V6 Auto vs i4 Auto

[Vintage]

V6 Automatic or I4 Automatic, unsure which one to purchase. I test the manual last week and loved it, but for my driving needs I decided to go with a auto. Any feedback, thoughts or Pros and cons on the V6 Auto vs the i4 auto would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you advance.

 

[Andy H]

I've driven the V6 manual and I own an I4 so I can't provide a perfect comparison but based on my experiences, here are some thoughts:

V6:
Sounds better.
Power delivery is more linear.
Slightly more powerful (allegedly!)

i4:
Sounds loud but there's no particular signature to it.
"Feels" faster due to the greater torque from the turbo.
The engine is way more modern and packs a hell of a punch for a 2.0.
There's no discernable turbo lag. Power is instant and it always feels eager - like an NA engine but with added punch.
In Auto the touring shifts are smooth and the sport has a very aggressive map (holds onto gears longer, keeps revs up)
The manual shifts seem responsive to me with only minimal delays (similar to my RS3).
With 8 gears, it's remarkably economical on long journeys, doing 1,500rpm at 70mph. I've seen 35+ mpg

In summary - the V6 wins on soundtrack for sure. Coming from a V8 - I do miss that aspect. Everything else feels like a win for the i4. I can't imagine the V6 auto doing anything else better but someone with an auto should be able to provide some balance here

 

[Lotus64]

No replacement for displacement.... V6 auto.

The sound and power delivery will be much better. The auto will give up some responsiveness to the DCT however.

 

[SirSoysauce]

Personally, I feel if you're going to go auto, go with the engine that was meant for auto, the i4.

i4:
+ AMG exotic engine, responsive and the NYO people have been allegedly pulling crazy 0-60 times if that excites you
+ DCT
+ Pretty responsive (although some people were initially claiming that the DCT was slower than they expected)
+ Very good on gas (as mentioned earlier by Andy H)
+ Wooshy noises from the turbo
- Exhaust note is not as exciting (though this is preference)
- Maintenance cost and reliability are big unknowns (speculation from dealers has stated engine may be double the cost to maintain compared to the V6)
- Engine cover instead of beautiful supercharger

v6:
+ Supercharger whine is really nice
+ Lots of exhaust setups offerings
+ Reliable and well documented engine
+ A more linear power delivery
+ Tuning options also offered
- No DCT

Lots of speculation indicate that the i4 will receive higher trims and that the Emira was developed with the i4 platform in mind. Personally, if I weren't so fixated on having a manual, the i4 is my go to as it truly gives the Emira all qualities of an exotic car. A lot of the Chinese Emira guys have also shown that it may be pulling sub 4s 0-60 times, which truly shows the Emiras potential. Also, with a 35mph, what current exotic on market gets that good of economy!

 

[JClem]

Somehow we need to get the 2 together on a disused runway and do a 1/4 mile with launch control. I can volunteer my v6 auto!!

I'm now convinced that since the first service and software updates were done a couple of weeks ago the manual shifts are more responsive. On the economy side, I drove to Portsmouth and back (120 miles) a few days ago and got 30mpg (UK) doing "roughly" 80mph on the A3.

Going through Hindhead tunnel in track mode put a smile on my face and I'm not sure the i4 would have given me the same buzz.

 

[Vintage]

I was very impressed with the V6 when I drove the MT. Growing up in the V8 muscle car era where bigger is better, I'm leaning towards the V6. But as current owner of a PDK and DCT the up shifts and down shifts are very impressive.

 

[JimH]

I was firmly in the i4 camp at launch (and my i4 deposit was placed on launch day) for many of the reasons given above. However, since driving both (also had an Evora S IPS before) I cancelled my i4 order in favour of an ex-dealer demo V6 auto when the UK i4's were delayed (again) in Q3 2023. The i4 was a press car drive organised for me by Scott Walker at Hethel.

Not a lot of difference in shift speeds between them really (the V6 auto with latest software is quicker than most auto boxes, and the i4 is slower than, say a VAG DCT or P***che PDK [I had a DCT B**ster too] and did tend to hunt between gears a lot) and the V6, as well as sounding better and having more support available makes, in my opinion, the best "GT" car which is my "use case". I'm sure the i4 will be great on track though....

 

[Vintage]

With all the reviews out there, I'm surprised someone hasn't done a side by side drive and review between the V6 auto and i4.

 

[DJS]

Speaking to my local dealer they say the V6 auto is the best of the lot.

Just saying….

 

[NigeT]

I had a 1st service & some software updates (V6 auto) completed a couple of days ago and I thought noticing quicker manual shifts after the sw updates were my imagination but now a few others have remarked I'm thinking might be true. As has been said before it would be so useful to have a list of the updates applied.

As for the V6 v I4 its the V6 sound and linear performance which I like.