We’ve all heard the old saying: size is important! We believe that bigger is better and not much will change our viewpoint in this regard… But do we even always really know what we are talking about?
If you’re looking at investing in a new car, you will probably look at a number of different brands and versions which will in turn have different engine sizes. And no, engines size has nothing to do with the physical height and width of an engine! Small engines for example won’t be engines with a dimension of below 30cm x 30 cm while large engines will be engines with dimensions of larger than 60cm x 60cm! So then what does the engine size actually refer to? What is the difference between a 1.8 liter, 2.5 liter and a V6 engine? And should we look at vehicles with small engines or vehicles with big engines? In the end, provided that the engine has all of the necessary parts that move up and down and in and out, why do we need to worry about the rest?
Let’s touch on the basic principles of an engine quickly – The process inside an engine occurs via internal combustion. Basically this means that a piston will move up or down in a cylinder and by doing that a mixture of air and fuel will be compacted until it’s ignited by a spark. This spark will then drive the piston back and eureka, you have engine power! The piston chamber consists of two dimensions, the bore (the chamber diameter) and stroke (the distance the piston travels inside the chamber) and these 2 factors determine the actual size of the engine.
If we then take the figures above and we combine it with the number of cylinders, we would be left with engine displacement which is basically what we are talking about when we are bragging about our new 1.6 liter passion wagon with all the bells and whistles!
The more displacement within the engine, the more “work” is done. The more work, the more power, it’s really as simple as that! Keep in mind that not only air flow is needed to perform this “work”, fuel is also a prerequisite – how else would the spark form? Therefore I know that you will agree that the larger the engine, the harder it’s working, the more fuel will be needed. 1.6 liter cars will quite naturally then not use as much fuel as a 2.5 liter car (this statement is made assuming that both cars are standard and in a good working condition… with a couple of performance adjustments even a 1.2 liter car can end up quite thirsty!)
The next time when you hear someone boasting about his V6 monster engine, simply give him a courteous smile, then turn around and console yourself with the fact that his fuel thirsty machine is costing him an arm and a leg in travelling cost every month, while small engines may not be as potent, but they’re still getting from point A to point B with no hassle!