# To turbo, or not to turbo **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219 "2015-03-06T00:13:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/21 "2015-03-06T07:07:27Z")
I think we’re all going to have to live with turbos in the coming years until EVs become prolific. Turbos are really the only way currently established to get acceptable performance out of the smaller engines that are going to be necessary to meet the government’s ever-more-stringent emissions and CAFE requirements. Fortunately, turbos have evolved to be more robust than they used to be. They survive far longer without self-destructing. I’d personally rather not have one, but if I buy another car in the coming years I may have no choice. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/22 "2015-03-06T07:12:44Z")
I test drove a Sonic 4 cylinder Turbo Hatchback and I really did like it. I think the sister to the Encore is the Chevy Equinox and my neighbor really likes it. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/23 "2015-03-06T07:15:29Z")
I guess I don’t mind the complexity as much as the fact that turbo 4s have replaced regular 6s. Just about all the BMWs now have the turbo 4 as the ‘normal’ engine, not the GREAT 6. Same will happen with Toyota, as they replace the best-in-class 3.5 V6 with some turbo 4s. Caddy is doing it, too. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/24 "2015-03-06T07:18:28Z")
@mistertudball-Did you ever solve the gas smell problem in your other vehicle? ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/25 "2015-03-06T07:50:31Z")
``` "Most of the guys here are a bunch of old fuddy duddies who prefer three-on-the-trees and AM radios in their cars." ``` I’ll have you know I even have a CD player. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/26 "2015-03-06T08:23:49Z")
Speak for yourself there @Bing. My S-10 Blazer has throttle body injection and an AM-FM cassette player with an overdrive automatic. It’s STATE OF THE ART… Fuddy duddy my… ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 10:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/27 "2015-03-06T10:04:22Z")
I’m a fuddy duddy who is not and never has been in debt up to my eyebrows on a wheeled disposable consumer commodity… Somehow or another I manage to get from A to B in smooth comfort every day with an 18 year old car. Old is not necessarily bad. Look at the return of vinyl LP records. Pricy, but fantastic sound out of something which got its start in the late 1800s. I do respectfully disagree that older turbochargers are not as good as modern ones. Every one that I’ve ever changed died a premature death due to lack of oil changes, overheating, or some really, really aggressive driving habits; or a combination of all of that. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/28 "2015-03-06T17:06:33Z")
Looking at the 2015 Buick Encore service manual (w/turbo), it says to change the oil whenever the Oil Maintenance Light comes on or once per year, whichever comes first. It used to be manufacturers recommended more frequent oil changes with turbo equipped engines. Looks like something has changed where that’s no longer the case. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/29 "2015-03-06T17:56:07Z")
18yo old car for me equates to over 700k miles based on my past driving record. That’s why I’m usually looking to buy something every 8-10 years. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/30 "2015-03-06T19:08:52Z")
@ok4450, I bet the pinch roller and any rubber belts are shot on that 8-track. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/31 "2015-03-06T19:13:03Z")
**“It used to be manufacturers recommended more frequent oil changes with turbo equipped engines”** The last time that I checked, Subaru still required oil changes every 3,750 miles for its turbo-charged engines. Has that changed also? I don’t know the answer to that question, but perhaps somebody else does. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/32 "2015-03-06T19:25:29Z")
Looks like Subaru has gone up to 7500 miles for many vehicles, including turbos. See [http://drive.subaru.com/fall13\_modes.aspx?page=4#recommended](http://drive.subaru.com/fall13_modes.aspx?page=4#recommended) ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/33 "2015-03-06T21:52:26Z")
Recommended or not, it seems the GDI+turbo combo is pretty rough on oil: the BITOG crowd reports mucho shearing out-of-grade plus fuel dilution. Regardless of book, I’d be changing oil every 4k…and add a PCV catch can. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/34 "2015-03-06T22:05:13Z")
for 2015 models, subaru oil change is every 6k miles, turbo or non-turbo, synthetic only. for all earlier models, models with synthetic oil OR turbo, every 7500 miles for all earlier models, models without synthetic oil, every 3750 miles b ---
**Author:** ![mistertudball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mistertudball](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mistertudball)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/35 "2015-03-06T23:21:00Z")
To answer an earlier question, I haven’t done anything about the strong gasoline smell in my Chrysler except to stop filling short of the auto click-off. No more odor at all. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/36 "2015-03-06T23:53:29Z")
Any new small car will have as good or better performance than you 1995 Tracer I would go for a non turbo Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio. These are inexpensive cars with a good repair record. ---
**Author:** ![mistertudball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@mistertudball](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mistertudball)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/37 "2015-03-07T02:08:48Z")
The hardest challenge is that she likes small wagons with lots of unswoopy glass, which is pretty hard to find in an affordable and reliable car nowadays. Nothing has been driven yet (snowy) but she has sat in and likes the Honda Fit, Mazda5, Nissan Elantra GT, and we want to look at a Kia Forte5 but oddly enough, in a city of more than one million peeps, there are THREE in stock and they aren’t upper end models. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/38 "2015-03-07T02:19:34Z")
Elantra is a Hyundai product. Just let her use the build your own feature that all manufactures have and stay out of her way. It is going to be her car right. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/39 "2015-03-07T02:26:18Z")
"The hardest challenge is that she likes small wagons with lots of unswoopy glass, which is pretty hard to find in an affordable and reliable car nowadays. " Subaru Forester? ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219/40 "2015-03-07T03:17:30Z")
The Hyundai Accent comes as a hatchback, but she has to get used to the fact that vast expanses of glass are a thing of the past, unless you want an ugly upright car like the Scion or Kia Soul. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/to-turbo-or-not-to-turbo/89219.md?page=3)