Engine Size Quick Facts
- Typically, the bigger the engine, the higher the horsepower.
- Horsepower isn’t the only measure of performance.
- Many of today’s more powerful engines are turbocharged 4- and 6-cylinder configurations.
If you’re car shopping, you’ve probably realized that many vehicles for sale today offer multiple engine and horsepower choices. And, although you may not pay much attention to technical differences between powertrains, groupthink dictates that larger engines usually make more horsepower — and more muscle equals more thrills. So, when the model you want offers more than one horsepower choice, should you upgrade to the larger one? If your need for speed exceeds all other performance requirements, the engine of greater horsepower usually delivers. As fans of performance, we argue that you can have a lot of fun in cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Toyota GR86, which lack huge power numbers. Having said that, however, we submit that the more-horsepower conundrum is worth investigating, whether in an upgraded version of the same engine or in a bigger engine. In that spirit, we’ve pulled together the benefits and drawbacks of picking the (higher horsepower) larger engine. Buckle up.
More Power, More Thrills
It’s true: Historically, the larger engine in a model’s lineup brings more power, and more power often brings more thrills. Most examples of the multi-engine dilemma crop up in European imports, where the engine count within some models is almost staggering. Here, we’ll use the wildly popular 2026 BMW 5 Series, which proffers a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine, featuring the company’s TwinPower Turbo.
| BMW 5 Series Model | Engine/Horsepower | Zero-to-60-MPH Time |
| 530i/530i xDrive* | 2.0L TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder/255 hp | 5.9 seconds/5.8 seconds |
| 540i xDrive | 3.0L TwinPower Turbo 6-cylinder/375 hp | 4.4 seconds |
*xDrive is BMW’s all-wheel-drive (AWD) system
For something closer to home, we give you the 2026 Ford Explorer. In this case, the Explorer offers two engines: a turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder and a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. The inline 4-cylinder is the more popular pick as the standard engine in the Explorer’s Active, Platinum, ST-Line, and Tremor trims. Optional in the Tremor and Platinum but standard in the ST, the V6 inserts some real pizzazz into the Explorer experience.
| Ford Explorer Model | Engine/Horsepower | Zero-to-60-MPH Time |
| Active, Platinum, ST-Line, Tremor | 2.3L turbo 4-cylinder/300 hp | 6.0 seconds (estimated) |
| ST(standard); Platinum, Tremor (optional) | 3.0L turbo V6/400 hp | 5.2 seconds (estimated) |
More Power, More Price
Unfortunately, opting for more horsepower also means spending more money — sometimes a lot more. Here are the base-price numbers, including the factory-to-dealer delivery fee.
2026 BMW 5 Series
| BMW 5 Series Model | Base Price |
| 530i | $61,075 |
| 530i xDrive | $63,375 |
| 540i xDrive | $68,275 |
2026 Ford Explorer
| Ford Explorer Model | Base Price |
| Active | $40,025 |
| ST-Line | $46,715 |
| Tremor (4-cylinder) | $50,025 |
| Tremor (V6) | $54,757 (estimated) |
| Platinum (4-cylinder) | $52,525 |
| Platinum (V6) | $57,250 (estimated) |
| ST | $56,465 |
Fuel Economy Suffers, Too
The ugly truth is that you’ll spend even more money after signing the papers. Here are the latest available 2025 EPA-estimated fuel-economy numbers.
BMW 5 Series
| BMW 5 Series Model | Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined |
| 530i | 28/35/31 |
| 530i xDrive | 27/35/30 |
| 540i xDrive | 26/33/28 |
Ford Explorer
| Ford Explorer Model | Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined |
| Active, Platinum, ST-Line, Tremor (4-cylinder) | 20/29/24 |
| Platinum, ST, Tremor (V6) | 18/25/21 |
Our Take
When it comes to more horsepower, we generally think you should avoid it unless you really, really want it. In other words, the next time you’re buying a car, think about whether you want to fork over the extra cost upfront and spend the extra money at the pump to get quicker acceleration. That extra thrust can be a blast if you don’t mind paying for it. But if you’re on a tight budget or aren’t concerned with exploding off the line when the light goes green, skip the horsepower upgrade and go with a more efficient powertrain.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated since its initial publication.
