[200q20v] V8 vs 20V

[Tom Daily]

As an owner of both models, I can tell you there is really no comparison. First of all, it is not 'apples to apples' --there is about a 300 lb. difference in curb weight & all 2KTQ 20V are manual, while that is rare in a V8. If you happened upon one of the later 4.2L ('92 to '94), they run a lot stronger than the original 3.5L. Likewise, if you happened upon a 5sp. manual V8, they do better acceleration numbers. However, both the 4.2L's & the 5 sp. are rare, & I'm not sure there were any 4.2L 5sp. imported to the US. As I said, the average 3.5L V8 auto against a stock 2KTQ 20V is not even close. In addition, the first 40-60HP gain available through ECU mods on the 2K, is almost a gift in terms of cost & resulting performance. On the other hand, naturally aspirated V8's do not chip very well.
As a driver, the V8 is a dream. For $5K to $8K, it's smooth, handles very well, great in the snow, lovely wood & leather, & the little V8 is terrific. Look under the hood & it's as pretty a package as you'll see. Need to be very competent technically yourself, or have a specialist that isn't out to break you to work through some of the problems they can have.

Tom Daily
'91 200TQ 20V--Bamboo 72K (winter)
'86.5 923 S3 Auto--Iris Blue 71K (summer)
'90 V8--Metallic Gray 95K