The Naturally Aspirated V6 Is Going Extinct

I've owned four cars in my lifetime. Every single one of them had six naturally aspirated cylinders, and three were V6s. I suppose you can I've got a pretty strong affinity for that type of engine layout, and that's why I'm so worried right now.

You see, I recently came to the realization that the naturally aspirated V6 was dying, and almost always in favor of inline-4 engines with turbos or hybrids. It's a damn shame. For years, V6s have sort of been the backbone of the automotive landscape, but those days are coming to an end. This has all made me take stock of just how many vehicles still have naturally aspirated V6s, and unfortunately, it's not a lot.

I spent a whole lot of time looking through the websites of every mainstream automaker, and only seven different companies make an NA V6 motor: Honda, GM, Stellantis, Ford, Kia/Hyundai, Toyota and Nissan. Between them, there are just 20 vehicles on sale right now with that type of engine. That may sound like a bunch, but when you consider there are hundreds of different vehicle models out there for sale right now, that number is downright small.

Sure, turbocharged four-cylinders and hybrids are usually going to be more efficient and powerful than NA V6s but who cares? These motors are about vibes! Anyway, let's check out the lone survivors of the great naturally aspirated V6 purge. Also, I better not see anyone bring up Porsche in the comments, because they do not make a V6 with no turbos.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 290 horsepower / 267 lb-ft of torque

Ah, the J-Series V6. It's possibly one of the most famous V6s in the history of cars, having powered everything Honda and Acura has made for decades now, but at this point it's only found in the MDX. Still, it's great to see this sweet-sounding engine still going.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 310 horsepower / 266 lb-ft of torque

Mid-size, seven-seat crossovers are pretty much the only place NA V6s still thrive, and the GM C1XX platform is a great example of that. This 3.6 liter V6 is in everything! But the next-gen SUVs are moving to, you guessed it, turbo fours.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 310 horsepower / 271 lb-ft of torque

That same motor can even be found in the small relatives of those seven-seaters.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 335 horsepower / 284 lb-ft of torque

This is GM's best application of the 3.6-liter V6. In the Camaro V6 it makes a whole lot of power for something with six cylinders and no turbo. In fact, this is the most powerful V6 on our list. Too bad it's dying soon.

Displacement: 4.3 litersPower: 276 horsepower / 298 lb-ft of torque

Wild to think that a V6 has 4.3 liters to play with, but that's exactly what's going on here. GM vans have been powered by 4.3-liter V6s since Moses wore short pants. Admittedly, it's been heavily updated in its decades of production.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 287 horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque

I love the Pentastar V6. It's such a good little motor that punches well above its weight class.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 293 horsepower / 260 lb-ft of torque

Speaking of which, that little motor is more than enough to power some very big and heavy crossovers like the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee. You don't need the V8, I swear.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 275 horsepower / 260 lb-ft of torque 

The V6 motors put in Transits have got to be some of the hardest working engines on the planet.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 280 horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque 

Hell yeah, baby. J-Series minivan! What a machine.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 280 horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque 

Like I said earlier, the J-Series powers so many Honda products that it would be a waste of time to write them all out individually. May you live on forever, friend.

Displacement: 3.8 litersPower: 291 horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque 

I just drove a Telluride nearly 500 miles, and this V6 proved to be more than up to the task. Was it fast? No. Was the fuel economy great? Also no. But it does sound better than a turbo four, and it can tow a hell of a lot.

Displacement: 3.8 litersPower: 284-295 horsepower / 259-270 lb-ft of torque

The Infiniti QX60 is probably the best-looking car that no one talks about, and having a solid V6 under the hood makes it even better.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 285 horsepower / 260 lb-ft of torque

The Pentastar V6 makes the Jeep Wrangler feel downright fast. Yes, I know you can get a 6.4-liter V8, but for 99 percent of people, the V6 is more than enough.

Displacement: 3.8 litersPower: 291 horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque 

This is what you should buy if you really want a Telluride or Palisade.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 302 horsepower / 267 lb-ft of torque 

I have a strong suspicion that the last car on earth available with a naturally aspirated V6 will be the Lexus ES. They go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 311 horsepower / 280 lb-ft of torque 

The IS and RC are so old, I cannot believe they're still hanging around. I really respect that.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 310 horsepower / 281 lb-ft of torque 

The new Frontier has a new engine, and I'll be giving it a go in about a month. I'll reserve my judgement until then.

Displacement: 3.5 litersPower: 260 horsepower / 240 lb-ft of torque 

TIL you can still buy the Nissan Murano. Pretty neat.

Displacement: 3.6 litersPower: 305 horsepower / 269 lb-ft of torque 

The Ram 1500 is the last half-ton pickup truck you can buy with a naturally aspirated V6. Hold on, friend. Don't go into the light.

Displacement: 4.0 litersPower: 270 horsepower / 278 lb-ft of torque 

This engine is older than me and will continue to exist well after I am dead.