---
title: 'Turbochargers vs Superchargers - Which Is Better?'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=UUFf4n0MUq8'
video_id: 'UUFf4n0MUq8'
date: 2026-06-30
duration_sec: 556
---

# Turbochargers vs Superchargers - Which Is Better?

> Source: [Turbochargers vs Superchargers - Which Is Better?](https://youtube.com/watch?v=UUFf4n0MUq8)

## Summary

The video compares turbochargers and superchargers at a high level, outlining how each device increases engine horsepower. It details their differing power sources (exhaust gas vs. engine-driven), and discusses key pros and cons like efficiency vs. immediate throttle response. The presenter ultimately shares a personal preference for superchargers' instantaneous power delivery.

### Key Points

- **High-Level Comparison** [0:00] — The video provides a high-level overview of the differences between superchargers and turbochargers, discussing pros and cons of each.
- **Both Increase Horsepower** [0:23] — Both superchargers and turbochargers dramatically increase horsepower by providing 'boost' (added pressure) to the engine.
- **Turbocharger Operation** [1:01] — A turbocharger uses exhaust gas to spin a turbine, which then powers a compressor to force more air into the engine. It is not directly driven by the engine.
- **Supercharger Operation** [1:10] — A supercharger is mechanically driven by the engine (e.g., belt or gear), which rotates a compressor to supply boost. It is dependent on engine RPM.
- **Efficiency Advantage of Turbochargers** [1:29] — Turbochargers are more efficient because they utilize otherwise wasted exhaust gas energy, whereas superchargers do not.
- **Engine Downsizing with Turbochargers** [1:59] — Manufacturers use turbochargers to downsize engines for better fuel economy when not at full throttle, while still achieving high horsepower.
- **Supercharger Advantage: No Lag** [2:48] — Superchargers have no lag because they are directly driven by the engine, providing immediate power when the throttle is pressed.
- **Linear Boost from Superchargers** [3:08] — Certain supercharger types (twin-screw and roots) can provide wide, linear boost across the RPM range, especially low-end grunt.
- **Turbocharger Disadvantage: Lag and Boost Threshold** [4:10] — Turbochargers suffer from lag and a boost threshold, meaning there is a delay between throttle input and power delivery, which can affect throttle control.
- **Turbocharger Oil Demand** [5:04] — Turbochargers require engine oil lubrication for the turbine shaft and bearings, which can degrade oil faster due to high temperatures.
- **Supercharger Disadvantage: Parasitic Loss** [6:05] — Superchargers take energy directly from the engine to operate, making them less efficient than turbochargers, though they regain some power from increased air.
- **Personal Preference for Superchargers** [7:23] — After driving many vehicles, the presenter prefers superchargers for their immediate throttle response and the feeling of being connected to the car.

### Conclusion

While turbochargers are more efficient and allow for engine downsizing, superchargers provide immediate, lag-free power and a more connected driving experience. The presenter personally finds supercharged cars more enjoyable to drive despite the efficiency trade-off.

## Transcript

Hello everyone and welcome in this video we're going to be talking about the differences between
superchargers and
turbochargers more at a high-level standpoint and discussing the pros and cons of each now
i've got a bunch of different videos on very specific types both turbochargers probably about six or so different types out there
which I've discussed and three different types of superchargers which I've discussed in detail
but I wanted to do kind of a high-level comparison of why a might you want to select one
versus another and then from there you can start looking diving deeper into those individual options that you think makes sense for whatever
application it may be now both superchargers &
turbochargers by design help you increase horsepower
dramatically so they give you a huge boost
literally boost being the pressure that is added from the device whether it's a supercharger or a
turbocharger to your horsepower
so you're going to have an improvement in horsepower significantly more power using turbochargers and superchargers they go about it in very different ways a
turbocharger uses your exhaust to spool up a turbine which then
powers a compressor which pulls in air to feed more air to your engine a
supercharger on the other hand is dependent on the engine to rotate it so whether it's gear driven or belt driven or some other form
ultimately the engine is what is powering it?
and so it's going to be some form driven by the engine which will rotate a
compressor and that compressor will supply boost to the engine now
why what are the advantages of going with that turbo realm?
well, there are a lot of advantages from an efficiency standpoint because what you're doing is you're taking that exhaust gas
which is otherwise going to be wasted and turning it into something useful and
allowing you to pull in more air as a result of taking advantage of using that wasted exhaust gas
so a supercharger will not do it
it'll act very similar to a naturally aspirated engine, and then it can't do anything useful with those exhaust gases once
they're leaving the engine now
manufacturers often take advantage of turbochargers to downsize their engines so they can still make high levels of horsepower
but then it allows them to use a small engine so when you don't want horsepower you've got less reciprocating mass
you've got less rotating mass you've got a smaller engine. That's sitting there
whether it's idling or cruising on the highway, and it's taking less energy to do it
it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get better fuel economy when you're flooring it when you're trying to make peak power
you're going to use a lot of fuel, but by downsizing that engine pulling weight out of the car using a smaller engine
there's a lot of advantages from a fuel economy standpoint
why which is why it's so popular with
manufacturers currently so the biggest advantage of a turbocharger being of course it adds power
and it does so efficiently so why might you want to go with a supercharger option? What are the advantages of a supercharger?
well a supercharger is going to have no lag
it's not dependent on exhaust gases in order to provide boost for the engine
it's instead purely dependent on the engine's rpm so as a result when you put your foot down with a
supercharged car you get that power immediately rather than waiting for it like you do in a turbocharged
application the other advantages superchargers can be tuned and so can turbochargers to an extent
but superchargers can be made so that they give you a wide nice linear boost
across the engines rpm range now not this style here. Which is a centrifugal supercharger?
which tends to be top-end heavy as far as adding boost and adding power
but twin screw and root style superchargers give you a lot of power early on you get a lot of low-end grunt whereas a
turbocharger you really have to choose
where you want that power to come on you can have a ton of high end power you can have a decent mid-range,
that levels out on both sides
or you can have that early low end torque if that's what you want makes a lot of sense in diesel applications
which are low revving get that low end grunt and and so but from a you know an entire curve standpoint,
you can generally have a wider range using a supercharger of
effective boost so another reason why they may be chosen
so what are the disadvantages of a turbocharger well as we mentioned, there's lag.
So there's turbo lag, and then there's also the boost threshold, so there's a certain exhaust
there's a certain engine speed at which you produce enough exhaust gas to actually produce boost
that's your exhaust threshold
then once that's been overcome it takes a certain amount of time to pull in that air
have it passed through and go through the intercooler into the engine from spooling up that exhaust
so there's there's a lag associated with it so when you put your foot down the power is not immediate like it is with a
supercharger you have to wait for it the other
disadvantage there is that throttle control so you ask for a certain amount of power, and you wait a bit
and so you've asked for a certain amount amount of power you may assume okay,
that's what I've gotten and then later on more comes with it
so your foot hasn't changed its position
but the amount of power that you're receiving has so the
communication through the throttle pedal is a bit different with a turbocharged car than with a supercharged car and finally
turbochargers of course require engine oil lubrication at a minimum, and so you've got that engine oil
and that's an extra demand which you know is going to be used to lubricate that
turbine shaft as well as the bearings within the turbo and so that's an extra demand on your engine oil
that's going to get very hot from the turbocharger and it's high temperatures
so that's just another thing you have to consider is that your engine oil?
you know will degrade faster using a turbocharger versus for example a naturally aspirated
engine or in some instance instances supercharged cars
which don't have oil lubrication which include root style superchargers &?
twin-screw supercharger x' you probably don't have to have lubrication for those these centrifugal style
superchargers will have oil lubrication, so it does again put another demand on the engine oil
but it's not reaching the temperatures that a turbocharger is so really the big disadvantage with engine oil comes with turbochargers
not with superchargers, so what are the disadvantages of a supercharger?
well
you're taking energy from the engine to make more power so rather than taking energy from the exhaust
like a turbo you're taking energy from the engine directly so it takes a certain amount of horsepower to spin up at or a
supercharger and as a result you lose that horsepower
now you gain it back with pulling in more air but from an efficiency standpoint
it's not the most logical thing to do so from an efficiency standpoint
turbochargers make a lot of sense from a response standpoint
superchargers make a lot of sense now
which do I prefer well if you would asked me that question before?
I had driven a bunch of the different cars out
there as a result of being an automotive journalist and getting into a bunch of different press cars
I would have told you that I preferred
turbochargers, and I would have told you that because they are so much more efficient
and I think that makes a lot of sense from a logical standpoint
turbochargers make a ton of sense there. They're good today in which you can get very little lag
you can get wide rpm ranges of effective areas with different technologies like twin-scroll turbo
variable geometry turbos, so there's cool technology out there that kind of reduces their
drawbacks
but
after having driven a bunch of the different vehicles out there and after having driven many numerous turbocharged and supercharged vehicles
What I find is that I find
superchargers far more enjoyable and the reason is because there's zero lag and so when you put your foot down
you get exactly what you asked for and I think the thing that you come to appreciate
after you start to drive a bunch of different vehicles out
there is having a throttle pedal that does exactly what you ask it to do so with the supercharger
you give it 50 percent you get 50 percent and your your pedal does exactly what you're asking of it in real time
with the turbocharged car you could take that pedal mash it in real quick and
nothing's going to happen at all because it doesn't have enough time to spool up that throttle pedal
so you mash it in you wait and the amount of torque that you get it doesn't correlate
perfectly with where you've positioned it with respect to time and so I think that's the big difference is that
pedal you could be all over the place with your foot and the response that you're getting at the wheels as far as torque is
also all over the place and not matching it versus a
supercharger as you're changing that position of the throttle pedal
you're getting you're feeling that change immediately
so it's responding
exactly how you ask it to and that response makes you feel really connected to the vehicle so me personally
I have enjoyed more driving supercharged cars rather than driving turbocharged cars that said there are many great
turbocharged cars out there that do a phenomenal job of you know
mapping the throttle very consistently making it seem like there's not a huge amount of lag that there's not a huge torque
discrepancy depending on where it you know you're putting your foot on that pedal, so I like the way that some cars out there
I've done it just overall from a feel perspective. I feel like superchargers are more fun to drive
so thank you all for watching and of course feel free to check out the many different types of superchargers and turbochargers.
I will include links in the video description if you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below.