Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
I think turbo engines meet fuel efficiency and emission mandates in the test environment, but in real use offer no real benefit. They do allow for better tuning of torque curves however.
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My ownership of a bunch of turbo Saabs and now a turbo BMW says you are wrong. Despite 90+ more hp, my M235i gets basically the same gas mileage as my e9x 328i in the real world. A 228i gets so much better gas mileage than an e9x 328i it isn't even funny, while still being faster.
Some automakers can't seem to get turbos quite right - Ford seems to be able to get the power but not the real world economy, as an example. Saab cracked it a long time ago, and BMW very much knows what they are doing too.
The downside is added complexity of course. TANSTAAFL... Though I have owned enough turbo cars with extremely high mileage to not be particularly afraid of it.