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Accelleration in the v8 vs v6

44K views 123 replies 72 participants last post by  toy4two 
#1 ·
As I have said before I am in the middle of an Audi Q5 vs Jeep debate for my next new car. I am so close to buying the Jeep, but the one thing that bothers me a bit is the V6 felt a little sluggish. I like the gas mileage, but will the V8 feel much quicker? I am not an aggressive driver, but I don't like a slow response or sounds of the engine straining when getting on the highway or passing. I know the answer is to test drive, but I am in northern michigan on vacation and can't get to a dealer and have these burning questions, lol!
 
#99 · (Edited)
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

I was dead-set on getting the V6... until I drove it. I know a lot users here are happy with their V6, but for me, I really needed an engine that effortlessly moved the vehicle and didn't feel sluggish or strained. I didn't want any regrets, so I got the HEMI.

I traded out of my '05 Dodge Daytona RC 4x4 Hemi in Sept of 2010 for a Laredo with the Pentastar V6 and after 2 months of trying to give it the benefit of the doubt I had to trade out for my Laredo X Hemi. It was that effortlessly moving the vehicle thing I just had to have back ... Vrroom, vroom .... :thumbsup:
 
#3 · (Edited)
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

As I have said before I am in the middle of an Audi Q5 vs Jeep debate for my next new car. I am so close to buying the Jeep, but the one thing that bothers me a bit is the V6 felt a little sluggish. I like the gas mileage, but will the V8 feel much quicker? I am not an aggressive driver, but I don't like a slow response or sounds of the engine straining when getting on the highway or passing. I know the answer is to test drive, but I am in northern michigan on vacation and can't get to a dealer and have these burning questions, lol!

I am in the same position as you...v6 orv8. For most of my driving I'm sure the v6 will satisfy, but when I tow (handful of times a year) and when making long road trips up north, I'm thinking I'll regret going with the v6. If I knew I'd truly get ~22mpg cruising at 70-75 with the hemi, I'd go with it. I keep reading where folks are getting 21+ hwy with the hemi, but I don't think this is consistent with everyone.
 
#5 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Based off of everything everyone here has said the differeces are:

V6 Owners: They tend to think the Hemi owners are poopy heads who have wasted their money.

Hemi Owners: They tend to think the v6 owners have penis envy, but REALLY wish there was more scoot in the v8 package.

The truth is.

The v6 is more than an adequate engine for 95% of the Jeep Purchasing population. It is a very smooth, quiet, capable engine. It does exactly what it is built for..

The Hemi, gives you a lil more scoot, and a lil more pull. It's not going to win any races, or lift any girls skirts.. But it can get the Jeep up and out of it's own way if you need it too.
 
#6 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

James Healey just reviewed a Pentastar/8-speed Dodge in his USA Today column. He called the combo a "win win win win". Better acceleration, smoother, better MPG, etc. It's out this month on big Dodge & Chrysler sedans. Apparently it will reduce V6 penis envy of Hemis (until, of course, the Hemis eventually get an 8-speed).

Sadly, I don't think the GC is slated to get the 8-speed until the 2013 model. Oh well, that'll give us a year for Chrysler to work the bugs out.

Rich
 
#92 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

James Healey just reviewed a Pentastar/8-speed Dodge in his USA Today column. He called the combo a "win win win win". Better acceleration, smoother, better MPG, etc. It's out this month on big Dodge & Chrysler sedans. Apparently it will reduce V6 penis envy of Hemis (until, of course, the Hemis eventually get an 8-speed).

Sadly, I don't think the GC is slated to get the 8-speed until the 2013 model. Oh well, that'll give us a year for Chrysler to work the bugs out.

Rich
Week ago David Zatz also reviewed a Pentastar/ZF 8-speed Dodge Charger in allpar.com (see here). Conclusions in short - Hemi-like acceleration — V6 mileage and cost.

May be Hemi owners are really poopy heads? :p
 
#10 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

flashy,

I am in the exact position you are in. I too am considering either a 2012 Q5 2.0t premium plus or a JGC Overland. As far as the Q5 goes it is kinda small. The back seat is pretty tight for hauling around adults. It gets very good gas mileage but it needs 91 octane. Also its scheduled maintainance can get pricey....for example spark plugs every 30,000 miles. That being said, from following both the Audi and Jeep forums for the last couple of weeks I believe the build quality and reliability of Audi is vastly superior to Jeeps. I am amazed and quite abit concerned about the amount of problems reported on the 2011 JGC's. I am hoping that the 12's will prove to have the "bugs" worked out. I am waiting for the jury to come in on this issue. As far as the Jeep V6 vs V8 goes, I can say that I have test driven both and the v6 is sluggish compared to the Hemi. The fact that this vehicle for my purposes will be pretty much used for "soccer mom" dutys, makes 13 MPG on hemi around town a very costly proposition. IMO, gas prices will not go down...they will only increase in the future. The lack of power on the v6 is not a deal breaker for me but paying more to have to pay more is. So at this moment I am leaning towards waiting abit and then ordering a V6 overland to have before the late January/February New York snows hit. Good luck.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

flashy,

I am in the exact position you are in. I too am considering either a 2012 Q5 2.0t premium plus or a JGC Overland. As far as the Q5 goes it is kinda small. The back seat is pretty tight for hauling around adults. It gets very good gas mileage but it needs 91 octane. Also its scheduled maintainance can get pricey....for example spark plugs every 30,000 miles. That being said, from following both the Audi and Jeep forums for the last couple of weeks I believe the build quality and reliability of Audi is vastly superior to Jeeps. I am amazed and quite abit concerned about the amount of problems reported on the 2011 JGC's. I am hoping that the 12's will prove to have the "bugs" worked out. I am waiting for the jury to come in on this issue. As far as the Jeep V6 vs V8 goes, I can say that I have test driven both and the v6 is sluggish compared to the Hemi. The fact that this vehicle for my purposes will be pretty much used for "soccer mom" dutys, makes 13 MPG on hemi around town a very costly proposition. IMO, gas prices will not go down...they will only increase in the future. The lack of power on the v6 is not a deal breaker for me but paying more to have to pay more is. So at this moment I am leaning towards waiting abit and then ordering a V6 overland to have before the late January/February New York snows hit. Good luck.
On these points I will vehemently disagree.

The Audi build quality is very good, no doubt about it but it's not the gap it once was. In fact, I would argue that having crawled inside and out, behind panels and underneath I don't think the VAG vehicles are really all that much better considers as an entire system, and this comes from someone who's been and still is a die hard German car nut.

As for reliability, that's a wash IMHO. VAG vehicles actually are rated on the lower end for long term reliability compared to a number of other makes. While the jury is still out on the WK2 long term, the current issues you read about here are really quite small considering the volume of WK2's built and there's nothing to indicate it won't be a very reliable vehicle, based on the engineering and material quality I see.

FYI, VAG = Volkswagen Audi Group
 
#11 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

If you're worried about Gas, Get the Q5.

But, I'd recommend putting all that money you save on gas in a pickle jar above your fridge. Just incase the license plate light bulb burns out, and you need to purchase a metric plutonium powered laser saw to install the Newtonian light bulbs that are only work if installed within 28 hours of being shipped from Germany.

Seriously, it's in the owners manual. Look it up.
 
#102 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

If you're worried about Gas, Get the Q5.

But, I'd recommend putting all that money you save on gas in a pickle jar above your fridge. Just incase the license plate light bulb burns out, and you need to purchase a metric plutonium powered laser saw to install the Newtonian light bulbs that are only work if installed within 28 hours of being shipped from Germany.

Seriously, it's in the owners manual. Look it up.
+1:lol:
 
#12 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6



flashy09, what type of driving and roads would you be on? For example, city vs. highway, slow commute, mountains, towing, etc.

In terms of fuel economy the V6 has an advantage in city driving but the numbers are very close on the highway.

The V8 (Hemi) will accelerate better and depending on load, can serve has a better option for towing.

You'll find forum members on both sides of this question. Honestly, it comes down to what is good for you which would be helped by testing driving both powertrains.

For me I went for the Hemi. Do I really need it, no. However it was more of an emotional decision and ultimately I don't want regrets post purchase. The $2k adder which included the Hemi, tow pkg and QDII was worth it to me.






Regards,
NHman
 
#14 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

flashy09, what type of driving and roads would you be on? For example, city vs. highway, slow commute, mountains, towing, etc.

In terms of fuel economy the V6 has an advantage in city driving but the numbers are very close on the highway.

The V8 (Hemi) will accelerate better and depending on load, can serve has a better option for towing.

You'll find forum members on both sides of this question. Honestly, it comes down to what is good for you which would be helped by testing driving both powertrains.

For me I went for the Hemi. Do I really need it, no. However it was more of an emotional decision and ultimately I don't want regrets post purchase. The $2k adder which included the Hemi, tow pkg and QDII was worth it to me.






Regards,
NHman
I mostly drive on country roads out to horse farms and the racetrack. So about 55-60 mph without much traffic. Not any real off roading, but here and there need to drive into a muddy or icy field with hay, etc in the winter. I will be towing a horse trailer ...it's a European one called a Brenderup and it has extremely little tongue weight (60lbs) and it's own inertia brakes and supposedly can be towed by station wagons like you see in the UK. So not a big steel monster, but trailer and horse combined weigh about 3000-4000lbs depending on if I am hauling two or just one horses. The Rav4 V6 has done great with the trailer and alone feels very quick and peppy so I have gotten used to that feeling and found the Jeep very comfortable and smooth, but a little slow. Just curious if the bigger engine equals quicker accleration or just a more powerful feeling in general. I am looking for that Audi/Rav4 feeling in a bigger more luxurious car
 
#13 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

I just got out of the v6 overland and into a new v8 overland. As I said in my previous posts, the v6 is a fine engine (and will be even much better w the 8 speed). Overall, I liked it, however the difference is in the feel of the extra torque in the V8
 
#18 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Night and day difference between the two. I have driven both and purchased the hemi because it felt way better suited to the weight.
 
#38 ·
V-6 feels better in the wallet
V-8 feels better in the soul.

If pulling anything over 2,500 lbs get the Hemi.

If you want to get good gas mileage in the Hemi on the Hwy. you gotta use the cruise control.
This.

Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
 
#20 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

flashy09, since you will be towing with possible an increase load due to an additional horse I would go with the Hemi just for added torque. The JGC weighs (rounding the number) 5,000 lbs. This is a bit more vs. the RAV4.

It is not so much of a question of increase HP between the V6 and V8 (also referred to as the Penstar and Hemi) but the added torque. Plus you would have the tow package bundled with the V8.

Would the V6 work for your application, yes. Would the V8 feel and accelerate better, yes.





Regards,
NHman
 
#21 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Just think the HEMI is a full second quicker than the V6 for only $2,000 more. The new SRT8 is only 3 seconds quicker then the 5.7HEMI for only $30,000 more.......
 
#22 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Just think the HEMI is a full second quicker than the V6 for only $2,000 more. The new SRT8 is only 3 seconds quicker then the 5.7HEMI for only $30,000 more.......
3 seconds is a big difference and the cost difference is around $16k with improved handling and braking. I don't agree Chryco and their pricing model for the SRT8 but it is not $30k (Overland to SRT8).

The 5.7 Hemi should run better times but is limited due to conservative programming.




Regards,
NHman
 
#24 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

If you don't HAVE to buy a vehicle in the next two years, rumors say both the JGC and the Q5 are getting 3.0TDI engines in 2013/2014 model years. That'll increase towing capacity in the Jeep (maybe not for the Q5, it may have structural limitations that limit it like the Wrangler is limited). 8 speed transmissions are coming to the Jeeps in that time frame, too, which is expected to help with the V6 as well.

I lust after a 2011/2012 Jeep with a Hemi, but feeding my current V8 is getting a bit old (I see 14 city and up to 24 highway in it, on par with the new Hemi), and the new Hemi apparently needs premium on top of it. I would go out and buy one today if they had the diesel in it.

The 3.0TDI in the Q7 is an awesome monster, but Q7 is too big/expensive for me. In the lighter Q5, it is going to be a really nice combo. The Q5 was pretty nice, but I felt like I could park it in the back of my 2001 GC if I folded down the seats. No way the big cooler would fit in the back and leave any room for gear, whereas it fits fine in my current Jeep. It didn't have that much more space than my A3, and I've often felt space constrained with that car. I really, REALLY wanted a Q5 until I took a close look at it and realized it wouldn't meet my needs.

If the Q5 does meet your needs, you should get prepaid service. Price on it can be negotiated, but it is worthwhile even at MSRP. The four year plan for my A3 was only a few hundred bucks, and then you just don't have to worry about buying anything but tires for the first four years/45k miles. No matter which you buy, an extended warranty is also a great idea. Both have a ton of gadgets, and gadgets are expensive to fix.
 
#26 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

If you don't HAVE to buy a vehicle in the next two years, rumors say both the JGC and the Q5 are getting 3.0TDI engines in 2013/2014 model years. That'll increase towing capacity in the Jeep (maybe not for the Q5, it may have structural limitations that limit it like the Wrangler is limited). 8 speed transmissions are coming to the Jeeps in that time frame, too, which is expected to help with the V6 as well.

I lust after a 2011/2012 Jeep with a Hemi, but feeding my current V8 is getting a bit old (I see 14 city and up to 24 highway in it, on par with the new Hemi), and the new Hemi apparently needs premium on top of it. I would go out and buy one today if they had the diesel in it.

The 3.0TDI in the Q7 is an awesome monster, but Q7 is too big/expensive for me. In the lighter Q5, it is going to be a really nice combo. The Q5 was pretty nice, but I felt like I could park it in the back of my 2001 GC if I folded down the seats. No way the big cooler would fit in the back and leave any room for gear, whereas it fits fine in my current Jeep. It didn't have that much more space than my A3, and I've often felt space constrained with that car. I really, REALLY wanted a Q5 until I took a close look at it and realized it wouldn't meet my needs.

If the Q5 does meet your needs, you should get prepaid service. Price on it can be negotiated, but it is worthwhile even at MSRP. The four year plan for my A3 was only a few hundred bucks, and then you just don't have to worry about buying anything but tires for the first four years/45k miles. No matter which you buy, an extended warranty is also a great idea. Both have a ton of gadgets, and gadgets are expensive to fix.

The new hemi does not need premium fuel. 89 is recommended and 87 is acceptable according to the manual.
 
#27 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

I drove both the Pentastar and the Hemi over the last few weeks. The Pentastar brought back memories of my '93 and '97 GC's which had whatever the 6 cyl. was back then. I know it's a big difference in engines but sure felt slow and underpowered to me.

I'm coming from an Acura RDX which is pretty zippy - I knew I wouldn't be happy taking that kind of acceleration hit with the Pentastar so I chose a Hemi. I do have visions of pulling my boat to N. Michigan and there is no way the V6 could have handled that distance or load (@4000lbs). The RDX also requires premium and I get about 20MPG out of it so in the end I think I'm about even with the Hemi given 87/89 octane and a hit for city mpg.

I also looked at the Q5, nice ride but not enough room with a decent road trip with a couple of kids + dog. My head has also been filled with horror stories on maintenance costs by several past Audi owners.

I really want a diesel GC but didn't want to wait for the rumor to materialize - maybe a quick trade in down the road.
 
#28 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Every generation Grand has had a killer V8 option and a very useful (but underpowered for the vehicle) six cylinder available.

Go for the V8. It shouldn't even be a question if you value performance.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

I don't tow anything major and spend a lot of time around town and on the highway. The V6 is a little slow off the line due to the high drive ratio vs. first gear but once it's rolling it has no issues merging or passing, far from underpowered. Yes, the Hemi is faster (and sounds a lot better) but still far from being fast. I just couldn't bring myself to spend an extra $1500 for a 360hp engine that need 89 octane to make that number, goes through 16 spark plugs every 30k miles, gets worse mileage, and isn't any faster than a 270hp V6 4Runner or Pathfinder. Granted if I ever towed anything substantial, like a horse trailer I would probably have opted for the extra torque the V8 affords, but then also I probably have opted for something with a longer wheelbase to increase stability.
 
#30 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Personally I had an 06 Hemi and absolutely loved it. The raw power it had was sickening. For my 11 GC I chose the 6cyl. I was surprised on how much I liked it. Yea yea yea the 8 is better and blah blah blah..and if anyone on here would like to contribute to my bill fund than I will gladly get the 8 next time....hahaha...

Honestly it made more sense for me to get the 6...I have not one bad thing to say about it....when I get on it while on the highway it moves with ease...is it an 8 cyl, no, but it serves its purpose.
 
#32 ·
Re: Accleration in the v8 vs v6

Had to face similar decision few weeks ago. I went with Hemi- probably more emotional decision in my case. Both are not street racers. V6 was smooth enough and would probably cover most of average daily needs unless you have to tow. Hemi felt a little bit quicker and put less effort. Of course soundtrack that comes with it is just music to my ears. Still wouldn't recommend to race from traffic light nor you should unless it's SRT8. Audi vs. Jeep? Let's admit- you get what you pay for. It is what you value more, your own scale. JGC gets more value overall minus reliability, small little issues here and there, rattles and warning lights sometimes and poor service department. I was ready for it and went with JGC Hemi and happy and absolutely live it.
 
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