CGS vs. Airaid Test: Part 1
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Senior Member
Joined: 10-14-2005
Posts: 5,359
From: SoCal
CGS vs. Airaid Test: Part 1
Airaid vs. CGS Test Part 1
Well, we got an Airaid intake in here yesterday so I put it on for a drivability test.
I said I’d post results once we tested it. So far I’ve done a fit test, driveability test, launch test, 0-60 tests (on a G-Tech), and my own “punch it!” test.
I know the hardballers here want numbers and they are coming. Next week I’ll be heading over to West Coast Vipers (Dodge Viper modders), and using their dyno. All they know is we are shooting out two intakes vs. stock and we will wait to see what the official numbers are.
Before you jump in and call this an “advertisement” – just remember we are ALL on this forum to share information about our cars and mods and I feel it’s my duty to share what I have found out during actual testing of these two intakes. Anyone else is welcome to do the same – buy one of each, do a test, and report your findings. But I’m certain after we post the dyno figures next week that should satisfy most. Some don’t care, but I know I’d hate to spend a bunch of money on an intake and find out I could have gotten better performance from another brand.
QUICK NUMBERS
It’s already clear from driving and from the G-Tech which makes more power and makes the car faster. Whether you like/trust a G-Tech computer or not, the differences and amount of error are the same for both intakes. If it’s “off” they both are off equally. Here are the numbers for our 0-60 tests:
Airaid 0-60: 8.90sec.........................HP: 109
CGS... 0-60: 8.57sec.........................HP: 113
Those runs were as identical as can be (*the G-Tech doesn’t count your reaction time – it starts counting once the car launches so reaction times are always equal). I timed the Airaid first, then went home, swapped to the CGS and duplicate the run (same place, same start/finish, etc.). Engine temperature was 192-degrees for both tests and they were performed in the heat of the day within 30-minutes of each other.
These figures are just to give you a basic idea of the differences. The CGS Intake is nearly ½-second faster from 0-60, and shows 4 more horsepower on the same run. These runs are “relative to each other” – not any other figures. As I said, the dyno will tell the full tale next week.
FIT TEST
We had some fitment issues also – the hood wouldn’t close properly with the Airaid installed – it kept popping up the first few times:
Also, when the hood release was pulled, the hood jumped up with great force. It actually started to wear a pattern in the underhood insulator mat :
...and we only ran it for an hour. This concerned me so much I left the hood up all night so it wouldn’t get any worse before testing it in the morning.
(*Keep in mind that the engine moves back and forth quite a bit during starting, stopping, and torquing during acceleration – even more so if you own a 5-speed. All this moving will cause the airbox to wear the hood insulating mat and soon fibers from that mat will be getting sucked into the filter clogging it. I was also concerned with the airbox fitting so tightly to the hood that it might eventually leave marks on the exterior – much like old Firebirds and other vehicles in the ‘70’s.)
DESIGN
As far as being “cold air” – well, the Airaid is no more “Cold air” than the CGS is. The entire front of the airbox is open, and the radiator overflow bottle protrudes into it – bringing with it plenty of hot air! (there is also a nice "Ramp" at the front to help that hot air find it's way!)
Additionally the electric fan pulls hot air from the radiator and blows it across the engine, much of this air (hot air rises!), goes up and right into the front of the Airaid airbox and into your engine. Both intakes draw air from the same place (fender hole wher the stock airhose is), and both intakes provide hot air as well. The difference is, CGS doesn’t’ call theirs “cold air.” (*Note: we are working on a solution with another manufacturer to increase the insulation factor for the CGS and help it provide cooler air at all times – should be ready in about 1-2 weeks). Insulating the Airaid box won't help this at all - the front needs to be sealed off and that would stop access to the radiator overflow bottle.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
I enjoyed driving with the CGS more. The Airaid intake seemed to “make more noise” without feeling like it was doing much. Those of you who have been modding cars for a while know what I’m talking about. The CGS actually makes more noise when you “punch it” – but it really feels like it’s working! It definitely pulls stronger through the powerband. Again, unless you actually drive the same HHR with both intakes installed, you can’t begin to understand the difference. The dyno should give us good reference for this.
There was also a hesitation off idle with the Airaid that was not present with the CGS. Kind of a flat spot. Once you got past it everything smoothed out, but by then you were “into it” and there goes your gas mileage. I put the CGS back on for a drive into OC this afternoon and was reminded why I like this intake so well. Cruising at 75-80 your foot is barely resting on the throttle with the CGS and it maintains that speed effortlessly – like the engine is hardly working. On the return trip, I was stuck in some bad traffic (5-10mph for over 1 hour), and the engine just felt “torquey” off idle at those speeds. Much stronger feeling than the Airaid at the same speeds.
LAUNCH TEST
When power braking and lauching, the CGS felt much stronger and the G-Tech showed a small improvement (Airaid = .48 G’s / CGS = .50 G’s). Doesn’t seem like much numerically, but the difference is certainly noticeable in the vehicle. Someone mentioned that it was easy to spin the tires with the Airaid, but my experience was the opposite – it was easier to (if you really tried), spin the tires longer with the CGS than the Airaid. Spinning tires doesn’t get you anywhere fast, but it does express the off-idle torque your engine is putting out.
SUMMARY
All in all, the Airaid works ok, and if I had not already driven the CGS I might have been happy with it (except I don’t care for the looks either). For the average guy who wants an intake and some performance increase – and doesn’t’ care about the hood mat getting worn out, I’d say go for it. If however you’re like me; and like to put your foot in it and feel the power – well, the CGS does provide more of that.
That’s about all I can think of right now, but I will say again DYNO FIGURES ARE COMING NEXT WEEK! So bear that in mind before shredding this post.
*BTW – I’m going out to dinner with my wife so you folks have a nice time with this!
Well, we got an Airaid intake in here yesterday so I put it on for a drivability test.
I said I’d post results once we tested it. So far I’ve done a fit test, driveability test, launch test, 0-60 tests (on a G-Tech), and my own “punch it!” test.
I know the hardballers here want numbers and they are coming. Next week I’ll be heading over to West Coast Vipers (Dodge Viper modders), and using their dyno. All they know is we are shooting out two intakes vs. stock and we will wait to see what the official numbers are.
Before you jump in and call this an “advertisement” – just remember we are ALL on this forum to share information about our cars and mods and I feel it’s my duty to share what I have found out during actual testing of these two intakes. Anyone else is welcome to do the same – buy one of each, do a test, and report your findings. But I’m certain after we post the dyno figures next week that should satisfy most. Some don’t care, but I know I’d hate to spend a bunch of money on an intake and find out I could have gotten better performance from another brand.
QUICK NUMBERS
It’s already clear from driving and from the G-Tech which makes more power and makes the car faster. Whether you like/trust a G-Tech computer or not, the differences and amount of error are the same for both intakes. If it’s “off” they both are off equally. Here are the numbers for our 0-60 tests:
Airaid 0-60: 8.90sec.........................HP: 109
CGS... 0-60: 8.57sec.........................HP: 113
Those runs were as identical as can be (*the G-Tech doesn’t count your reaction time – it starts counting once the car launches so reaction times are always equal). I timed the Airaid first, then went home, swapped to the CGS and duplicate the run (same place, same start/finish, etc.). Engine temperature was 192-degrees for both tests and they were performed in the heat of the day within 30-minutes of each other.
These figures are just to give you a basic idea of the differences. The CGS Intake is nearly ½-second faster from 0-60, and shows 4 more horsepower on the same run. These runs are “relative to each other” – not any other figures. As I said, the dyno will tell the full tale next week.
FIT TEST
We had some fitment issues also – the hood wouldn’t close properly with the Airaid installed – it kept popping up the first few times:
Also, when the hood release was pulled, the hood jumped up with great force. It actually started to wear a pattern in the underhood insulator mat :
...and we only ran it for an hour. This concerned me so much I left the hood up all night so it wouldn’t get any worse before testing it in the morning.
(*Keep in mind that the engine moves back and forth quite a bit during starting, stopping, and torquing during acceleration – even more so if you own a 5-speed. All this moving will cause the airbox to wear the hood insulating mat and soon fibers from that mat will be getting sucked into the filter clogging it. I was also concerned with the airbox fitting so tightly to the hood that it might eventually leave marks on the exterior – much like old Firebirds and other vehicles in the ‘70’s.)
DESIGN
As far as being “cold air” – well, the Airaid is no more “Cold air” than the CGS is. The entire front of the airbox is open, and the radiator overflow bottle protrudes into it – bringing with it plenty of hot air! (there is also a nice "Ramp" at the front to help that hot air find it's way!)
Additionally the electric fan pulls hot air from the radiator and blows it across the engine, much of this air (hot air rises!), goes up and right into the front of the Airaid airbox and into your engine. Both intakes draw air from the same place (fender hole wher the stock airhose is), and both intakes provide hot air as well. The difference is, CGS doesn’t’ call theirs “cold air.” (*Note: we are working on a solution with another manufacturer to increase the insulation factor for the CGS and help it provide cooler air at all times – should be ready in about 1-2 weeks). Insulating the Airaid box won't help this at all - the front needs to be sealed off and that would stop access to the radiator overflow bottle.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
I enjoyed driving with the CGS more. The Airaid intake seemed to “make more noise” without feeling like it was doing much. Those of you who have been modding cars for a while know what I’m talking about. The CGS actually makes more noise when you “punch it” – but it really feels like it’s working! It definitely pulls stronger through the powerband. Again, unless you actually drive the same HHR with both intakes installed, you can’t begin to understand the difference. The dyno should give us good reference for this.
There was also a hesitation off idle with the Airaid that was not present with the CGS. Kind of a flat spot. Once you got past it everything smoothed out, but by then you were “into it” and there goes your gas mileage. I put the CGS back on for a drive into OC this afternoon and was reminded why I like this intake so well. Cruising at 75-80 your foot is barely resting on the throttle with the CGS and it maintains that speed effortlessly – like the engine is hardly working. On the return trip, I was stuck in some bad traffic (5-10mph for over 1 hour), and the engine just felt “torquey” off idle at those speeds. Much stronger feeling than the Airaid at the same speeds.
LAUNCH TEST
When power braking and lauching, the CGS felt much stronger and the G-Tech showed a small improvement (Airaid = .48 G’s / CGS = .50 G’s). Doesn’t seem like much numerically, but the difference is certainly noticeable in the vehicle. Someone mentioned that it was easy to spin the tires with the Airaid, but my experience was the opposite – it was easier to (if you really tried), spin the tires longer with the CGS than the Airaid. Spinning tires doesn’t get you anywhere fast, but it does express the off-idle torque your engine is putting out.
SUMMARY
All in all, the Airaid works ok, and if I had not already driven the CGS I might have been happy with it (except I don’t care for the looks either). For the average guy who wants an intake and some performance increase – and doesn’t’ care about the hood mat getting worn out, I’d say go for it. If however you’re like me; and like to put your foot in it and feel the power – well, the CGS does provide more of that.
That’s about all I can think of right now, but I will say again DYNO FIGURES ARE COMING NEXT WEEK! So bear that in mind before shredding this post.
*BTW – I’m going out to dinner with my wife so you folks have a nice time with this!
Last edited by SoCalHHR; May 27, 2006 at 12:31 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: 03-30-2006
Posts: 1,079
From: Saskatoon Sask. Canada
Thanks Mike!
I think that the Airraid would work alot better ifthe front was closed off and there was a hood scoop on it. I look forward to your dyno findings.
O ya how was the dinner Mike? hope it was some good food.
I think that the Airraid would work alot better ifthe front was closed off and there was a hood scoop on it. I look forward to your dyno findings.
O ya how was the dinner Mike? hope it was some good food.
Senior Member
Joined: 05-26-2006
Posts: 732
From: Pottstown, PA
I'm so glad to have found this place!!!
My wife and I just purchased out HHR 2LT Daytona Blue last week and I've been itching to do something to it. I'm already planning the IMCO install and have been following the threads about these two intakes so I can make a decision on which to get. You see, it's my wife's daily driver, so I promised I wouldn't make any changes to the outside of the car...yet. I'll be on the edge of my seat for the results of the dyno, and thanks for the work you put into this Mike!!!
My wife and I just purchased out HHR 2LT Daytona Blue last week and I've been itching to do something to it. I'm already planning the IMCO install and have been following the threads about these two intakes so I can make a decision on which to get. You see, it's my wife's daily driver, so I promised I wouldn't make any changes to the outside of the car...yet. I'll be on the edge of my seat for the results of the dyno, and thanks for the work you put into this Mike!!!
Deceased
Joined: 10-03-2005
Posts: 2,351
From: Sachse, TX NE Dallas
i got my airaid installed tonight
Loud,,,, very loud and i agree with Mike
Quote- The Airaid intake seemed to “make more noise” without feeling like it was doing much. Quote
will see tomorrow after i really run it through the mill after i get my sway bar on
Loud,,,, very loud and i agree with Mike
Quote- The Airaid intake seemed to “make more noise” without feeling like it was doing much. Quote
will see tomorrow after i really run it through the mill after i get my sway bar on
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: 10-14-2005
Posts: 5,359
From: SoCal
Originally Posted by cvrogershhr
Any time the power increases, the gas mileage should get better also, any improvement noted to the gas mileage with the turbo muffler and/or the intake over the stock setup
?
?My best "stock" run into LA was 32mpg with some major lightfooting. After installing the IMCO, this was raised to 34mpg. On the way home from Solvang (light load, efficient driving), I actually saw 36mpg for a short stretch! Keep in mind these are not "real world" figures you can get during daily combined driving, but they are evidence of the increased efficiency the engine now has.
You should see a slight increase in mpg with both mods - if you stay off the gas!
But even if you don't - it sure makes driving the HHR a lot more fun! 
Senior Member
Joined: 02-12-2006
Posts: 847
From: Space Coast, FL
Good post Mike. I'm really looking forward to the dyno numbers, although I already made up my mind to get the CGS. This decision was primarilly based on appearance. I also plan to add the IMCO muffler into the mix as well. But, as things are currently, I need to get my last mod paid off before jumping into anything else...
