Air Filters

I love asking this crowd questions like this, because I know I'll get answers more in line with my own thinking, or at least a wide range of opinions.

So I'm looking for an air filter as part of the spring tune up, and seeing varying prices. I see a Mahle filter for $8, and a K&N filter for $42.
How much would putting a "cheap" filter on a stock setup actually be starving the engine for air, if at all?
Alternative question: How much of the price can be attributed to the K&N brand?

I like knowing that the responses to this question won't be "OMG WTF GET K&N OR U SUK!".

Cheers :-)

I read a post on the old BEN that measured the amount of air the stock filter allowed through and also a K&N. I can't remember the why or how but he concluded that the stock filter was the best one to do the job. It does not starve the motor for air (unless it hasn't been changed in 40,000 miles) and the K&N actually does not filter as well so you are allowing more dirt into the engine with the more expensive but reusable filter. Also it does not increase HP as the engine can only use as much air as it can use at any given time and the stock filter was designed to allow that flow. The K&N does make you hear the motor more as you eliminate the air box when installing one, but that is just sound not HP. Most guys here will tell you to not waste your money and stick with stock filter!

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wodcutr
I read a post on the old BEN that measured the amount of air the stock filter allowed through and also a K&N. I can't remember the why or how but he concluded that the stock filter was the best one to do the job. It does not starve the motor for air (unless it hasn't been changed in 40,000 miles) and the K&N actually does not filter as well so you are allowing more dirt into the engine with the more expensive but reusable filter. Also it does not increase HP as the engine can only use as much air as it can use at any given time and the stock filter was designed to allow that flow. The K&N does make you hear the motor more as you eliminate the air box when installing one, but that is just sound not HP. Most guys here will tell you to not waste your money and stick with stock filter!

That's exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks!

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wodcutr
I read a post on the old BEN that measured the amount of air the stock filter allowed through and also a K&N. I can't remember the why or how but he concluded that the stock filter was the best one to do the job. It does not starve the motor for air (unless it hasn't been changed in 40,000 miles) and the K&N actually does not filter as well so you are allowing more dirt into the engine with the more expensive but reusable filter. Also it does not increase HP as the engine can only use as much air as it can use at any given time and the stock filter was designed to allow that flow. The K&N does make you hear the motor more as you eliminate the air box when installing one, but that is just sound not HP. Most guys here will tell you to not waste your money and stick with stock filter!

there are also KN drop in filters, that sit inside the airbox like a normal filter. i think this is what tyler was referring to.

tyler, i think you should get the stock filter, as the KN filter is not worth the money, but the upside is that the KN is a lifetime filter that you clean once a year, rather than replace every 15k miles or whatever the air filter change intervals are. some say that the KN filter lets in more dirt, but something tells me that they wouldn't be a very successful air filter company if they ended up wrecking engines.

anyway, with all this said, get the $8 filter.

My big problem with K&N is that I have to spend more money to inconvenience myself. To properly clean them you have to wash them, dry them and oil them. I prefer to just pop in a new filter rather than spend my time cleaning one and then have to wait for it to dry to reinstall it and drive my car.