Car Engine Types

The automotive world can sometimes seem confusing with the wide variety of car engine types that are available on the market today. With so many choices, it can be hard for anyone to choose a vehicle that has a great engine, with a lot of power, that is fuel efficient at the same time.

What type of fuel?

In today’s world, the average vehicle in the United States still only uses gasoline or diesel, but over the last 10 years, as gas prices have continued to rise, more vehicles are being produced with engines that can run on ethanol, propane, hydrogen and electricity.  

How many cylinders?

The typical car, truck or minivan on the road today has an engine with either four, six or eight cylinders.

12 cylinder engines can typically be found in expensive European sports cars, racecars, boats, RV’s and limousines. The amount of cylinders that you want on your vehicle will also give you more power and sometimes better fuel economy as well.

• Four Cylinder Engine – This type of engine can be configured in an inline or straight configuration. V4 engines were most commonly produced by foreign auto makers like Toyota and Honda for many years then imported into the United States. Thanks to environmental concerns and the desire to save money off fuel costs, many American car manufacturers are producing more four cylinder engines.

• Six Cylinder Engine – The V6 engine is one of the most common engine types that are sold in cars and trucks on the market today. A six cylinder engine offers more power than a four cylinder, but thanks to recent engineering improvements, many new cars and trucks with V6 engines are able to match the same performance and fuel efficiency as four cylinder engines.

• Eight Cylinder Engine – In spite of environmental and economic concerns, many auto manufacturers are producing more cars and trucks with V8 engines because an eight cylinder engine means one thin- speed.