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K&N Air Filter, increased horsepower AND mileage?

9K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  ravenuer 
#1 ·
I came across this air filter on AutoAnything and it claims to provide a small boost in horsepower while also increasing your mileage. I suppose it could work in theory since more air flow to the engine can't necessarily be a bad thing, but what do you guys think? Worth the $50 upgrade? Anyone have one?

The reviews on this site from other Rav4 owners claim that it does indeed work, with one claiming a ~5-15 horsepower boost and 2-3 mpg better, with even more saying their throttle response has increased as a result along with the fuel economy. Best of all, it apparently lasts 50,000 miles, at which time you just need to clean it and put it right back in. If all those claims are true, sign me up.

K&N Air Filter - 12,200+ Reviews - Install Videos - Best Price Guarantee on K&N Air Filters
 
#2 ·
I starting using these decades ago when you had to import them from England. Depending on the style of filter (panel, cone, cold air,etc) and the engine, vehicle, and OEM intake design you MAY get a small increase in power. I stress MAY big time.

The claims are big but in actual use the gains are few if any. A positive is that you will never buy another filter. The negative is that you will need to buy cleaner & oil to keep it working properly. Another negative is it allows a lot more dirt into the engine, as in up to 50% more than an OEM paper filter. If you over oil it, which many people do, then your MAF sensor will become coated and need to be cleaned or replaced.

I wish I had the money in hand now that I pi$$ed off over the years buying those stupid things. I'm not saying that low restriction filters never work because that's just not so. What I am saying is that simply installing this on any & every car will not result in increased performance and mileage across the board. I never once saw a MPG increase but perhaps my heavy foot circumvented that. What I did was fool myself into
thinking my car was faster/badder after the filter install. Don't fall into the same trap.......spend your $50 elsewhere.
 
#3 ·
It would seem to me that if this sort of "upgrade" increases fuel mileage and power as claimed, Toyota would either install them from K&N or licence the technology as an easy and inexpensive way to boost mileage and achieve CAFE requirements as well as to increase performance. Of course there would be the downside of increased maintenance and Toyota's concern about that.
 
#4 ·
Ditto. I don't know what Toyota's R & D budget is but, judging from the high quality of their products, I'd bet it's considerable. And given the intense competition among manufacturers to have the best mileage and hp figures, perhaps Toyota engineers have dealt with those issues. Today's cars are very sophisticated compared to those from decades ago. Sometimes stock is good.
 
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