A 4 cylinder engine is designed with 4 pistons. Smaller cars like the Toyota Tacoma do have such an engine. The Toyota Tacoma is basically a 1995-2004 model compact pickup truck. The vehicle also has a 2.7L and 2.4L 4 cylinder engine. The 6 cylinder engine on the other hand has got 6 pistons.
A good number of passenger cars do have these engines too for instance the small trucks as well as the vans. The GMC truck v6 engine is one such example. It was originally produced between 1960 and 1978 within the Chevrolet 250 cid inline 6.
On the surface, it should seem like if there are more pistons, then there is more power. The V6 engine comes in the place of the inline 6 because the V6 is a little compact and has greater performance. Therefore if you are in search of a high power engine then you should think about this one. It is also quite suitable for those hoping to save fuel.
On the other hand, the 4 cylinder is common in majority of the vehicles and is looked at by many people as the more economical option. It has very low emission rates and it has good fuel consumption levels. It is also eco-friendly.
The better engine only depends on what exactly you are looking for in a vehicle. The more cylinders the vehicle has, the more power it will have. People tend to think that the 4 cylinder lacks proper acceleration but with the new high performance SUVs that are being made in Japan, this is bound to change.