What are the disadvantages of turbocharged engines?
2 Answers
Turbocharged engines have disadvantages such as sluggish acceleration response, higher maintenance costs, and fewer activation opportunities. Below are detailed explanations of these drawbacks: Sluggish acceleration response: Due to the inertia of the impeller, there is a delayed response to sudden throttle changes. In other words, there is a noticeable time lag between the driver pressing the accelerator to increase power and the impeller spinning to force more air into the engine for greater power output. Higher maintenance costs: Turbocharged engines also come with maintenance-related issues. Fewer activation opportunities: The turbocharger is not always active. In fact, during daily driving, the turbocharger activates infrequently or may not be used at all, which affects the everyday performance of turbocharged engines.
The most frustrating thing about driving a turbocharged car is turbo lag. Especially in traffic jams, when you lightly press the accelerator, it feels like the car is half-asleep, and then after a second or two, the power suddenly kicks in, causing the car to lurch forward abruptly, which can easily lead to a rear-end collision. The turbo can reach working temperatures of over 900 degrees Celsius, and the high heat accelerates the aging of rubber hoses in the engine bay. During summer, I always worry about spontaneous combustion when waiting at red lights. For every maintenance, I have to use full synthetic oil, and if I don't change it by 7,500 kilometers, the warning light comes on—it's twice as expensive as for naturally aspirated cars. Then there's the issue of the turbocharger's lifespan itself. My friend had to replace his turbo at 120,000 kilometers, costing over 8,000 yuan. And you can't fully trust the official fuel consumption data either. While it's indeed fuel-efficient on highways, in city traffic jams, it actually consumes 10% more fuel than a naturally aspirated engine.
