CAI or CAI w/Tuner for a V6 Auto
 

A newbie question in two parts...

my 07 V6 Auto is a daily driver, around town and freeway use. I'm not looking for a rice-beater but interested in getting better mpg, torque and usable performance (ie pulling away, accelerating in the 30-60 range but not increasing the top end ... after all, it's an automatic) without doing damage (either to the car or too much damage to my warranty!)

so....

1/ Is a Cold Air Induction kit like this one going to give me any real benefit (I've already replaced the stock air filter with a K&N filter)

2/ If the answer to 1 is yes, is there $375 worth of extra value in going for a CAI that needs a tuner and getting a kit like this one given my particular set of requirements.

(despite the folks who knock the V6 at every opportunity my only real regret is getting the auto vs a manual but at the time I couldn't find a manual convertible so took what I could get!)

Honestly in my opinion I would highly suggest you do this:

http://www.vmptuning.com/store/index...=198&parent=92

you will be happy with the results

and if you want to throw some mufflers in with it:

http://www.vmptuning.com/store/index...=200&parent=92

the K&N filter will do as well as almost any expensive CAI system for our V6s. Buy the tuner and get different tunes for what you're looking for--one for mileage, performance, and a combo of the two.

vmptuning is where its at!

^^ the 4.0's are affected much more from a CAI and tune than the 3.8's

Yep 4.0 without a tune and a CAI will screw your car up some...CEL ect will come on.

Buy the tuner/cai

yup CAI and tuner. I got the C&L with the tuner from the vmptunig site mentioned above and i love it. I am so happy with my 07 4.0. I got 3 tunes with mine. A 91 octane gas saver, a 91 octane performance and a 93 octane performance.

You will not regret it if you go tuner and CAI!!!!!!! you can tell the dif. right away

If you want better mpg and power the best bang for your buck on the 05-09 cars is for sure a CAI/Tuner combo. And that's for v6 or GT cars. I would also highly recommend the CAI/Tuner combo from Vmptuning.com I know him personally and he is a stand up guy and he tuned my car as well. My GT picked up almost 15rwhp and I got 2mpg back on my 93 performance tune. I have only used my 87 octane mpg tune once so I can't really comment on that yet. But I would guess it would be the same 2mpg maybe 2.5mpg better then before the tune on the low octane MPG tune.

thanks for all the advice.... looks like I'll be digging a little deeper into my pocket ;)

as I have an AM gift voucher I may spend that there to keep the cost under control, but the VMPTuning stuff looks great so I'll juggle options and see what works out best (worst case I can buy tunes from VMP I guess)

the combo from VMP is an overall better price. I'm sure you will be able to find something else to use that voucher on from AM, I know I could haha :D Normally I recommend everything from AM but when it comes to tunes or a tune/intake combo I will always say VMP. Justin did my tune over there

Get a axle back for the car from AM.com to use that up, and get the tuner/cai combo from VMPtuning.com

the wife is going to kill me for sure ;)
the CAI I feel comfortable attempting as a DIY project, axle back exhaust I suspect is more of a challenge (not having a car lift or welding gear!) and funds are limited (mortgage, new deck to replace the rotting one etc have to come first - hence the short term logic in spending the AM voucher for the current project ... though I'll do the math and see if I can spend the $250 wisely at AM on other things)

My goal is to make slow affordable changes to drivability (ideally learning as I go) until the point my daughter is old enough to "inherit" and I get to work on my dream resto-mod (oh, and I'll need to win the lottery somewhere along the line of course)

I did my '08 GT's axle back with no jacks or stands or anything, no crawler either. That's problably one of the easiest jobs i've ever done... Don't be scared of doing that, lol.

In fact, I'd almost say the CAI install is a little harder than an axle back install on a v6... you problably have more bolts holding the filter of the intake on lol

AN axle back for your car is very simple to do. Its just an unbolt the old and install the new. No welding needed at all.