you should make a video countering his claims with facts and statistics.
The design includes a turbo.
@@costelgigi31 Bull.
My mechanic's advice to me in regard to looking for a new/used vehicle: "If at all possible, avoid CVTs and Turbo Chargers."
Toyota Hybrid with cvt are one of the most reliable Cars ever
@@oliver4005 every car isn't a Toyota.
@@oliver4005 That's an ECVT, not cvt!
World of difference As illustrated in video....
@@doubledranch871 Toyota Just call it cvt. And Turbo Chargers: old VW/Audi 1.8T 300.000km no Problem. Old Mercedes Turbo Diesel 600.000km no Problem. It's not that black and white. Good engineered Turbos and CVT's arent a Problem. The Problem is, that there are many people who dont care about their Car, dont Change oil, Drive it warm/cold and stuff like that. The other Problem is, that there are a lot of Cars with badly engineered technic. Opel Transmission cant hold 100.000km, old BMW 318 Engine has a lot of Problems even without Turbo.....and so on.
@@oliver4005 "Toyota Just call it cvt."
I have seen toyota called it ECVT and have seen the actual schematic of operation. Very different from "standard" CVT.....
Turbos, direct injection, cylinder deactivation, stop start system plus mated to a hybrid system with a dual clutch transmission, I'd be terrified out of warranty
Same here what a combination to have!
Scotty Kilmer agrees and approves your comment
40 years ago you would have said, electronic fuel injection, 5 speed automatic transmission, ABS, airbags, power windows and locks, I’d be terrified out of warranty 🤣
@@Aikynbreusov My thoughts exactly! 💪🏽
@@Matys1975 no they are not power train
Thank you for your candid video. It's nice to see some serious journalism again. I purchased an Audi A4 with a 2.0 turbo engine. It was the most disappointing car I've ever owned. I noticed right away that the oil level went down steadily between changes. I checked out my Audi owner's manual and found "in print" that it was normal for the 2.0 turbo to use oil. In fact, my A4 had a special light on the dash that lit up when it was time to add a quart. That's when I began to swap information with other Audi owners. Yep, all of us had the same oil consumption and black oily tailpipes. Not exactly environmentally responsible. But the biggest issue was with the turbo itself. At about 35K miles, engine performance began to lag. Balky performance and poor milage led to several trips to the dealer. Modules were replaced, tuning done, and so on. At just over 50K miles, the turbo actually DIED. The dealer told me that it wasn't that unusal. Almost $4,000 later, I had a new turbo. Traded my A4 for a Toyota Avalon V6 the next week--problem solved. VW and Audi have been making this 2.0 turbo for decades. You'd think that, by now, they would have the engine and turbo design sorted out. Needless to say, I'll never own another Audi or VW product.
Bought my last VW product in 1975.Vw was crap then and crap now.I don't know how they sell cars.
Same car, engine does not eat oil, but turbocharger had died at 44k, just 4 months after warranty ended. First and last German car I own.
What year was your Audi A4? My boys car is a 2017 and he’s had to change the water pump but that’s all so far. He’s owned it for over a year and it has 98,000 miles on it. I tell him often that he should trade it for a Honda, Acura, Toyota or Lexus .
That's because audi sucks
I have a 2021 Mazda 6 with a 2.5 liter turbo engine. I only commute in the suburbs with light to moderate traffic and I am averaging 21.7 miles per gallon with zero highway driving. And I drive aggressively. The engine puts out 250hp and 320 ft lb of torque on premium which I do use. My car sees redline twice per day at least 😂
You basically confirmed everything I've been telling people for years!
Part of the issue to me is using the turbo to move to a smaller engine. If it's a choice between a 2ltr or a 2ltr with a turbo; you will still have reliability issues down the road, but it's an add on that's just there for additional power. As opposed to compensating for the power lost by downsizing the engine. Two different things!
There's no replacement for displacement!
2.0 turbos are fine if its from a reputable company.
@@SeudXe Might be OK for "car guys", but the average person who has no idea about maintenance, turbos are a disaster. Even with proper maintenance they won't last as long as a non-turbo.
Wrong!
@@jackson5116 your opinion is deeply flawed sir
This guy is absolutely spot on! I’ve been wrenching and researching cars for 30 years. He’s saying it like it is, you want to definitely change your oil onto it always give it 30 seconds to a minute to warm up and drive it as you normally would and don’t let it cool down too long or idle
You need to cool the turbine especially after driving on highway.
I would agree
You have to let it cool down, 2 to 3 minutes is good. Or just drive modestly for the last few miles of your journey without going into turbo and you’ll accomplish the same.
Big rig owner here…. The simple secret ingredients are proper warm up, proper cool down and proper maintenance. I’ve dealt with turbos most of my life and I absolutely love them. A little patience each time you start and end your day goes a very long way. If you can’t exercise patience then stay N/A.
Yep! Assuming the engine, turbo, and transmission aren’t fundamentally flawed to start with… being very gentle on warm up, making sure the engine gets to & maintains operating temperature, allowing proper time for “spool down” before shutoff, and frequent oil changes will make all the difference in the world. I love my turbo I4s and I6s!
Perfectly said brother! 😁👍
Yup tons of generalized statements with no facts behind them, like you I have had nothing but great luck/experience with turbo charged engines.
Which 99% of society does not do. Instead the unlock the door start the car and are down the road in under a minute.
@@waynespringer501 It’s ok to drive right away, but one should wait until car is warmed up fully before pushing the turbo.
I have a 13 year old turbo diesel Hyundai with nearly 140,000 MILES on it. Still very happy with the engine. Powerful, torquey and smooth
What model is it?
I am about to buy my first car with a TURBO because I thought it is a good buy. I will be using it for short drives. Damn. Glad I saw your video, very informative. You just saved me some money.
I have 15 years of expiring with 2 turbo cars.
1. Passat b6 1.8 tsi bzb (200k kms)
2. Passat b7 2.0 tai cczb (270k kms)
Both were charged to stage 3. (K04 turbo)
No problems. I used good ECU software, oil changed every 7500 km, filter washed 7500 km as well. Oil = motul 5w40.
Yes turbo diesel engines are much more reliable than gasoline turbo engines.
Once again- why not all modern diesel
@@IrishNew he mentioned a gasoline turbo passat..
In the 1990's, I remember test driving a car that the salesman kept want me to drive harder, because of its "superior engineering". On the way back to the dealership, a light in the dash lit up red and it said "turbo"!! Needless to say, the salesman didn't push buying the car anymore. Things have come a long way, but some of the issues, so well discussed here, do still exist.
Incredibly informative video! My suspicions and biases against turbocharged engines are confirmed. I hold onto my cars for 10-plus years so long-term reliability is a priority for me.
All semi's have turbo engines, and regularly go a million miles before a rebuild. I have a 1993 mr2 turbo that has been rock solid as well. The issue isn't "turbo's" in general, it's the specific design and how well it's maintained.
My Volvo 940 Turbo was very reliable. I sold it with 260K miles and regretted selling it afterwards.
@@nodammit large truck engines are diesels build with stronger materials.
@@spol1622 Diesel engine blocks are made of iron. Many car gasoline engines are also made of iron, but others are made of aluminum alloys. This however has nothing to do with the turbo.
@@nodammit conformation bias
Owned a Evo8 a couple years back. Lasted 300k miles without failure. Sold it to a friend. Still running original turbo with a few bolt on and a tune.
because your evo8 has iron engine block
I've used diesels for the past 10 years. Both Me and my other half. And have never had any issues with the turbo. The cars are looked after with oil changes done more than the factory recommend. Both cars have also been mapped and overall a joy to drive.
key word: diesel. totally different animal than gas
Concerns are not associated with diesel motors.
Most diesels still have cast iron block and heads. Which are as suitable to warping from high heat.
Good video. The only turbo I ever owned was a 99 Audi 1.5 L Turbo. I had the car for ten years, and while the turbo itself was never a real issue while I owned it, the car's complexity caused many other terribly expensive repairs in it's final years. The main problem I had with the turbo was the slow start and stop performance in city traffic. On the open highway, it performed fine, but in regular stop and go conditions, it sucked.
That was a car built 23 years ago, right?
I know what you're talking about, scrolling turbos (they're everywhere now) were not common back then (I think porshe 911 had one back then).
I drove a 97 RX7, making a U turn, no power, no power mid U turn, boost and we go sideways lol. Incredible power difference in those engines.
@@unclejim1528 Right. The point is that turbos have been improved, and auto makers need to increase fuel economy. A logical way to do that is with smaller displacement engines, adding turbos to make up the power deficit.
Your Audi with an exhaust system would have been ok but back then port injection meant ok not great power. My 00 1.8 was not bad. With updated turbo, tune, and exhaust it was plenty quick.
Hybrid turbo would resolve that issue
Honestly this was the reason I bought a Camry instead of an Accord. Yes the Accord is more fun, quicker, has better tech, and Honda products are generally reliable, but I wanted a daily drive (100ish miles daily) car that I would be 100% sure that I wont have any major problems with for the next 10 years at least.
We’ve had 2 Camry’s.
I kept mine for 9 years and traded it in for a Rav 4WD Limited with a 3.5 V6. I’ve had it for 11 years and plan on driving it for another 10 years. Since retirement I only drive about 4-5K miles a year. So in 10 more years I should only have 160K miles.
My wife drove her Camry for 18 years.
I have owned Hondas for 3 decades (1980s to 2010s) and recently completely abandoned Hondas. Last 10 years have gravitated towards Toyotas and absolutely amazing built quality. Toyotas ages so gracefully.
Long term Honda (including Acura) owner myself, too many to count. But not the same worry-free experience it has always been. Next purchase will be a Toyota.
The next Camry’s going 4cylinder only. It’ll be a choice between a 2.4 turbo or a 2.5 NA hybrid like the Highlander.
I agree, but if you are driving 100 miles daily the turbo should be OK as you have given it time to warmup. I would have chosen one that is the most comfortable so that a long commute would feel good. Also, a good sound system would help the commute be more pleasant.
A well designed turbo engine will last 200k+, I just traded in my Civic hatch with a 1.5T engine. Key part to keep it reliable is change the engine oil early or at least on time. During morning coldstart, dont drive it hard right the way, keep the rpm low and drive slow before it fully warm up. There are several Honda 1.5T with over 200k miles, 1 Civic makes it to 520K miles on original engine, turbo and CVT.
I have a 2016 ex-T with 150,000 miles
premium fuel and premium oil is a MUST for turbo engines to last 200k plus
Resale value is garbage for turbos
My dad's Scania has 620k miles and its turbocharged v8 (its a truck)
@@jcman240I bought my turbo civic 2018 new and can still sell it for 8k more than what I owe on it. The only mistake I made was leasing it for 2 years
Resale value is definitively NOT affected by turbo cars, only if they don’t come that way from the factory
I have a GM Ecotec 1.4L turbo. I get excellent mileage. Currentlt 35.2 mpg. However, even with on time routine maintenance, I have replaced the Turbo unit twice @ $2,000 a pop. Currently, the vehicle has 178,000. Overall, I am happy with the car, just wish the warranty on the turbo unit would be longer than 1 year.
Honeywell turbos... what year car?
All engines, petrol and diesel, turbo and NA, should be regularly driven at least once a week so that engine oil, coolant and exhaust comes up to full operating temperature. Especially if you are constantly doing small, constant trips. And even more so for a hybrid where the engine turns on and off regularly.
With a turbo engine especially, drive it very gently from cold with the lowest revs until the engine warms up a bit. When you are coming to the end of your trip, drive very gently the last couple of kms so that the turbo winds down a bit.
I drive a Kia Stinger. If I know I'm driving a short trip, I leave it in comfort mode which short shifts each gear. The engine doesn't go over 2000 revs. When I'm near my destination, I actually put it back into comfort mode to wind the 2 turbos down and drive extremely gently those last couple of kms. Not hard to do.
I drive my turbo Mazda 6 about 8 miles city (one way) to work. I drive it fairly aggressively once the car warms up but I do let it idle for 2 minutes before I turn it off. I do also change the oil 3 times per year even though I only drive about 2k miles per year. Once per week I take the long way to work so my commute is 30 minutes. I plan on keeping my car for 15 years, we shall see if it lasts 🤞
@@Matys1975 Well done, I'm sure with that care it will.
Good advice. I was initially alarmed when my new Audi’s fan kept running for a couple minutes after shutting off the engine. Was told this is intentional to continue to dissipate heat. Sounds like manufacturers are learning. Also, for all these new “efficient” 4 cylinder turbos, the more you use the boost you will see mpg’s fall rapidly-it seems EPA numbers are at RPMs with limited or no turbo boost.
@@shunt8084 I am getting 21.7 mpg in city only driving out of a Mazda 6 2.5 turbo. I drive pretty aggressively. 21.7 mpg is pretty good in my book
Excellent advice. I wouldn't need it since I tend to put into practice anyway. But, I very much appreciate you for sharing the advice very few of us xsn understand.
I bought a turbocharged Jeep Wrangler 4 years ago…So far it has been running fantastically. Definitely...I’ll keep my oil change on time. Thanks for the info from this video!
A reliable Jeep! Don't you drive it?
Turbocharger is a component that you'll eventually need to replace. It's not cheap and replacing it isn't easy. Naturally aspirated engines don't have it. I think that's all you need to know.
Not to mention turbos slowly burn up other parts around them under the hood.
But also don’t forget that turbo chargers come with trade offs! Lots more fun for a very slight reliability - -, however Turbos are likely to last the whole life of most engines, and certainly outlast the worst parts of an engine, usually if something goes horribly wrong it won’t be the turbo, other things will cause extreme damage and write off the car long before the turbo will
@@finnsstuffs Only if you compare turbocharged and naturally aspirated engines with the same displacement and cylinder number. I'd argue that a naturally aspirated 3.0 or 3.5 V6 or I6 is more fun than a 2.0 4 banger with turbo. Which is the more meaningful comparison.
@@vecernicek2 That’s true 4 cylinder turbo engines are usually pretty rubbish and laggy, (atleast older ones are) but this also depends on how it’s tuned too, I suppose my only real complaint about large non turbo engines is just that they consume so much fuel and arent particularly fast either 😕 had a M3 from 2009 which had a V8 NA engine, made 400 or so horsepower, that car would do 0-100 in 5 seconds which for the amount it cost to run was pretty atrocious.. now i drive a 3.0TDI which makes 308HP, does 0-100 in 5 flat but doesn’t cost mountains of money to fill up and is quite economical (5-6L per 100km on the highway and about 8-9L per 100 in city) These are just my views, of course you can have your own and speed isn’t the only factor but personally i don’t want to spend ridiculous amounts of money filling up all the time on cars that aren’t very fast.. personally i’d much rather own a turbo V6 than an NA V8
@@finnsstuffs It depends. I had a V6 VTEC Honda Accord and I was getting 33 MPG on highway. Then I drove a newer Škoda Superb 2.0 TSI with less power than that, but couldn't touch the Honda fuel economy. Modern V6 diesels have mountains of torque from low rpms, so they get to speed quickly, much like a NA petrol V8. They're perfect engines for family cars. But they suck for sports driving, as the useful rpm range is pretty narrow.
I'm in a quandary. I want a new Mazda CX-5. Problem is, the standard 2.5L engine now comes with cylinder deactivation, which I just don't trust to last. But the only way to avoid the cylinder deactivation is to get the turbo, which I don't particularly want, either.
Pretty sure you can push a button and turn it off each time you start up the car.
I naturally aspirated engine is like a bodybuilder or marathon runner who fuels himself with good nutrition. A turbo engine is identical but pumps himself up with steroids; improve results but not healthy.
Haha best analogy I've heard 👍
Good point!!
At one point in time turbos were only included on high performance sports cars. So now it makes sense why the turbos won’t last on a regular car if they need to be kept at a higher temperature to function correctly. Most high-performance sports cars usually get run pretty hard anyways. So temperature is never going to be a problem for those.
Yeah my 1G DSM turbo gets up to operating temp within minutes so this has never been an issue for me, but I can see it being one on non-performance cars.
Fun factor, driving dynamics, performance are just a few reasons why I chose a turbo vehicle. I now have over 85,000 trouble free miles on this vehicle. No oil burning, no noises. good MPG. Granted, I am in the maintenance field so I am not your typical car owner. I have performed oil changes every 5K with full synthetic top notch oil and filters. Only run premium fuel. Maintain my vehicle very well.
Not every car gets lucky to have owners like you!
Altitude is a good reason to buy turbo
@@jamesmedina2062 How?
@@mikek.9980 how?? The car has a turbo. Turbo compresses air.
And within the 85,000 miles you will sell it because of the big dollar repairs coming up, I wrench as well
My 10th generation Honda Civic EX-T 1.5 liter includes the first production turbo for the Civic. I bought the 2018 model new in June 2018. I live in Westchester county, NY. I maintain my Civic religiously. I change the oil/filter early (between 3,800-4,200 miles) using Honda 0W-20 synthetic oil and OEM oil filter. I only use top-tier fuel (containing the highest detergent additives). I rarely drive short distances…about 60% highway miles. I also rarely exceed 4,000 rpm. I’m averaging 33.8 mpg (combined city/highway)
My plan is to exceed 300,000 miles without any major repairs to the engine/turbo or transmission. As of Aug 2022, I have driven over 114,500 trouble free miles. So far, so good.
UPDATE: As of Nov 9 2022, my Civic EXT has 124,100 trouble-free miles.
I have a 2016 Civic 1.5T with 120K miles so far with no problems with the engine or anything else. And it's still smooth.
Glad to hear 👍
Not surprising at all. Turbo engines actually last longer. They are stronger and run at low rpm like a diesel.
Great video!! This is why i chose the Camry XSE v6 over the Honda 2.0. I just ordered it two weeks ago. My job is only 7 miles (Highway ) from home and so i was worried about the warm up and cool down with the turbo.
You choose wisely, Sir.
Great choice!
If you only drive 7 miles each way, make sure to change your oil 3-4 times per year even with good synthetic oil. Your oil will get diluted with gasoline and your engine won’t get a chance to burn it off. I personally commute 8 miles one way but once per week I take the car for a 30 minute drive, still change my oil 3 times per year even though I put on 2.5k per year or so.
Toyota is phasing out it’s 3.5 v6 for turbo hybrid cvt powertrains ! It’s awful!!
You’ll get 20 yrs service from that car
Turbo charged engines are usually design from the ground up to accept the higher pressures. You can see this in the engine displacement. (Smaller Numbers) Usually a larger displacement engine is reduced to have thicker cylinder walls. Yes some manufactures get it wrong with all their plastic parts etc.
This all sums it up, in terms of 4 cylinder engines, if you want a grin on your face and like your car response (even with some turbo lag) get a turbo charged engine.
Normally you should run the engine a minute are so after hard driving. Manufactures such as VW and Audi used after run coolant pump so you don't have to do that. It's a good habit though.
I tend to let my car run minute when it has been sitting for a while before I take off. Old habit from having really old cars.
I also tend to let my car rest for a min after I have parked (Nina) for the day, before I shut her down.
Will see if that will help.
I have had all types of cars, and all had some problem or another. (they all do, hopefully they remain small).
Most people don't maintain their cars well. You HAVE to change the oil when it is do. Save you sooooooo many headaches. But even then.....
You want to talk about a bad Turbo set car then let's talk about the EccoSport. The turbo on that car has not worked more than it works. In fact I had to replace the engine (On Ford's Dime) due to a oil pump recall. (Found out AFTER the engine seized up (2018 with 50kish miles)
I just got a 2019 1.5t Accord. Yhea might be been better with a Camry but could not get the price right, and the Honda just looks better.
I do live in a hot place (Vegas) so that does help.
I guess only time will tell how the Honda holds up. I have known cars with a Turbo that where old as hell and should have been dead (Saab), had no issues, and where running where my newer car was always braking down.
I just know I am doing 5 thousand mile oil changes, without question. (will do it myself)
I’m old enough to have owned Saab turbo cars 35 years ago. Had no issues but remember the advice to allow the engine to keep running after a high speed trip to ensure it cools down properly
Thanks sir
I would take the new 2.5 Mazda turbo any day over any other. I have seen more than a few with 300,000 kms. A couple of people I know, one is a friend of mine and the other guy is someone I work with, Both have an old VW EA888 2.0 turbo, both with 400,000 kms and still going on their original turbos and internal components.
Your absolutely right Kevin. I bought a 2022 Mazda CX5 Turbo and absolutely love it!! Mazda makes one of the best, if not the best turbocharged engine. Longevity of any engine all depends on how well it is maintained.
Some hope! Thank you. Mazda CX-5 is very high on my list after test driving twice.
.y Toyota has 400,000 mileage... lol!
@@anastaciolopez6259 yup. I know a few naturally aspirated Honda engines that reach 1 million miles.
The problem with turbos in many cases are the drivers that have no idea how to treat them .
Absolutely right Rodney👍 So many people buy Turbos and drive the crap out of them and wonder why they don't last.
I was confused choosing between civic’s 2.0 NA and 1.5 turbo. Thanks to your video, I’ve booked civic sedan 2.0 NA sports now in favour of long term reliability.
Good video. You are correct about the maintenance at the correct intervals. Far too many people ignore proper maintenance because they are in over their heads on car costs, period. Manufactures also offer too many miles (i.e. 10K) oil changes when the engine only has 5 qts of oil. If the cars had 20 qts like a large truck diesel, this could work OK, but they don't.
When I was buying our 2020 Civic Coupe we got the turbo. When my wife and I chose a car, I choose the model, my wife picks the trim level. I explained that I've driven turbos off and on since my 1984 Merkur XR4Ti . I explained all the negs you did, and more. But she opted for the EX trim which only offered turbo. My point is, sometimes other factors push you to less desired engine options.
By the way, I follow ALL your guidelines (syn oil every 6k + OEM filter) and a turbo has never failed me. And that Merkur? That turbo ran 184,000 before the car died in a roll over.
But my personal choice is, skip the extra ponies (and speeding tickets) and go Naturally Aspirated.😄
That would be my personal choice too 👍
But the turbos are so much fun !
@@Matys1975 🤌🤌🤌
I had a Jeep Wrangler with the Hurricane 2.0 Turbo. It was a great engine with plenty of power. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. It received regular maintenance and synthetic oil only. No issues over 80,000 miles.
Clear unbiased pragmatic advice. Thanks Shari, your videos are very good!
Thank you!
I think it still depends on the brand and make.. I had the same worry when I bought a used 2008 Acura RDX with a 2.3 liter turbo engine.. But the engine/turbo has never given me any problems. As a matter of fact, not many people had any engine issues on this car. Mine has over 340k kilometers now and still running strong. I see plenty of the same cars on the road until now, which is a testament to its reliability despite the turbo engine
Very well said and helpful. Thank you! Subscribed. We were fortunate enough to get a car with an NA engine for our daily and a car with a turbo for some fun driving. There is no denying the added power and fun of that turbo, but the oil changes are more frequent than in our NA car and the oil changes are more expensive plus the turbo needs higher 91 octane fuel whereas our NA car is just fine with 87 octane. Especially now with the insane cost of fuel that can be a big deal on your budget. Also there is no denying how much more our turbo heats up our garage after we drive it when compared to our NA car. The issues of having a turbo in a hybrid I did not even think about, and you are 100% on point with that. Again, very well said and researched.
They don't need 91 anymore.That was required in 90s.
@@user-tr7bc5ir4p My Honda Civic Type R required 91 octane and I am really feeling the price difference thanks to Biden.
My 2024 Jetta 1.5t recommends 87 in the manual and of the fuels cover
I'll avoid the turbo at all costs PERIOD. The next time my wife and I trade vehicles. She has a 2019 Honda crv and I have a 2020 Ford Ranger. And we both drive mostly short distances. Thanks for the heads up. 👍
I just bought a 24 Camry with 2.5L naturally aspirated engine. I'm glad I didn't wait for 2025 since Camry will be going all hybrid and Accord is going all hybrid or 1.5T. 1. I live in an extreme cold area. 2. Most of my driving is 2.8 miles to and from work.
The real problem is regulations forcing manufacturers to choke out engines with all the added emissions machinery. So to compensate they have to either make engines bigger or push them harder.
Bottom line a turbo will accelerate wear and tear and add significant repair cost after the warranty expires.
Great video Shari, as usual you nailed it with all the truths about Turbos.
Thank you for all your knowledge sharing for the lost generations now days. I personally, will not touch a Turbo vehicle unless I have money to burn. Most of us working class should just stay away from Turbo engines.
Thats kinda hard to do since most automakers are using Turbos (mated to CVTs which are even worse). I'm wary of Turbos, and will never but a CVT so idk what to do smh.
No problem!
@@carhelpcorner Can you explain how semi's can easily go a million miles on a turbo without issue? Those engines are easily the most reliable on the road, and they ALL have turbos.
I had a Saab turbo in 1980, everyone told me don’t buy a turbo. I had the car for 13 years and not once did I ever have any problem with the engine or turbo. Used regular gas and changed oil every 5000 miles. Put about 15000 miles on it every year. Best car I’ve ever owned. I have a Hyundai with a turbo now so far it’s just fine.
@@nicholasdidesidero2336 The old Saab were over built and they were premium vehicles which are not mainstream economical vehicles. The later Saab were GM influenced garbage.
My suggestion to Hyundai to not put any Turbos on any of their vehicles. Hyundai is never known for their overbuilt standard, they always barely made the standard and for them to risk their reputation on Turbos is a terrible combination. Hyundai is just passing on their risks to owners which on long term going to hurt the pockets. Just remember the old Saab and Volvos with Turbos were made to last unlike the later versions.
I was a mechanic for 34 years. I have seen tractors go over 300,000 miles with no problems. With turbchged engines.
The question I would have is, these tractors are probably not subjected to short grocery runs and never any auto Stop-start cycles
@@vueport99 And they are diesels.
@@vueport99 have you ever lived or worked on a farm ? Small tractors do short distance driving on farms my friend
@@tgriebe but diesels take ages to reach operating temperature so could they be worse?
@@Matys1975 I thought he meant tractors as in the ones that haul large trucks. I have troubles coming to terms with a farm tractor going 300K miles.
I see you have never operated a farm tractor. They are rated on hours of operation not by miles. It defies logic to have an odometer on a vehicle that on the best of days are knee high in mud and moves along at a break neck speed of 15 mph
Nice vid. It’s very specific to the model. I have a F150 2.7 v6 eco boost. It has a great reputation (was improved in 2017 with side port). But the same engine in the new Bronco has been a disaster (so far).
Agreed. Ive got a 2016 Ford fusion Titanium with the 2.0 ecoboost. Think Scotty Kilmer had a video on an earlier year with the same setup (plus awd) with over 200k miles and the only thing wrong besides the crappy backup camera Ford uses was the turbo was finally starting to go. The only other faulty thing is the transmission, but as long as it’s maintained the chances of the transmission failing are slim
Bought a new twin turbo Bmw 335i coupe in 2007 and still no problems. Admitted I’ve only done 120,000 kms, but still 17 years.
I have a new CX30 non turbo.........Bought because its the most reliable car on the planet............Also, getting better milage,In spite of reviews, Than any car i've owned, mostly cvt Subies............Paul
It is difficult to buy a new Toyota nowadays ( 2023 )without a serious wait time which is very, very inconvenient
Short distances man: Have to avoid the T/Charged. Contentented with the naturally aspirated. Thank you for the info. Keep up the good work.
My mind was already made up, and what you explained confirms my thoughts. I’m sticking with naturally aspirated engines. I don’t need a car that screams away from stoplights.
I’ve got a naturally aspirated 4L in a Toyota 4Runner. All I’ve ever done is change oil faithfully and changed plugs once. It has 440k miles on it and runs like new. It’s fast enough.
Thanks! Great video.
I just spent $1600 repairing the turbo on my 2011 sonata 2L with about 85000km. This was replacing one small part on the turbo that cost $800. The rest was labour. With the shortage of new and used cars in Canada I will have to hold onto this car a bit longer.
I hear examples like this all the time. Thanks for sharing.
Next time, just get a camry
Or buy a car which has a Natural Aspirated Engine instead of the turbo it's gonna save you some money.
Need more info, did you buy it new?? How often did you change the oil?? Were you into the turbo all the time??
@John Franklin Yes, I bought it new. Never had a car with a turbo but lots of manufacturers use them with small engines. The 2L engine in 2011 was the last year it produced 274 hp. It now is only 245 hp. I'm retired and can't afford a new car with or without a turbo.
Depends on which manufacturer built your turbo engine. The Honda turbo has been out for close to 8 years and I haven’t heard of any major turbo failures yet.
Research about the 1.5 turbo oil dilution issue
I lost interest in Honda due to belt/chain CVT's & their turbo engines (which have been problematic if you research them).
@@dystopia-usa The only trouble with the CVTs that I've heard about are people who brake boost them to win the stoplight grand prix, dumb abuse. Otherwise they're dead reliable if you don't trash them. Same with the turbos, take care of them and they never fail. Oil dilution? Please, never had a problem in 8 years.
I drive my 2020 Honda Civic Si like grandma during these NY winters until the engine is completely warmed up. I Audi don’t park, turn the car off, and jump out; I wait 1 minutes for the turbo to cool down. Regular oil changes every 4000 miles. I expect to break 300k miles with no major issues. We’ll see.
My 2022 Ford Ranger truck is a 2.3 liter turbo. It is unbelievably fast, and so far it is quite reliable. It has more towing power, and more get-up-and-go than my old half-ton pickup, and more fun to drive than most cars I've owned. I have also had a Saab 900 turbo, and, way back in the day, a Chrysler New Yorker turbo, '85 model, I believe. Never an issue with the drive trains. I am a stickler for maintenance, though. I remember the Saab had over 170,000 miles before I sold it, and the Chrysler had over 100,000 before I traded it in. Both were in great shape and ran fine before I upgraded. It's all in the maintenance, I believe.
I just bought a turbo charged car. The secret is to not flog the engine. Turbocharged cars tend to be bought by drivers who are more aggressive than others. Their cars suffer as a result and that skews the perception of turbocharged lack of reliability. Driven sensibly and only using the turbo to assist in rare demands for more power results in longevity and reliability … along with good maintenance practices.
I'm old, conservative and don't like new technology, , I will die behind a n/a engine .
Back in the day before strict epa regulations it was this simple:
Economy: Inline 4
Acceleration: V6
Towing capacity: V8
Now we have Heavy Chevy Silverados (A FULL SIZE TRUCKS) with an Inline 4....but it has a turbo!
Lunacy.
After watching this video I’d still buy a turbo car and have tons of fun with it, most of our life ( which is very short btw) we worry about problems that never happen
Edit : had a Cadillac ATS turbo, Ford Escape 2.0 t , and currently a Mazda CX-5 turbo , not an issue. sorry but I can’t go back to a non turbo unless it’s a v8 ( had two Camaros and one charger v8 as well ) problems ? Let me cross that bridge when I get there
Well said 👌
How many miles are on those cars?
tons of money I guess
Agree...V8 Tundra 4.7 '03...awesome truck 20 years old original frame. '16 Audi A5 2.0 Turbo 133K miles...only thing changed is two front wheel bearings. Highway long hauler in Northeast. Put ice & snows on and it rocks! Came with a 100K warranty.
Drained 1/2 tranny fluid. Oil changes @ 7K.
if u have money to fix it then go with turbo :) it is very expensive
Wow, it's almost as if a low-stress, naturally aspirated, port-injected engine that is mated to a traditional automatic or manual transmision could possibly be simpler to repair, cheaper to maintain, and cheaper to buy.
Sarcasm*
Over time, things can be engineered to be reliable. It just takes time. When cars were first invented, they weren't reliable and definitely weren't safe. But look at them now: much more reliable and safe and they'll only improve over time.
New turbos are very reliable. Everything will fail at some point of time. All these car companies are not putting these out with out proper testing. The engine fails due to bad design not due to turbo. With so much emphasis on better fuel economy turbos are here to stay. Many long term reliability report doesn’t reports turbo as problem. If one has to eliminate turbos it would hard to buy a car now a days.
I have a Ecotech and I have had to go through several UA-cam videos through past 4 years of dealing with car to troubleshoot the exact problems of turbo engines and I agree with a lot of the perspective of this video. I grew up with a Mazda B2200 truck and it was a simple truck to maintain. …enter this beautiful harlot on wheels turbo in my life, and I know what Ryan Adam’s meant when he sung love is hell….cause this ecotech you have to love it to get it to work right after a 140k. Well the ecotech has crankshaft pressure issues with the stock parts so if you don’t figure that out you keep throwing money at the plastics parts. So for anyone with a turbo ecotech there are several UA-cam videos you should seek out before you start. Fix the manifold because the pcv valve is bad stock. Then fix head cover cause it blows the plastic rim and seal. Then all the coolant parts bolted to head that are plastic. Then check your intercooler for oil. That will tell you if your turbo is being abused. I have to replace mine mainly the exhaust manifold gasket is probably gone and actuator on turbo…. There’s so much. But you stay determined and you will get it to another 100k. But really do your research because any auto mechanic will charge extensively. Great video. Think about turbo maintenance before you get one. 90% agreement of video here.
I change oil on schedule and use the recommended specification oil. 210000 miles with no issues on my 2017 Chevy Cruze. Too many people dont take oil changes seriously enough.
We have owned two Ford Vehicles with the eco-boost engine. No problems whatsoever. Really like the torque the turbo engine produces.
You will be sorry. Stay away from Ford and buy Toyota.
@Paul Parsons Sorry Paul, I disagree. I would buy a GM product first and that says much.
Reliability of any engine all depends on how well it is maintained. Simple as that!
Nah, the current hyundai / Kia direct injected turbo motors are just garbage designs.
@@attananightshadow do you like thier other enginrs??
Thank you for posting. You saved me a big headache by almost buying a Chevy Trax (only comes in turbo). Would have lost a lot of money if I bought that. Remember - looks aren't everything when buying a vehicle.!!!
Great info…Reliability for turbos depends on the Brand.. My Toyota Highlander 4cyl Turbo had been great, reliable and sufficient power.
It depends on a lot of things such as maintenance and how you drive it, which he mentioned.
An NA engine is the long term choice especially if you plan on keeping your vehicle for over 8 years and hope to keep the maintenance costs affordable. My choice has always been Toyota, the older ones at least.
Funny, I have a 1993 Toyota with a turbo, and never had an issue with it.
@@nodammit
👍🏽
We own 3 vehicles and none of them have a turbo. We are looking into replacing one of our cars currently and I was wondering about the short trip aspect which you covered in your video.
Awesome video and thanks for posting.
I will never purchase a full-size truck with anything less than a V-8 engine. My 2016 Silverado is well maintained (88,000 miles), and I expect to get at least 200,000 miles out of it. I will be purchasing a Subaru Outback Onyx sometime this month. You enforced my opinion, I was right-no turbo for me at all costs. Thank you.
Toyota T24A is direct and port fuel injected and can open the waste gate while the engine is not needing boost. Also it can divert coolant channels around the engine to help warm up.
There is no reason for a turbo to be a problem other than a manufacturers bad design/defect. I ran Saab turbos for hundreds of thousands of miles and never had a turbo problem. This was even without water cooled turbos. Now all the turbos are water and oil cooled. If you use high quality oil and change it and the filter regularly you should not have any problems.
Bullshit
You pinpointed the "issue". Turbo charged engines are more complicated and produce a lot more power and therefore absolutely need to be well maintained with high grade products. If you treat them like a low Hp normally aspirated engine.......it will go wrong.
Saabs were extremely well engineered and (mostly) designed for easy service - alas modern cars are not engineered to the same standards. German cars are some of the worst offenders with regards to service - and often reliability (
The Swedish car manufacturers uses low pressure turbo that produces less lag, less hp, less stress for the engine.
I love Saabs but anyone who says they are as reliable as contemporary Toyotas or Hondas is lying. Even the N/A Saabs have major issues.
No issues with my 99 Volvo C70 T5. 230 k miles, still going strong. Much of the reliability depends on engine design. And maintenance of course.
Volvo made very good low pressure turbo systems in the T5 engine system. I had a 2005 V50 T5 when I lived in Germany and it was awesome.
Working at auto repair shop for almost a year, 19 out of 20 cars that come in for repairs or service are turbo. Haven't seen any cars with turbo related problems yet. I drive 15 years old car with chip tuned turbo engine, nothing to complain about.
2016 VW Golf MK7 with a Stage 1 tune and zero issues so far.
Change your oil regularly, allow your oil to get to operating temperature before using your turbo, and allow your turbo to cool down before shutting off your engine.
How do you know when your oil is at operating temperature?
I have a 2018 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T with a 93 stage 1 APR tune
@@willie123811 The oil temp display should read at a minimum of 180 F before hard driving.
If you have a turbocharger, use a high quality full synthetic oil changed at least when recommended in the owners manual, and replace the coolant earlier- I found that the Engine Ice brand makes my inline 4 motorcycle run cooler. Hybrids especially plug in hybrids run the gas engine less often, so the engine should last longer. Maybe look at an all electric Mini Cooper for 30 thousand new, it should be a lot more reliable than their gas engine version, it looks good and is fun to drive, and the weight of the battery makes it ride smoother for long drives.
Plug in hybrid like mine is becoming a great option. The short distance driving never starts the engine and the tax rebate offsets a lot of the extra cost. Road trips are no problem either since I can go almost 500 miles on a 16 gallon tank and refuel in 5 minutes.
Naturally aspirated 6-cylinder, perfect!
This video was fascinating and incredibly helpful. I drive a V6 Toyota Avalon and I was feeling like I was missing out on the better fuel economy of a turbo charged four cylinder engine. But I also live in a very cold climate, make short drives all the time, and don't have the patience to drive my car longer to wait for it to warm up. My car isn't amazing on gas but it's fast, smooth, and has had no mechanical issues. Learning about these trade-offs has made me happy with my naturally aspirated car.
I have a 2014 lincoln MKZ 2.0 turbo awd 64000m my wife drives a 2019 hyundai veloseter turbo.She uses penzoil full synthetic 1 x year.I use cam 2 synthetic blend every 4000m.So far no issues
Very informative video! I opted for the NA engine in my 2022 Mazda CX-5 instead of the turbo mainly because I plan to keep this car for the long haul and heard that NA engines are the more reliable option. Heard many horror stories about turbo engines with premature issues like you mentioned.
Family has a 2016 CX-9 with the 2.5 Turbo, currently well past 120,000 miles without a single issue with the engine.
@@jakenoltensmeyer7366 That's great to hear. I had a 2021 Mazda 3 Turbo, had about 15K miles on it and started consuming oil. It was a defect in some of the valve seals in some 21 turbo models and a fix wasn't and still isn't available though Mazda acknowledges there's a problem. That car was a lease and they offered to buy it out early due to market/demand so I took advantage of it for a bigger vehicle. But I do miss that car and the turbo for sure, definitely an awesome engine!
I opted for a turbo model CX-5. I plan on keeping it for the long haul but have a bit of fun doing it. Lol. There are a lot of turbo'd CX-9s with triple digit odometers and no issues. Same engine.
@@scottsdale4899 what’s crazy is that the same engine in the Mazda cx30 and Mazda 3 doesn’t have cylinder deactivation. I can’t understand why Mazda decided to put cylinder deactivation in their 2.5 na in the CX5 and CX50
Avoid them. I have had 3 cars with turbo. All gave me trouble. I now have a normal aspirated engine. Toyota. No drama
As always, thanks for the great advice. I have had two cars with turbo engines and I did not experience problems; however, I did not keep either of those cars beyond three years. Today, with the type of driving I do, I am not at all interested in owning another turbo engine. My wife has been thinking of trading in her wonderful 2015 Highlander on a new Grand Highlander, and I have done everything I can to convince her that a car that size with a four cylinder turbo is a disaster waiting to happen. I don’t know if she will listen, and I’m sure a lot of people will disagree, but I just can’t imagine spending so much money on a car like that. Anyway, I do appreciate your show very much.
Thank you! If she is set on the Grand Highlander, try to get the Hybrid. No turbo and it should be extremely reliable 👍
In Japan they use the Toyota Prius for taxi cabs.......because they're an extremely reliable car. Look at what kind of cars/powertrains have been used for taxies over the years, most all were very reliable and relatively inexpensive to repair. I never looked at the Prius as a long lasting car until I went to Japan and seen them running all over the place as taxies.
naturally aspirated all the way for me!
Have two non turbo compact SUV’s & when time comes to get replacement will stay with no turbo .
Always had turbocharged cars, never had any problems (Mercedes-Benz and VW).
One of them has near 200.000 kms, still as powerful and efficient as day one.
Sounds like all one's fuel economy savings will be "contributed" towards maintenance/turbo replacement out of warranty! I get the feeling that car manufactures have set themselves up for massive after sale maintenance profits which makes good business sense but the system is working against the consumer ultimately. I have always bought naturally aspirated cars since they are so reliable over the long run. Your videos are excellent. Thank you for making them!
That’s why I am not getting the Lexus NX300 turbo, instead I am getting the NX350H non turbo hybrid for my wife, she doesn’t need the turbo power anyway and the NX hybrid gets 40MPG in city.
Lexus is going to ruin the RX reputation for reliability with that new 4 cylinder turbo....
The real problem has been a federal government in the United States and Canada that has gone out of its way to produce the most unrealistic and excessive regulation of the automobile. Yes we do want low emissions and low fuel consumption but there's a limit to both. Emissions and consumption can only be reduced just so far. 200 horsepower and 50 miles per gallon is just not possible. Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant whereas carbon monoxide clearly is. The governments need to take a little step backward. The 1981 standard for emissions was clean enough. As far as gas mileage standards go, no. Not the government's place to mandate what kind of car we Americans or Canadians can have. As it is Americans and Canadians are not fond of small cars especially Americans.
I love my 2021 Mazda CX-5 CE Turbo w/ AWD. I got the turbo because I didn't want cylinder deactivation, which came with the naturally aspirated engine. I'm very happy with my turbo. My trips are short, and I never drive it immediately after starting it, and I never turn it off immediately after parking it.
In 2010 I bought my first BMW--a 2008 535 xi Touring Wagon. Manual states 300 HP and 300 Torque,with the 0 to 60 mph at 5.9 seconds. And top speed limited to 155 mph. The reliability of this inline six is amazing. Because I was doing a little track time had the Dinan Stage 2 installed, with 375 HP and 415 Torque. Mods included a small plaque mounted at the top of the cooling system--"Normally Aspirated Engines Suck". Put in some high-performance brake rotors and pads then quit the track events, so they have never been changed--pads or rotors. Repairs have include the composite header tank failing, wearing of a short rod that engages the AWD. A few minor tuning problems occurred. Spark plugs changed once and that's it. Since I turned 80 five years ago I have done few highway trips.
Most reliable car I've had with my first being a Model A Ford in 1955--still have the bill of sale.
Should have included that the engine runs 10 to 1 CR and has two turbos. Ignition and fuel controls are amazing. Cruising at 60 mph delivers 36 miles to the Imperial gallon.
Spot on observations. That's why as a long term Tundra owner I'm kicking woke Toyota to the curb when I purchase my next vehicle. Who in real life has the time to wait for the vehicle to warm up in cold weather, who has the time at the end of a long day to sit in your vehicle when you get home to let it cool down. I will not engage in this automotive version of wag the dog. Plus the lack of longevity and out of warranty repair cost seals the no buy decision for me.
My solution is remote start. Have had remote start on my last 6 cars. You can warm it up in the morning and leave the engine on after exciting car with it doors locked. Although I park on my driveway, not in the garage.
I have a 2013 Kia Optima with a turbo engine. Currently 145k miles. I live in a traffic heavy area. Haven't had an issue. And it takes regular gas.
Ironically, the Hyundai and Kia turbo engines are more sturdier than their naturally aspirated counterparts, due to their strengthened connecting rods and pistons. Connecting rod failures are a key issue in the Hyundai and Kia engine recalls involving their naturally aspirated Nu and Theta engines.
@@oi32df That's true.
It really seems like modern turbos are worse than older ones! I own a 1987 Dodge Daytona TurboZ with the Chrysler 2.2L Turbo-II motor which was a new version of the 2.2L turbo-I for 1987 and added an intercooler and brought up the hp from 146 to 174 with 200lb/ft of torque. I have owned this car for 23 years, second owner and it now has 166K miles on it. Obviously I have taken extremely good care of it and it has had a lot of work done over the years but that 2.2L Turbo II still runs great and pulls hard. Of course this engine is much more simple than those of today but maybe thats the secret? A turbo can last if its not ridiculously complicated. The actual turbo on my car has not been replaced but the intercooler has and it runs pretty consistent coolant temp wise. I don't push it as hard as I use to because I want it to last but I do push it some! Anyway, I agree, modern turbos arent great. If BMW can make trash turbo motors, anyone can! And they do, I'd never buy a turbo BMW...or Audi, or Ford or VW or GM, okay, your point is even more appreciated!
My 2cents turbos have bearings and internal fan driven by exhaust gases change your oil earlier yes warm up and cool down restart engine immediately if you stall engine to maintain oil lube. I have equipment with over 4000 hrs no turbo issues. Basically it's a air pump.
Hey man i just wanted to say thank you! For telling it like it is, a lot of people who prefer turbo engines will be butt hurt, but that is the truth. I've had a naturally aspirated 1.5 16v 88hp mazda 323f engine, very simple and cheap maintenance, no problems with the engine, my mechanic always liked working on it, very easy to fix, doesnt matter what you have to change, but the car body was very rusty, so i had to buy another one. So i got a mercedes c class c180 kompressor, very sensitive parts, the timing is expensive, the kompressor has certain mileage and then it breaks down, parts on the chasis or brakes werent cheap either, ive never red-lined it, but over some time the kompressor started rattling, the timing chain was stretched in a short amount of mileage, sooner or later electronics start to break down too, especially if its with automatic gearbox. So your best bet for a car always will be 4/6 cylinder naturally aspirated gasoline engine and manual gearbox, it can take a lot of abuse and will do its job for years and if you take real special care of it, it can even last a lifetime. Some people buy cars for ego, while others buy them for daily tasks. That pretty much sums everyone.
Well said. Thank you!
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication!!
I have been a turbo machinist for twenty years . Listen carefully ..... They belong on diesel engines and racing applications . Full stop . The fallacy of gas 4 cylinder economy with V6 power is idiotic . Driven with force they can blow the gas like a V8 . Also G.D.I. engines are killing turbos AND catalytic converters . The chunks of accumulated burnt oil from the intake valves damage the turbine side of the turbo , on their way to plugging up the expensive cat . I made a good living remaning these . If you gave me one for free , I wouldn't thank you for it . AND I couldn't sell it fast enough ........... Discuss .
These are 4 cylinder, the majority that's the problem. I own a 1987 Buick grand national. No problems. Warm up the engine before you go and let it cool down before shutting down. CHANGE YOUR OIL. Very fun car to drive and fast as hell
Yes just bought a 23 WRX and I live in Canada, just plug the block heater in and warm It up before you hit boost.