Do you guys think Audi/Mercedes weakens their brand by putting small engines in big vehicles like the GLE350 or Q7 2.0? Why get these when you get something like a Lexus or MDX that have similar features/performance?
I kind of like how BMW dropped the slower X5’s.
no the current focus is on eco friedly fuel efficient offerings and many 4 cyl turbos today deliver near 300hp which is same or better then 6cyl years ago.
Personally I’d never consider midsize of larger SUV with 4cyl or even 6 cyl non turbo. Its just not enough juice in a heavy car + 3-4 passengers.
I’m sort of basing it off of acceleration numbers. Like I used to think of them as the performance/luxury combo but with the new offerings, performance is inline with lots of other players. With a Q7 2.0/GLE 350, it’s more like you’re getting it for just the badge.
I dont think I get it.
The GX and MDX both come with one engine and one engine only.
The GLE and Q7 come with multiple that attract both the enthusiast, or the non-enthusiast who wants a nice car and could care less about acceleration numbers. Mass market appeal. There’s an engine for every buyer.
It’s about technology. Not about the number of cylinders.
back in the day a “gle” 350 was a 3.5 L v6 that delivered 255 hp, now 255 hp comes out of a 2.0L turbo. Forced induction is the future and after that is electric.
Once they start maxing what they can do with turbo and superchargers i.e 10-15 years they will start moving towards strictly electric.
he’s saying the rx and the mdx are good performance for their segment, the q7 2.0 and gle350 seem underpowered.
They are underpowered but for people in the city or suburbs who seldomly use highways and/or don’t care about acceleration and care more about gas mpg it’s better for them.
I think it strengthens their brands. Providing multiple engine choices to buyers is much more expensive than only providing one engine choice.
Plus a well tuned 2.0 4cyl turbo has a toooooon more down low torque than an NA V6.
99% of buyers don’t care about cylinders or engine size. They care about how it drives and feels and what the gas mileage says.
Pretty much exactly what I was going to say, numbers don’t mean crap, drive whatever vehicle you’re thinking about and let your butt judge the power/performance.
that’s true, mb is a bit strange however. I have driven their new turbo 8s and that e55 is an animal on low end torque that I have not see yet without launch control on these newer models.
But yeah for the most part they even offer tuners like the jb4 for bmws that can get more hp out of em. And I’m not sure how polestar works on volvo but I think that’s a tune as well? maybe @Bostoncarconcierge can explain it.
Also helps with CAFE
This. Also, JB4 on a Q7 2.0t brings the stats to 297hp and 338 lb-ft of torque.
it definitely gets more people into the brand, you lose a lot of exclusivity. This is a huge debate on the bmw and mb forums with what amg and M are doing. Lowering the price point and adding M/Amg badged vehicles in their lineup to attract people who could never afford the top dog.
bringing aftermarket alterations to equation is unfair. Any boosted motor has potential…you just raise boost / play with AFR / timing … boom … until BOOM and you pop the motor.
Instant warranty void.
jb4 is a software tune or at least how they describe it, your car goes back to stock if you remove it. plug and play. No messing with the actual ecu.
jb4 is a piggyback so yes you never flash the ECU however if anything happens ECU logs all parameters and any Tech can see values were off.
that’s true.
JB4 is undetectable when removed, so no warranty void. It’s not a full ECU flash, so the TD1 flag is not activated.
I’m running this tune in my Accord. I will always miss the sound, feel and linearity of a naturally aspirated high revving engine, but it’s hard to beat a modern turbo 4.
my biggest issue with these turbos is the lag, they usually don’t kick in until mid rpm range. Same problem with the f150 ecoboost engine, you have to get on that throttle to get to boost.
