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When deciding on a new car, one of the most important considerations will be the engine size, as this factor could have a major impact on both your car’s performance and your bank balance. Wave Motor Group has put together a complete guide to car engine sizes, which can help drivers make a more informed decision when buying or leasing their next car.
What does engine size mean?
Understanding engine sizes can be daunting, however it is not as intimidating as it may seem. Simply, the more litre capacity a car engine has, the bigger and more powerful the engine is.
The term “litre” refers to the capacity of an engine. The higher the number of litres, the higher the volume of all cylinders in the engine itself. The larger the volume, the higher the amount, and rate, of fuel that an engine can burn. This is why petrol and diesel engines are referred to as internal combustion engines, as they burn fuel.
For example, if you are looking to buy a car with an engine that size of 1,983cc, this figure represents the exact cubic centimetres of capacity the engine can produce. To make things a little simpler, these long figures are rounded up or down to give a round number. So, a car with a 1,983cc capacity will be rounded up to 2.0-litres. A car that has a 1,721cc capacity will be rounded down to 1.7-litres. Each litre contains 1,000 cubic centimetres.
What does a 1-litre car engine mean?
Having a 1-litre engine means the car has a 1,000cc capacity. These engines typically house three or four cylinders. Many of these smaller engines now feature turbochargers to improve power output.
These engines are often found in superminis, small hatchbacks, and even mid-sized family cars. Although these smaller engines generally offer better fuel economy, they often need to be worked a little harder to generate the speed required for driving on the motorway, for example. This can lead to additional fuel consumption.
What does a 1.2 and 1.6-litre car engine mean?
A 1.2-litre engine means it has a 1,200cc capacity, whilst a 1.6-litre means an engine has a 1,600cc capacity.
These engines are usually found in mid-sized SUVs and larger hatchbacks.
Again, engines in this category are now often turbocharged - producing around 150hp. These cars will burn slightly more fuel than 1.0-litre versions, and will probably cost more than their smaller engine counterparts to buy, finance, or lease.
What does a 2-litre car engine mean?
Cars fitted with 2.0-litre engines normally produce around 200hp. These engines are usually found inside larger SUVs, estate cars, and larger sedans. Although these are still considered to be smaller engines, they do burn more fuel. However, due to this extra fuel-consumption, they generally offer better performance than cars with smaller engine types.
Cars with 2.0-litre engines are also usually more expensive to buy, finance, or lease than cars fitted with smaller engines.
What is my car’s engine size and why does it matter?
If you want to find out the size of your car’s engine, you can simply look in your car’s V5C log book. This information will be located under ‘cylinder capacity,’ and should provide the precise ‘cc’ figure.
If, for any reason, you’ve lost your V5C or you don’t currently have access to it, you can go online to the Government’s vehicle information checker and insert your car’s registration number. This should provide you with the information you’re looking for.
Should I choose a car with a small or large capacity engine?
The choice of whether to have a large engine or not is completely up to the individual.
A larger engine will mean more power. More power typically means more fuel consumption. A larger engine also often means a higher purchase price, along with an increase in harmful emissions and car taxes.
On the plus side, bigger engines usually mean a more responsive and potent on-road performance. These larger engines help to produce faster acceleration, and allow vehicles to tow far heavier loads than smaller engine vehicles.
This means that larger engines are recommended for people wanting to tow large trailers or caravans. Additionally, people who intend to travel for long distances on motorways will also benefit from a larger engine.
How does the engine size affect performance?
In the past, a bigger engine has almost certainly meant a better performance. Times are changing however, as new technologies are being introduced.
Now, manufacturers focus on producing cars fitted with smaller engines that still deliver on performance. Smaller engines also mean less fuel consumption and less emissions. These manufacturers must adhere to the strict emission regulations currently in place in much of Europe.
These same manufacturers have however, invested a massive number of resources into the development of these smaller engines, ensuring they’re as powerful and fuel-efficient as possible - many cars now feature hybrid or turbocharging technology as a result.
What this means is that cars with smaller, turbocharged engines now offer a similar performance to cars with larger engines that don’t have turbocharging technology.
Another factor to consider is that the performance of an engine is affected by the size of the car that it’s housed in. If, for example, a small hatchback is fitted with a 1.6-litre engine, it will deliver a zippy performance, with responsive acceleration and a decent fuel-economy.
If you fit that same 1.6-litre engine in a mid-sized SUV, it will be required to work much harder to match the same spirited performance that it delivers in the hatchback. This is largely due to the weight difference between the two vehicles.
So not only does the engine size affect the performance of the car, but the size of the car affects the performance of the engine.
Petrol and diesel car engines explained
Internal combustion engines can burn either petrol or diesel, never both. Although both fuel sources are oil based, they are both produced and used in different ways from one another. That’s why it’s very important to never put the wrong fuel in your tank.
Diesel:
A diesel engine of any size is more economical than a petrol engine of the same size. Although this may encourage you to run out and buy a diesel-powered car, there’s more to consider.
Diesel cars generally carry a higher purchase price than their petrol counterparts. This means that buying a diesel-powered car will be more beneficial to someone who clocks a lot of miles, than for someone who is only making short trips around the city. This is because it’ll take quite a few miles of driving before the savings on fuel begins to outweigh the extra money spent on buying the vehicle.
Diesel cars also need to be driven often, and on longer journeys, to ensure they stay in good condition. Again, this means that these cars are not best suited for around town driving.
Diesel also produces more emissions - such as nitrous oxide - than petrol-powered vehicles. Not only does this have a negative impact on the air we all breathe, but it can also mean higher costs for owners who travel in air-pollution controlled areas.
Petrol:
If you’re looking to buy a car for short trips around the city, then petrol power is probably the best way to go. This is because petrol engines are typically better for popular smaller cars including superminis and hatchbacks.
You’ll also be clocking a far lower mileage, so your fuel costs will be reduced. Furthermore, you won’t be required to take your car on long trips to maintain the health of your engine. As mentioned, if your car has a petrol engine, it’ll produce less harmful emissions. This will be helpful, especially if you live in a pollution-controlled zone such as the ULEZ in London.
What is fuel economy?
To put it simply, fuel economy is a measurement of how far a vehicle can travel on a specific amount of fuel.
As mentioned earlier in the guide, larger engines typically mean higher fuel consumption, and a lower fuel economy.
A small engine on the other hand will usually burn less fuel, meaning it’ll deliver a higher fuel economy.
As cars with bigger engines typically cost more to purchase as well as to run, it’s important to ask yourself how much power do you really need from your car? If you aren’t required to regularly travel long distances, to transport many people, or to tow any heavy loads, then a smaller, less powerful car is definitely the more economical option. You’ll also be producing less emissions and paying less taxes as a result.
Remember that fuel consumption also depends on how you drive your car. By keeping your revs low and by changing up to the highest possible gear, you’ll save on fuel. Additionally, using a light foot on both the accelerator and brake pedals will go a long way in conserving your reserves.
Ensuring your tyres are inflated to the optimal level will also prevent unnecessary fuel consumption. Another helpful hint is to empty out your car as much as possible. For every 100 pounds of weight you remove, you’ll gain around 2 percent in fuel economy.
What should I consider when choosing a car engine size?
To recap here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a car engine size:
Budget:
Before selecting an engine size, it’s important that you’ve a set budget. This’ll assist you in focussing your search on cars you can afford.
Running Costs:
If you’re considering buying a car with a bigger engine, you need to keep all the costs associated with a bigger engine in mind. These will include:
Fuel costs – The larger the engine, the higher your fuel costs are likely to be.
Insurance costs – Cars with bigger engines often come with higher insurance rates.
Type of Driving:
As previously mentioned, if you intend to make short trips around town, then a smaller engine car is a better option for you. If, on the other hand, you intend to make long trips on the highway, a larger engine will be far better suited for this type of driving.
Furthermore, if you intend to carry or to tow heavy loads, a larger engine will be better equipped to handle these tasks.
Power Preferences:
Some people just wanna go fast! If this is the case, then a larger-capacity engine that generates more power will be what you’re after.
Please note, it’s never recommended that you exceed the set speed limits of any given road. These limits are in place to protect you, as well as all the other people on, and around the roads. Not only could you end up getting into an accident, but you could receive a hefty fine, jail time, or both.
Buy your next car with confidence from Wave Motor Group today
Wave Motor Group can help to find your next car. We stock a wide range of quality used cars in excellent condition. All of our approved used cars are available to buy, or finance. Following a 124-point safety and quality check, we ensure that every car is road-ready and in the best possible condition before it makes our exclusive stock list.
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