The short and short answer as to if twin turbos hurt gas mileage is not any. As for whether or not they help with efficiency — again, the straightforward answer, mind you, is yes. As you might have imagined by now, things are pretty nuanced, with several variables at play. Put simply, the way in which you drive plays a big role – the entire process involves greater than just the gas pedal, steering, and brakes. There’s a variety of judgment, hand-eye coordination, and small calculations within the background that determine the final result of the drive itself. Identical to poor driving habits could cause transmission damage, they can even reduce your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, whether your have twin turbos or not.
Turbocharging affects fuel efficiency, depending on usage, layout (single or twin), size, and so forth. In the event you’re sensible with the throttle pedal, expect decent fuel economy. However, when you drive the automobile such as you stole it, turbocharging won’t magically make the fuel gauge needle drop any slower.
Turbochargers, single or twin, are pretty straightforward in that they use exhaust gases to run turbines that help shove more air into the engine and burn more fuel. Ergo, you’ll be able to get more horsepower without messing around with engine displacement. For essentially the most part, turbo engines are higher for gas mileage. Nevertheless, their efficiency claims are usually not all the time true and have several caveats. Allow us to elucidate.
Multiple aspects affect twin-turbo efficiency, but it surely’s largely your right foot
Twin-turbocharged engines are typically reserved for high-end cars, owing to their complexity and added development costs. On the flipside, they permit for lighter and more compact engine designs without compromising on power. In truth, twin turbo engines offer 30% more power, sometimes much more, in comparison with naturally aspirated engines of comparable size. Living proof, the now-discontinued Nissan GT-R got here with a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 that offered 565 horsepower, whereas the V8-powered 2025 Ford Mustang pushes out just 486 horsepower from its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter engine.
Twin turbos, depending on how they’re designed and arranged, have RPM levels (a rev range) where they operate at their peak and help the engine deliver its maximum output. For example, a parallel twin-turbo setup (seen within the GT-R) features two turbochargers that operate as one large turbo, whereas a sequential arrangement uses twin turbos of various sizes, each operating at different RPM levels. Every time the turbos kick in, expect the engine to make use of more fuel. Nevertheless, when the engine will not be under boost — that’s, when it’s below, as an example, 3,000 RPM within the case of the GT-R — the engine will not be making its full horsepower and is using much less fuel.
Essentially, if you’re cruising around town, a twin-turbo engine will likely use less fuel, but if you’re on it, don’t expect much when it comes to gas mileage. In fact, it is determined by the engine, its power band, what gear you are in, your driving style, and so forth. However the gist is, twin-turbocharged engines might be more fuel efficient than larger-capacity naturally aspirated engines, provided you are sensible together with your right foot.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
