Is the Si4 a good Engine?

Hi Folks,

as I ordered my car 3 weeks ago and the time for changes in the spec is running out, i just wanted to know especially from the Si4 drivers (possibly with automatic), how they actually feel about their cars.

I was not quite sure if i should go for the SD4 or the Si4, mostly that is a question of the distances you are going for, but for me the driving experience is also a important point for my decision.

I heard that the Si4 would be hard to drive in a comfortable way, because he would react very aggressive on influences by the speed pedal .

Is it possible to use the Si4 (especially with AD) also for a smooth sunday drive, without any sporty ambitions?

Thx for help!

I think this boils down to the difference between petrol and diesel engines.

An engine's power is defined by engine speed * torque and diesel engines have more torque due to higher compression ratios which means they deliver more power lower in the rev range compared to petrol engines where their power comes at the top end, lower torque but higher revs.

Translate that to real world motoring and the higher power of the petrol engine gives the car more of a hot hatch feel and the extra power is good for overtaking and more performance orientated driving. If a relaxed Sunday drive is your goal, the greater torque of the diesel will give a more relaxed drive but the car quickly runs out of power when you rev it hard.

I've driven a lot in Germany and there's much less need to have good overtaking ability because the roads are so much better. Here in the UK, you can easily get stuck behind 5 cars trailing an artic which seriously hampers your progress. Overtaking that lot is difficult in the diesel, possible in stages in the Si4 and the reason I love my 911 turbo is the ability to deal with it in one easy move.

So, if you're more a Mercedes C220 CDI than a Porsche Boxster kind of person, I would go for the diesel, better economy and likely resale but if possible, you should drive both to be sure.

You'd be amazed what I overtake in my SD4 Manual... But agree it's better for crawling in traffic and can easily get the gearing wrong with the more limited rev range. I haven't driven the Petrol to know how much better it is.

I have an SD4 and have previously always driven largeish petrol engines - could never bring myself to drive a diesel but the UK market is so diesel oriented now that I thought this would be the time to switch over.

The SD4 took a couple of thousand miles to break in and I'm now very impressed with the performance, smoothness and quietness of the SD4 - I've had passengers ask if its a big petrol engine - it's got a very respectable amount of gruntand overtakes very well, as Phil mentions, in my experience too. Sure it could use a bit less fuel but I'm still getting very acceptable fuel consumption.

I know you're asking about the SI4 but ultimately as Mark says the best thing to do is try both yourself.

(03-08-2012 06:41am)LonnyGer Wrote:  Hi Folks,

as I ordered my car 3 weeks ago and the time for changes in the spec is running out, i just wanted to know especially from the Si4 drivers (possibly with automatic), how they actually feel about their cars.

I was not quite sure if i should go for the SD4 or the Si4, mostly that is a question of the distances you are going for, but for me the driving experience is also a important point for my decision.

I heard that the Si4 would be hard to drive in a comfortable way, because he would react very aggressive on influences by the speed pedal .

Is it possible to use the Si4 (especially with AD) also for a smooth sunday drive, without any sporty ambitions?

Thx for help!

Hi,

My previous four cars prior to my Evoque all had the BMW 3.0 diesel engine. I test drove the SD4 first and it wasn't quite 'nippy' enough for me, so I think your previous experiences might have some bearing on whether you would be happy with the SD4 or not. I also found the diesel to be a tad noisy IMHO compared to my old BMW's....

I therefore opted for my first petrol engine in decades, the Si4. I am thrilled with the car, it is a real fun drive and yet I can also drive very sedately when I have the kids onboard. I do not find the ride hard at all but having said that my husband thought my X5 was terrible on this front and so I guess the Evoque was always going to be an improvement....

I would also advise to test drive both before making your decision......

In a nutshell, after 5000 miles, I still ADORE the Si4

Ali

Hey thx for the comments, well in fact @alibeau it is a question of previous driving experiences, and to be honest I only had petrol engines myself, at the moment im driving a Mini r56 Hatch John Cooper works with 211HP, indeed thats a real fun ride, but not comfortable because of the very hard suspensions.

So in fact im looking for a mini jcw like engine compared with the maximum amount of comfort, guess this description fits more to the Si4. .

LonnyGer, seems like you've answered your own question. I also have Si4 and am very happy with it, nippy when it needs to be (and when the gearbox 'learnt' your driving style even S mode becomes superfluous) but also very comfortable in normal stop go city traffic etc.

My previous drive was a diesel and am really loving the Si4 and think I would've been disappointed with the SD4, also thought it a little noisy (personal opinion) and just not the same on the freeway

The Si4 is basically the same engine that is in the next Ford Focus ST so is designed to be 'sporty'. In the RRE it allows the car to be brisk with sporting pretensions rather than outright fast. It can deliver a very comfortable cruise - I've been to Belgium 3 times since getting mine - and also deliver a spritely performance that belies the fact you are driving an SUV.

The Si4 engine is also lighter so the front of the RRE turns in better around the tighter corners; drive both and this is noticeable.

My car has only done 4394 miles in 7.5 months of ownership so the petrol was the obvious choice for me as I prefer the extra nippy-ness to the small difference in fuel savings I might have made.

(03-08-2012 01:25pm)LonnyGer Wrote:  Hey thx for the comments, well in fact @alibeau it is a question of previous driving experiences, and to be honest I only had petrol engines myself, at the moment im driving a Mini r56 Hatch John Cooper works with 211HP, indeed thats a real fun ride, but not comfortable because of the very hard suspensions.

So in fact im looking for a mini jcw like engine compared with the maximum amount of comfort, guess this description fits more to the Si4. .

I also drive a Jcw r56. The Si4 engine behaves and sounds like any other 4cylinder engine. You cannot expect it to run as smoothly as an inline 6. It does have enough power for the evoques body but don't expect it to be as mad as a mini jcw with 211hp on such a small car.

I agree entirely with Alibeau having also had BMW 3.0 diesels I also wasn't too happy with the SD4 and went for the petrol engine. I haven't regretted it at all. I love the acceleration and engine noise when I am on my own in the car. We have also just returned from France where it was perfectly happy cruising along and we managed to get over 27mpg as well on that trip as an added bonus - although fuel economy wasn't a big issue for me - a fun driving experience was what I was looking for.
Whichever you choose I'm sure you will love it!