Alexbougie
Well-Known LVC Member
V8 forever
V6 -vs- V8? Is a V6 worth it?
- Thread starter BrianDye
- Start date
TDUB
Dedicated LVC Member
460 ci powered LS V8 forever :shifty:
Silver_LS
Dedicated LVC Member
My office is in Buffalo.
PetesSweets86
Dedicated LVC Member
so is your mom's office! And she gave me a raise!
Silver_LS
Dedicated LVC Member
No Pete, my mom lives in Arizona, with all the other old people....
Your lame attempt at humor failed. Otherwise, keep up the good work.
Your lame attempt at humor failed. Otherwise, keep up the good work.
They usually do. I just love the ignore function!!
ToddG
Dedicated LVC Member
Prior to my 06 LS, I had an 03 (Gen 2) LS with the V6. I liked it. The motor was very smooth and the power flow was very good. It would not beat a V8 of course, but I would gladly accept that for better gas mileage.
The V8 in my 06 LS was a good engine, but it would ping like crazy on anything more than half WOT. Even on premium fuel with octane booster! The V6 would not ping at all.
The V8 in my 06 LS was a good engine, but it would ping like crazy on anything more than half WOT. Even on premium fuel with octane booster! The V6 would not ping at all.
PetesSweets86
Dedicated LVC Member
your V6 only had a 1-2mpg difference in gas consumption vs the V8, so what you said is illogical!
02LS8Lincoln
Dedicated LVC Member
i had the v6 duratec engine in my old 88 taurus and for longativity they last nontheless but for mods and speed V8. I have an 02 V8 sport and the only thing ive done to it is plugs and coils other than that just oil changes. The v8 is flawless if you take care of it. Plus it sounds better with some nice mufflers.
PetesSweets86
Dedicated LVC Member
+1
I had a 98 Taurus with the 3.0L V6 and that thing ran smooth with rarely ever a problem. I raced it a few times too...but it wasn't fast with that 200hp
ToddG
Dedicated LVC Member
You are making erroneous assumptions about the mileage. Mine was not a 1-2 mpg difference. V8 mileage was about 17 vs about 21 in the V6. The 4 mpg difference added up to a lot over a tankful. This was especially noticeable when gas prices were over $3.50 per gallon.
WeakChopper
LVC Member
This! You can't really decide that the V6 is better because you haven't "heard about as many problems". The V6 is considerably less popular and so of course you're going to hear about less problems. That's like an American consumer deciding that MG Midgets are really reliable and hassle-free vehicles just because he's never heard anyone complaining about them. Of course not. They barely have a presence at all.
If you had the 3.0L V6 in the Taurus, it was the Vulcan 12-valve OHV engine. The 3.0L Duratec was introduced in 1996.
I had a 99 Sable with the Duratec as well, and for what it's worth, both it and my LS V8 get the same mileage. Only difference I noticed in cost is from buying premium.
You guys gotta remember im coming from a big fat wall, (Explorer) 4.0l V6.
Lets say I do get the V8, would I be getting about the same MPG's as my explorer, being .1 liter different?
Even the V6 would be stellar to me, as it would smoke my explorer. LOL.
Lets say I do get the V8, would I be getting about the same MPG's as my explorer, being .1 liter different?
Even the V6 would be stellar to me, as it would smoke my explorer. LOL.
WeakChopper
LVC Member
I honestly don't get the horrible gas mileage that I thought I would be getting in this thing (this thing being the '06 V8). I am not wealthy, I have a really long commute and I use premium fuel and I am still not breaking the bank putting gas in the V8.
I drive about thirty miles every day one way to work, so sixty miles round trip (this is all estimation, I have strangely never measured the exact mileage, but I guess I should now) and I fill my car up usually two times a week. Three if I do a lot of after work driving. Which is not bad, in my opinion.
Our other car is an '01 Explorer Sport and the mileage in it is much worse than my LS. Much worse! You even think about driving it somewhere and you're down a quarter. At least it feels that way. Ha.
I drive about thirty miles every day one way to work, so sixty miles round trip (this is all estimation, I have strangely never measured the exact mileage, but I guess I should now) and I fill my car up usually two times a week. Three if I do a lot of after work driving. Which is not bad, in my opinion.
Our other car is an '01 Explorer Sport and the mileage in it is much worse than my LS. Much worse! You even think about driving it somewhere and you're down a quarter. At least it feels that way. Ha.
I know where your comin from on the explorer! I had a 92 Eddie Bauer that somehow got amazing MPG's, I never measured but I could go a week and about 3 days on a full tank, to/from school, along with picking up/dropping off the gf, going to work and back, and just about everyday trips into and around town, but my new one (95) is a guzzler!
I also should ad that im 17, paying for EVERYTHING myself, gas and insurance included, and I never did think about those 2 factors (Gas being premium, otherwise I wouldnt care), plus the fact that insurance companies assume all 17 y/o's are jack asses.
Plus im gonna be maintaining this thing, and the V6 sounds damn durable, and im meteokre at working on vehicles, I can do brakes and stuff like that, but actually getting into the engine like coils and whatnot seems hard LOL
I also should ad that im 17, paying for EVERYTHING myself, gas and insurance included, and I never did think about those 2 factors (Gas being premium, otherwise I wouldnt care), plus the fact that insurance companies assume all 17 y/o's are jack asses.
Plus im gonna be maintaining this thing, and the V6 sounds damn durable, and im meteokre at working on vehicles, I can do brakes and stuff like that, but actually getting into the engine like coils and whatnot seems hard LOL
WeakChopper
LVC Member
I don't think you need to use premium. The manual recommends 91, which is not available where I live and I have been told by a few people that the 83 or 87 is just fine, but I just use the premium because it makes me feel better. Ha. I am sort of OCD and like to worry and panic over nonsense. I used the lowest grade gas a couple times and absolutely nothing bad happened, but I felt troubled. Ha. So I went back. I have a problem!
There is a lot of controversy over the whole gas thing on the internet. Just like with the Mazda RX-8. Some people say they have never used premium ever and the car is as happy as Larry and then other people say if you use 83 just once the 8 will explode and kill your entire family in a horrific fireball.
There's nothing wrong with the V6. I think you'd be just as happy in one and it sounds like you'd have less worry on your mind in one as well. And really, that is the most important thing. If you're constantly worrying about your car you're not enjoying it and then you're better off not having it. If that makes sense.
There is a lot of controversy over the whole gas thing on the internet. Just like with the Mazda RX-8. Some people say they have never used premium ever and the car is as happy as Larry and then other people say if you use 83 just once the 8 will explode and kill your entire family in a horrific fireball.
There's nothing wrong with the V6. I think you'd be just as happy in one and it sounds like you'd have less worry on your mind in one as well. And really, that is the most important thing. If you're constantly worrying about your car you're not enjoying it and then you're better off not having it. If that makes sense.
Yea man I gotcha haha, we'd get along great, im the exact same way, I would feel like I was committing a crime against myself AND the poor engine feeding it regular, rather than premium, alot being because of the little "89+" on the gas tank door LOL.
Im pretty much hoping to get a V6 now kind of, but at the same time, LS'es are so scarce around here, ill settle for anything with less than 120k miles
Im pretty much hoping to get a V6 now kind of, but at the same time, LS'es are so scarce around here, ill settle for anything with less than 120k miles
There is no controversy, just stupid opinions and people being penny wise and pound foolish. This has been discussed here ad-nauseum. You can use 87 or 89 but the computer will retard timing and you'll get less performance and lower mpg. The money saved on the tank (~$1.30 at $.20 difference) will be eaten up by fewer miles on the tank.
Page 293 of the Owners Guide:
WeakChopper
LVC Member
Well, maybe "controversy" was the wrong word. I just meant that there is much disagreement and heated shouting everywhere you go on the web reading about gasoline. But I guess that is probably every car that "requires" high octane fuel.
Penny wise and pound foolish is probably a great way to describe it. I used the 87 (I said 83 earlier because apparently I needed to be in bed hours ago) a couple times, but didn't feel easy about it and went back to 93 (91 not existing here) and have not gone back to the lower grades since. I honestly don't even notice that much a difference in my fuel bill anyway, but I guess that's because I don't stress out too much about the price of fuel. It's like the price of food. I need it to live, so there's no point getting upset about the price. Just make sure you have enough money to pay for it and get on with your day.
Penny wise and pound foolish is probably a great way to describe it. I used the 87 (I said 83 earlier because apparently I needed to be in bed hours ago) a couple times, but didn't feel easy about it and went back to 93 (91 not existing here) and have not gone back to the lower grades since. I honestly don't even notice that much a difference in my fuel bill anyway, but I guess that's because I don't stress out too much about the price of fuel. It's like the price of food. I need it to live, so there's no point getting upset about the price. Just make sure you have enough money to pay for it and get on with your day.
WeakChopper
LVC Member
Yeah. I meant to say 87, 89 and 93. I don't have a number oriented mind. Ha. So even numbers that I see every week of my life I can forget easily.
605RezlifeLS
Well-Known LVC Member
when I was shopping for LSes I test drove a light blue v8 2005 (48k miles) vs a pearl white v6 2001 38k miles) I found the v6 2001 to be far more smooth of a drive and better looking interior and the seats were more comfortable, the seats in the 05 had really stiff seats and was only 2000$ less and was a bit rough on turns so i went with the v6, I had 3 whole years of no trouble other than 2 window regulators until jus now I hit 87k miles and all at once 02 sensors, coils, spark plugs and clock spring lol...sure does suck to be me right now.