# Magnaflow or Borlas ?



## VictoryRed08 (Feb 16, 2011)

CHEVYCRUZE RS said:


> Dont know if i should get magnaflows or borla exhaust system.
> Let me know what my fellow cruze owners think ?
> 
> Thanks for your time


I haven't heard any exhaust notes on the Cruze yet, but generally I like Borla a bit more (a bit deeper sounding). Just make sure you keep a resonator on the system, otherwise it'll be loud.

That said, I'm fairly certain both magnaflow & borla have long warranties (1M miles?).


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## fenix (Mar 30, 2011)

im all for free flowing exhaust i had dual flowmasters on my 3/4 ton ave but i HATE!! that annoying "fart can" exhaust sound that all those imports have. so here is my question do you know of any that are quietish or would leaving the resonator help that?


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## robertbick (Jan 1, 2011)

fenix said:


> im all for free flowing exhaust i had dual flowmasters on my 3/4 ton ave but i HATE!! that annoying "fart can" exhaust sound that all those imports have. so here is my question do you know of any that are quietish or would leaving the resonator help that?


Yep... free flowing exhaust sounds good on a V8, on a four banger it sounds like crap to me.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

fenix said:


> im all for free flowing exhaust i had dual flowmasters on my 3/4 ton ave but i HATE!! that annoying "fart can" exhaust sound that all those imports have. so here is my question do you know of any that are quietish or would leaving the resonator help that?


Actually Flowmaster mufflers are not very free flowing at all compared to mufflers like Magnaflow makes. Flowmaster mufflers have a series of chambers inside the muffler redirecting flow and trying to cancel out sound, Magnaflow mufflers are a straight shot through using stainless steel and finber glass wadding to surpress sound.

Any catback exhaust system will probably sound okay on a 1.4 becuase the turbocharger itself acts as a muffler.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

robertbick said:


> Yep... free flowing exhaust sounds good on a V8, on a four banger it sounds like crap to me.


Not true at all! Its all about the quality of the exhaust system and the amount of R&D the manufacturer puts into making it sound right. It usually takes a lot of trial and error of different mufflers, resonators and placement to get it right which most exhaust companies just don't do...

For example my HKS exhaust on my 240 (with a "four banger") is huge 85mm piping (3.34 inch) and uses straight through mufflers yet is super quiet at idle and all cruising speeds, with a very deep tone and no rasp at all at wide open throttle. Even after replacing the cat with a 3" test pipe the exhaust is quiet, almost too quiet lol!


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## pntballer925 (Feb 27, 2011)

didnt even know magnaflow was making a kit for the cruze!! its gunna be a dual rear exit!! 

MagnaFlow Exhaust Products - For Trucks, Suv's, American Muscle, Diesel, & Sport Compact Vehicles


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## ChevyPower (Nov 9, 2010)

From personal experience, Magnaflow delivers a nice deep and clean sound exhaust note. I had no luck finding video's on the Cruze magnaflow exhaust on youtube. 

Borla i have no experience with but I've heard a lot of good things and a few bad things from them.

For a Cruze aftermarket exhaust, don't get anything that will give it a "ricer" sound lol


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## gfxdave99 (Feb 26, 2011)

I have personal experience with both Borla and Magnaflow 

Borla experience: my 1998 trans am ws6... The thing sounded like a monster on crack it made the car sound quite mean. However the Borla had a bit of a rasp and crack to it which to me was kinda cool but some people might not like it. 

Magnaflow I have had one 2 cars, my 2nd trans am which compared to the Borla was a deeper sound it was more robust sounding and had less of the backfire / crackle that the borla did.

On my subaru before i bought a cat-back system I had replaced both stock mufflers with magnaflows, and being a four banger it still sounded pretty mean. I think i have some video clips of this exhaust sound I can dig up when i get home. 

Both companies make quality products and I'm kinda stoked that they are making a dual outlet catback for the 1.4


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## TurboTechRacing (Nov 3, 2010)

Borla only offers a cat back for the 1.8L engine.

Magnaflow does not have one yet release... They will be making one for the 1.4 and 1.8L soon I am sure.


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## GMMillwright (Mar 5, 2011)

Both are a high quality muffler. I'd go with whichever you can get cheaper. I run a 4" Magnaflow on my camaro, fyi.


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

pntballer925 said:


> didnt even know magnaflow was making a kit for the cruze!! its gunna be a dual rear exit!!
> 
> MagnaFlow Exhaust Products - For Trucks, Suv's, American Muscle, Diesel, & Sport Compact Vehicles


 
Dual rear exit.......VERY disappointing!


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## gfxdave99 (Feb 26, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> Dual rear exit.......VERY disappointing!


Disappointing??!?!


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

gfxdave99 said:


> Disappointing??!?!


Yeah disappointed. its an inline four motor, it can't have true dual exhaust. Fake dual exhaust is rice and just adds weight.


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## gfxdave99 (Feb 26, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> Yeah disappointed. its an inline four motor, it can't have true dual exhaust. Fake dual exhaust is rice and just adds weight.


True i can see your side of that. But from an appearance perspective dual mufflers looks nice. I mean every H4 outback / legacy since 05 has had dual exhaust fed from a single pipe.. 

But yeah for me given that its an eco unless the cat back is lighter then the oem setup i'll probably just do a custom muffler/resonator


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

gfxdave99 said:


> True i can see your side of that. But from an appearance perspective dual mufflers looks nice. I mean every H4 outback / legacy since 05 has had dual exhaust fed from a single pipe..
> 
> But yeah for me given that its an eco unless the cat back is lighter then the oem setup i'll probably just do a custom muffler/resonator


duals loose power too becuase there is no back pressure unless done right,may look fancy but serves no purpose


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

jakkaroo said:


> duals loose power too becuase there is no back pressure unless done right,may look fancy but serves no purpose


You don't want any back pressure in your exhaust, period. You want a scavenging effect but on a turbo motor you want no exhaust at all if you're after peak power gains. I want a quiet light weight exhaust that flows better than stock for my personal preferences.


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## gfxdave99 (Feb 26, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> You don't want any back pressure in your exhaust, period. You want a scavenging effect but on a turbo motor you want no exhaust at all if you're after peak power gains. I want a quiet light weight exhaust that flows better than stock for my personal preferences.


I just want something that lets me know im driving something with a motor without sounding like a fart can


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> You don't want any back pressure in your exhaust, period. You want a scavenging effect but on a turbo motor you want no exhaust at all if you're after peak power gains. I want a quiet light weight exhaust that flows better than stock for my personal preferences.


you want some back pressure cause its not a race car its a street car if you have no back pressure your gonna burn the valves up,if you have no back pressure the valves will get to hott since there is no air getting to them


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

i think im gunna go with the borlas. in Toronto they havent yet released alot of parts, accessories, engine parts and so on....hopefully they start coming out with a lot of neat things... cant wait till the chip get released and a pair of Eibach racing tuned suspension. Even some strut bars would be pretty cool. 

thanks to all of you viewers for responding back...greatly appreciated.
follow me on twitter to keep me updated on your knowledge...great thanks!
@YUNGandBALLIN


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

CHEVYCRUZE RS said:


> i think im gunna go with the borlas. in Toronto they havent yet released alot of parts, accessories, engine parts and so on....hopefully they start coming out with a lot of neat things... cant wait till the chip get released and a pair of Eibach racing tuned suspension. Even some strut bars would be pretty cool.
> 
> thanks to all of you viewers for responding back...greatly appreciated.
> follow me on twitter to keep me updated on your knowledge...great thanks!
> @YUNGandBALLIN


oo i got a cool little note for you eibach is only making lowering springs for the cruze i would no cause im gonna be the test fit


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

jakkaroo said:


> you want some back pressure cause its not a race car its a street car if you have no back pressure your gonna burn the valves up,if you have no back pressure the valves will get to hott since there is no air getting to them


False.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> False.


lol true


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

jakkaroo said:


> lol true


Read this...

Intake & Exhaust Systems - Tech - Sport Compact Car Magazine


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## CruzeBop (Mar 17, 2011)

I read in envy coz i can't even consider getting an exhaust job. Bought an auto for the missus. 

And yes, the sound of a catback on an auto makes me cringe.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...if you can find an old copy, read the 'Auto Shop Series' article, "*Header Science*," on pages 114-118, in the November 1973-issue of *HOT ROD Magazine*.

...it was also selected as one of their "Best of Year" articles for their *HOT ROD Yearbook No. 14,* 1974, pages 190-193.

...and, reprinted, again, in Petersens' *Basic Engine Hot Rodding No. 2*, 1975, pages 158-161.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

CruzeBop said:


> I read in envy coz i can't even consider getting an exhaust job. Bought an auto for the missus.
> 
> And yes, the sound of a catback on an auto makes me cringe.


i feel ya i hate knowing its an auto so ill let off at shift points just to sound cool


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## masterjohnson (Apr 7, 2011)

Skilz10179 said:


> Actually Flowmaster mufflers are not very free flowing at all compared to mufflers like Magnaflow makes. Flowmaster mufflers have a series of chambers inside the muffler redirecting flow and trying to cancel out sound, Magnaflow mufflers are a straight shot through using stainless steel and finber glass wadding to surpress sound.
> 
> Any catback exhaust system will probably sound okay on a 1.4 becuase the turbocharger itself acts as a muffler.


but flowmaster car mufflers still create the best sound especially the 40 series. compare it on you tube and hear it for yourself. lol. anyways that is my opinion. not really sure how much hp you gain with those car mufflers


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## 5.0 Junkie (Mar 25, 2011)

Oh lord. We just went there. Listen up. REMOVE backpressure from your vocabulary. 

I'm not going to expound on why, but engines don't need backpressure for anything. You can "tune" the powerband by varying sizes of exhaust pipe, but it doesn't need backpressure and won't burn valves.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

5.0 Junkie said:


> Oh lord. We just went there. Listen up. REMOVE backpressure from your vocabulary.
> 
> I'm not going to expound on why, but engines don't need backpressure for anything. You can "tune" the powerband by varying sizes of exhaust pipe, but it doesn't need backpressure and won't burn valves.


alright go take the header of your car and drive it tell me what happens,thats the same thing has back pressure you need some for a street car yea if it was a track car i would run straight pipes for days but its not,i have a little vw motor laying around its a 2332cc stroker on methanol turboed it still has some glasspack some where in the exhaust to provide backpressure


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## 5.0 Junkie (Mar 25, 2011)

We have run engines with no header before. No ill effects. It vastly changes the power range though. 

No engineer puts anything on an engine to provide backpressure. In fact they do everything they can to eliminate it while meeting EPA driveby sound levels. 

You can run an open header on your Cruze with no ill effect whatsoever. It will be noisy and the power band will be pushed way up in the rpm range. It will make more hp, but it won't be as usable on the street. At any rate is doesn't need "backpressure" to do anything. 



jakkaroo said:


> alright go take the header of your car and drive it tell me what happens,thats the same thing has back pressure you need some for a street car yea if it was a track car i would run straight pipes for days but its not,i have a little vw motor laying around its a 2332cc stroker on methanol turboed it still has some glasspack some where in the exhaust to provide backpressure


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

masterjohnson said:


> but flowmaster car mufflers still create the best sound especially the 40 series. compare it on you tube and hear it for yourself. lol. anyways that is my opinion. not really sure how much hp you gain with those car mufflers


Flowmaster uses chambers to quiet the exhaust but these chanber also restrict flow. Here is an example of a good sounding straight through muffler (no chambers). 





 


5.0 Junkie is right, you do NOT need any back pressure. I thought the artical i posted earlier already cleared that up...


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## ECRUZ (Mar 6, 2011)

Well I know I'm jumping in the convo late, but I just had a Cat-Back Magnaflow put on my Cruze about a month ago. And I like it, its not really loud at all, but you can hear a nice deep tone to it. Plus I have no resonator on my exhaust and its not loud at all.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

5.0 Junkie said:


> We have run engines with no header before.


if your running a car with no header then sir good luck to you car lasting more then 20 miles youll bend the valves up


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## 5.0 Junkie (Mar 25, 2011)

Please explain why. Not running a header doesn't provide a physical means for bending a valve. There is no reason to run an engine for extended periods without a header. I just said we have done it before. It is very difficult to get enough temperature differential into a valve to hurt it without running the engine hard and then spraying liquid nitrogen or something similar on it. 



jakkaroo said:


> if your running a car with no header then sir good luck to you car lasting more then 20 miles youll bend the valves up


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

5.0 Junkie said:


> Please explain why. Not running a header doesn't provide a physical means for bending a valve. There is no reason to run an engine for extended periods without a header. I just said we have done it before. It is very difficult to get enough temperature differential into a valve to hurt it without running the engine hard and then spraying liquid nitrogen or something similar on it.


yea your talkin racin the cruze is an eco car taking the header off would screw you up so bad


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## ECRUZ (Mar 6, 2011)

jakkaroo said:


> yea your talkin racin the cruze is an eco car taking the header off would screw you up so bad


I am with jakkaroo on this one...I have personnally bent valves just being curious and wondering what my car sounded like without a header...and that was only for a couple minutes at idle. So running the car on a track or by any means would definately have a very bad outcome.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

ive fired off an ls1 stroker without headers and drove it about 15 ft and i was scared i was gonna bend something it was cold out just drove 150 miles in 45 degree weather,it is cool to watch a motor shot blue flames though


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## ECRUZ (Mar 6, 2011)

here is 1 pic, that is all i could find on my laptop, of my epic failure...but like i said this was only after a few minutes of running no header at idle...and yes it is cool to see the flame...but unfortunately it did not last long.

View attachment 668


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## langdon_82 (May 8, 2011)

back on topic though, were no longer talking about running with no header, we were talking about running with straight pipe back to the cat with a flow through muffler, which is a totally different scenario

sorry for coming off like that, but this was straying way out off topic, didn't seem like it was going to find its way back


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## ECRUZ (Mar 6, 2011)

Well like in my video...I am straight pipped all the way to the cat with 2.25" pipping and just Magnaflow muffler with a single in, single out.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

langdon_82 said:


> back on topic though, were no longer talking about running with no header, we were talking about running with straight pipe back to the cat with a flow through muffler, which is a totally different scenario
> 
> sorry for coming off like that, but this was straying way out off topic, didn't seem like it was going to find its way back


dont you mean a high flow cat.cause most aftermarket mufflers are high flow


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## langdon_82 (May 8, 2011)

yep that's what I meant, thanks for pointing it out


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## 5.0 Junkie (Mar 25, 2011)

I'm not going to derail this any more. Modern valves are wonders of engineering and materials. No one has yet to prove to me that valves bend without a header. You can pull heads off a top fuel engine and they don't bend. A cruze has just as high tech valves as anything out there. 

Is everyone saying they bend from cold air? What happens when you shut an engine off? 

I'm not going to respond to this issue any more as I know the correct answer and it isn't that magically valves bend if you start an engine without a header.


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## 5.0 Junkie (Mar 25, 2011)

Ecruz is that a Magnaflow welded in or a whole catback? I didn't think Magnaflow had one out yet. I'm going to have a Magnaflow welded in to save money. I don't think there will be much gain on this car with a catback other than changing the sound.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

5.0 Junkie said:


> Ecruz is that a Magnaflow welded in or a whole catback? I didn't think Magnaflow had one out yet. I'm going to have a Magnaflow welded in to save money. I don't think there will be much gain on this car with a catback other than changing the sound.


and then ur gonna waste more money by paying for the name lol good point brah


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## ECRUZ (Mar 6, 2011)

All it is, is custom 2.25" pipping with a welded in Magnaflow muffler. The cost of the muffler was 100, and the entire job was an extra 80, so if 180 is a waste for the possible same type of system that Magnaflow may come out with for our cars, I would say it is worth the price. And I know the gains are minute if any...but I do like to be able to hear something from my car.


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## jakkaroo (Feb 12, 2011)

ECRUZ said:


> All it is, is custom 2.25" pipping with a welded in Magnaflow muffler. The cost of the muffler was 100, and the entire job was an extra 80, so if 180 is a waste for the possible same type of system that Magnaflow may come out with for our cars, I would say it is worth the price. And I know the gains are minute if any...but I do like to be able to hear something from my car.


not you 5.0 junkie is talking about buying the actual exhaust from magnaflow which is like 1000 bucks,you did the smart thing in getting a muffler shop to do it


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## 5.0 Junkie (Mar 25, 2011)

What? Everything you say confuses the **** out of me. Magnaflow isn't just a name. I always run a Magnaflow or Dynomax Ultra-flo as they are straight through designs and aren't ricer loud. 

To my knowledge, no one makes a cheap straight through design that sounds like anything but crap. I guess you could put a glasspack on for cheap, but I hate the sound of them. 



jakkaroo said:


> and then ur gonna waste more money by paying for the name lol good point brah


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

_..."*mufflers* on cars"_ are like _"*music* to teenagers"..._the real differences are all _between-the-ears_ of the *listeners*.


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## ECRUZ (Mar 6, 2011)

jakkaroo said:


> not you 5.0 junkie is talking about buying the actual exhaust from magnaflow which is like 1000 bucks,you did the smart thing in getting a muffler shop to do it


Oh...sorry for the misunderstanding. Thanks, I have always used muffler shops that I trust; for one it is usually alot cheaper then buying a whole system, and secondly if you ever have an issue, you just take it back to the shop and they fix it, instead of calling th ecompany and trying to get a new piece or a whole new system sent to you.


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## CHEVYCRUZE RS (Mar 29, 2011)

did magnaflow or borla come out with any exhaust for the cruze yet? 1.4L


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## Stovebolt (Feb 5, 2012)

*The dual kit is a 15495. I wonder if the tips will fit on the RS with the rear valance the way it is on those packages. *


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

Stovebolt said:


> *The dual kit is a 15495. I wonder if the tips will fit on the RS with the rear valance the way it is on those packages. *


Try searching this site, the answer is definitely out there. 

Hint: Try looking up the guy who posted just above you...


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