Do engine size and power matter anymore?

There was a time when cars could be rated by their engine capacity..  If you had a 1.6L Escort and your neighbour only had the 1.3 then bragging rights were yours (not that you’d ever had actually said anything).  And most 1.6 litre engines irrespective of manufacturer were broadly similar to each other in terms of horsepower and economy

Then along came engine management systems and manufacturers could now tune an engine up or down without changing the capacity. If I recall correctly the old VW PD 1.9L diesel engine could be produced with anything from 75 BHP in the base Golf to 150 in the range topper.  Consequently, the old designations used by companies such as BMW no longer relate to engine size but to the models’ relative places in the range.  Once you knew that the 318i was a 3 series with a 1.8L engine; now it’s a 1.5 but with 136 brake horsepower.

And that’s the general trend now across most manufacturers as they reduce the cubic capacity whilst maintaining or increasing the maximum power output.  In theory this means greater economy without loss of power.  Hence, there’s now a Ford Mondeo, not a small car by any stretch of the imagination, with a 998cc engine.  My first car was an original Mini with a 998cc engine producing about 45 BHP.  The Mondeo manages 125 and the same engine in the Focus can produce a very respectable 140.

I still get customers asking for a particular engine size, assuming it relates to performance.  Regular motorway drivers seem to like the idea of a 2-litre as traditionally that meant a good cruiser.  However that way of thinking is long out of date.  It’s the horsepower that’s now much more relevant.

But even that figure is only one factor in the performance and economy of an engine as it relates to maximum power at a particular number of revs.  Most drivers know that a diesel engine with say 150 BHP will, in real world driving, out perform a petrol engine with the same maximum output even though it will likely be slower in a drag race from zero  to sixty.  Therefore it’s the way an engine delivers the available power to the driven wheels that matters.

Manufacturers are now doing to petrol engines what they did to diesels (when we were all told to drive diesels) and adding turbo chargers in addition to reducing capacity.  This means that, compared to traditional petrol engines tht developed their power high up the rev range, many modern petrol engines have loads of low down shove, just like a diesel, and feel more powerful than the output figure suggests they will.

And then we have hybrid and electric cars which deliver their power completely differently and can feel very different to drive but still perform well.  With pure electric, it’s the range and price holding back sales not performance.

My final factors when it comes to answering the question of whether engine size and power matter anymore are changes external to the vehicles themselves such lowered speed limits, proliferation of speed bumps and cameras, the general negative view of speeding with increased penalties and the state of UK roads, all of which mean that drivers are rarely able to use the full performance capabilities of their cars.  Other than the condition of the roads, I have no issue with the other factors just listed.  The reason for listing them is to show that having a high performance car nowadays is very often pointless as the driver is paying extra for something he or she can rarely use or get value for money from.

What’s the answer?  Don’t be closed minded or snobby when looking at engine sizes or official power outputs.  Have a decent test drive on a route you frequently drive and check the real (to you) not official performance.  You may have a very pleasant surprise and your bank balance will be delighted!

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