Engine General question.

What is the original question trying to get at? What is your purpose?

i say inline 4. i don't know of a v6 or inline 6 that can make good economy but still get good power.

just think of the mini cooper. it's a 4 cylinder but can whoop a bunch of 6cyls.
there are a bunch of factors to consider still, but right now your question sounds like "do hamburgers taste better cooked with charcoal or propane?"

My only advice so far is Don't buy a Korean Car. You'll regret it in a couple of years. If your friend is considering a korean car, tell him to buy a subaru instead. hehe. My car (as well as falnfenix's) older 4 cyl will perform the same if not out perform a V6 Korean car in speed, handling and even gas mileage.

BTW, JCRWZR - I prefer coal! hehehe

General question.

If anyone has "Do a search" or "Google is youf friend blah blah" or some other dialog from a wierd TV show and what not for an answer, please find something else to read and don't bother typing.

If you can, humbly, answer this question, it will be appreciated

For a given size of the engine, say 2.8L, which would be the most efficient engine both in terms of power and economy, a V6 or I6 or an I4?

do they even make 2.8 4cyl? anyway, it would depend on the engine. For example, ford V6 vs Toyota V6, even if it was the same size, Toyota would be much more efficient. But without any specific info involved I would say V6 would be the most efficient. Generally, V enigne tends to have low end torque therefore you don't have to use up much gas still get the umph. the I engines usually are designed to give you more power at higher rpms so V6 vs I6, I would go with the V.

Now keep in mind this is still very generally speaking. If you have specific engines in mind, let us know which and that will help any of us answer your question better. Right now your question sounds like "Does a hotdog taste better when cooked outside or at home?"

Neither. A hybrid V6 will beat all of them in efficiency and power. I6's are very rare. The only one I know of is the 2ZJGE.

Yeah they do make 2.8Ls. My friend's old Plymouth Voyager had a 2.8 V6, but gave terrible gas mileage, 20 tops on the highway. I was just using this as an example. Actually, one of my friend's is looking to buy a Hyundai Tiburon, and it has both V and I versions, but I don't know what size they are. So I was just wondering what would be the better choice if you were looking for a good power-mileage combo? A V or an I?

he asked about 2.8L I4s.

honestly, it's all about power vs weight. a lightweight car can have both fuel efficiency AND speed with the right motor.

generally speaking, though, V series motors make more torque and respond better to intake/exhaust modification (much like an H series).

Economy would depend on the size of the motor. The smaller it is, the more mileage it can achieve, unless it's hybrid. Power and weight ratios has to do with the actual mass of the entire car. To achieve the same power to weight ratio of a lighter car, you must have a larger and more powerful motor. More power yes, but less economy. You just need something that is balanced the right way for maximum efficiency.

Oops. Sorry I missed that.

As of today, I definitely would not buy Toyota's new line of cars. The MR-S, SW20 MR-2, GT-4 Celica are the only ones that really interest me. The new line of cars are gutless. Subaru like some mention is still a great company. I would happily drive any one of the new line. They seem to be the most balanced between power and economy.