Big Engine or Turbo???

[MX3newbie77]

I was wondering what people thought would be better, a turbo in the existing 1.8 Liter Engine, or upgrading to a 2.5 Liter. I would really appreciate posts from people who have either of these engines letting me know what the new horsepower is and how they perform.Thanks!!!

[Hy300]

Why don't you decide for yourself and enjoy the experiance.<p>The answers to questions like this are totally opinion based and in the end it all comes down to how big your budget is. Both will be quick, both have good midrange power, both will probably cause you to break a lot of parts in the long run.<p>If you don't know much about an engine you shouldn't turbocharge it. That's my rule, its only a suggestion. If you don't know and understand what you're doing with a turbocharger and how it'll affect every part of the engine, then it probably isn't for you.

[Marlon]

just get the 2.5 then if you want more hp get some zex

[johnnyb]

if you had enough money i'd say get a new engine and turbo it if you wanted to be fast

[VizualXTC]

Basically it's your call. A turbo setup will yield about 200HP on the K8 engine with good tuning. A KLZE engine gives about 195-200HP. The KLZE would be the cheaper and more reliable of the two, but you don't get the "thrill" of having a turbo. A good turbo setup will prolly run you $1500-$2500 and the KLZE swap will be about $1500. BUT if you turbocharge the K8 right now, and decide you want more power, you can always do the swap later and swap the turbo over. But like it was said above, it's your call man.

[BumpNGlow]

hehe I don't think this has ever been said about a MX-3 engine, but:
"there is no replacement for displacement"<p>I'd love a 2.5L in my car...

[Silkwyrm]

So it's cheaper to put in a KLZE and you get about the same power gain. Consider that the taste of power may just wet your appetite and you may want more than around 200HP. It is easier to install a turbo than it would be to pull the K8, remove your turbo, install the KLZE and reinstall the turbo. All in all I'd say the KLZE is the best way to go.