Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
Diehard manual guy I am; I've owned just one automatic transmission'd vehicle in my 1M-mile, 44-year driving life. I WAS a diehard naturally aspirated guy as well until I wanted to get a new vehicle for my later-life years. The 6th-gen Ford Bronco debuted. It was available with a manual transmission... WTF, a brand-new (truck) model offered with a 7-speed manual transmission? The G20 NOT offered with a manual transmission. WTF, a BMW 3-series not available with a manual? Blasphemy!
Now that the Bronco is in the fleet, with its 300 HP, 2.3L EcoBoost 4-banger, I've since revised my position on the turbo vs. N/A question. The Bronco market desirability gave me the opportunity to buy-and-try the 2.3L EcoBoost with manual transmission with little risk of a depreciation hit if I didn't like it; 18-months into ownership I can still sell it for more than I bought it.
I've come to like the turbo 2.3L EcoBoost engine. Lots of power and relatively flat torque curve. It's a bit buzzy compared to a BMW in-line 6, but other than Honda, no one makes a 4-banger without NVH. The EcoBoost does have turbo lag, but its predictable and not obtrusive. The turbo boost is great once you learn how to use it. It makes for great passing power once you learn to set up the timing. It makes driving the Bronco fun. Fun like a 2-stroke dirtbike comes alive when it hit its powerband, or when the old BMW M20 gets "on cam", but with much more power on tap. Like every turbo engine, it doesn't "breathe" revs like a N/A BMW 6 does; you can't just let it rev endlessly between 2,200 to 5,500 RPM like the M20 or the N52. The EcoBoost does fall off the powerband cliff running through the gears at WOT, but it recovers torque and power almost immediately, which makes up for it.
My 2 cents.
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I mean turbos definitely have their perks, but when you drive your e86 right after the bronco aren't you like "now that's what I am talking about!" in terms of the engine response and connection?