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Advantages and disadvantages of a three cylinder engine

2023-06-16

 Advantages:
There are two main advantages of a three cylinder engine. Firstly, the fuel consumption is relatively low, and with fewer cylinders, the displacement naturally decreases, resulting in a decrease in fuel consumption. The second advantage is its small size and light weight. After the size is reduced, the layout of the engine compartment and even the cockpit can be optimized, making it more flexible compared to a four cylinder engine.
Disadvantages:
1. Jitter
Due to design flaws, three cylinder engines are inherently prone to idle vibration compared to four cylinder engines, which is well known. It is precisely this that makes many people shy away from three cylinder engines, such as Buick Excelle GT and BMW 1-Series, which can not avoid the common problem of jitter.
2. Noise
Noise is also one of the common problems of three cylinder engines. Manufacturers reduce noise by adding soundproofing covers in the engine compartment and using better soundproofing materials in the cockpit, but it is still noticeable outside the vehicle.
3. Insufficient power
Although most three cylinder engines now use turbocharging and in cylinder direct injection technology, there may be insufficient torque before the turbine is involved, which means there may be slight weakness when driving at low speeds. In addition, a high RPM setting can lead to some differences in comfort and smoothness compared to a four cylinder engine.
Differences between 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder engines
Compared to the more mature 4-cylinder engine, when it comes to a 3-cylinder engine, perhaps many people's first reaction is poor driving experience, and shaking and noise are considered congenital "original sins". Objectively speaking, early three cylinder engines did indeed have such problems, which has become a reason for many people to reject three cylinder engines.
But in fact, a decrease in the number of cylinders does not necessarily mean a poor experience. Today's three cylinder engine technology has entered a mature stage. Take SAIC-GM's new generation Ecotec 1.3T/1.0T dual injection turbocharged engine for example. Because of the optimal design of single cylinder combustion, although the displacement is smaller, the power performance and fuel economy are improved.