I'm debating on whether to buy a cai (AEM or Airraid) or just spend the $50 on a K&N drop in filter. When I had my Charger R/T, I installed an AFE cai and it sounded great, but I'm not sure if any horsepower/torque was gained. Other than the sound, will there be any other difference between a cai or a drop in?

Thanks.

 

CAI will suck water and hydrolock your engine a lot easier ...

 

can't feel the difference between my AFE drop in and paper filter ... or hear it.

with my xdi intake i feel the difference and hear it ... especially fun with the 6 speed since you can control the RPM very nicely.

had a AEM before that ... very annoying whistle at low RPM.

 

depends on how you wheel. I have the K and N drop in right now no complaints, but since banks released there CAI it has me wanting to get it. I dont go through alot of water or at least when i do i go real slow. If you a mud diving type guy and love deep water then for sure no!!! but if you like rocks and a little mud then CAI should be fine. Only thing im worried about is the dusty roads getting to the trail. But from what ive read over the years BANKS is the best.

 

I purchased AEM and I love it. I dont go off-roading that much since I have busy work schedule but I love the way it sounds. You will notice deff little more HP, but deff a throttle response.

 

Regardless of other opinion, you will damn well hear the difference with the CAI (unless you are deaf). I noticed a power increase in the 2-4K range the first day, but by day 2 either I got used to it or the computer compensated. No real MPG gain either. You WILL NOT get the same gain as on your V8 (ie Charger R/T).

Hydrolock concerns come from fording H2O. There have been instances of hydrolock if the filter is soaked..... but if you're not river raiding, it's not a huge concern. I've had mine on for over a year. Done some pretty intense 4-wheeling. No issues. Driven through puddles up to 12" deep. No issues.

For me, I like the sound of the exhaust since installing my Airaid CAI (sounds pretty damn good for a V6), but it was not worth the $225 for the limited performance gain. Just my $0.02.

 

You won't get much of a power gain unless you use it in conjunction with a quality tuner like the flashpaq.

 

I have the AEM CAI, and you can definitely hear a throatier sound, even with the stock exhaust. It is not a huge power increase, but I felt like it had a bit of a difference. Regardless of CAI or drop-in filter, there won't be huge power gains. If water crossings don't matter to you, a CAI is great. This, along with my exhaust has given my jeep a very nice sound.

Go with a CAI.

 

I just wish I'd spent the money on a Flashpaq first and then the airaid second. Oh well, it worked out in the end...

I wasn't edumicated in our shitty MAP system yet...

 

By the sheer function of the throttle, you will likely notice the impact of the CAI will in higher airflow conditions (open throttle), such as if you tend to drive with a heavy foot on the pedal or like to wind up the engine between shifts with the 6 spd.