Rotaries have gotten better, but that's it. A piston engine is far superior. It has much more tuning available to it and makes more power and torque. Also they are more reliable and more durable, more parts or not. There actually was a huge write up on this in a trade magazine my co-worker gets, the pros vs cons of the two. The piston engine is much better overall.
The term rotary piston engine can have several meanings:Rotary engine, the piston engine that rotates in operation, as used on World War I fighter aircraftPistonless rotary engine, the engines which use rotors or rotary pistons instead of conventional reciprocating pistons
Piston for sure gets better milage unless you have a V8 or higher. Rotary drinks its gas.
piston
The Wankel rotary engine is a differing type of engine as opposed to the standard piston engine. The Mazda line of cars is the one that uses this type of engine.
The current rotary engine displaces 1.3 liters. 1.3 liters in a rotary is approximately equal to 2.6 liters of piston engine
If you are speaking of the 13B N/A, the pistons that actuate the 6th port sleeves operate via vacuum from the "Pick up Tube" on the catalytic converter on the Exhaust piping. Either you have a rotary engine or a piston engine.
Rotary means going around, like in a Wankel. Reciprocating means going back and forth. like in a ordinary piston engine.
The crankshaft and connecting rod (or piston rod).
It connects the piston to whatever the design calls for the piston to push or pull on. In a combustion engine, the piston rod connects the piston to the crankshaft, turning linear reciprocating motion into rotary motion.
Rotary or Wankel engine.
No, they have standard dual overhead cam, piston engines, at least from 90-05.
For it's size no but when compared to a piston engine with the same power, yes. Almost all Mazda rotary engines will get around 22 on the highway but only around 15-16 in the city. Not great for a small car like the RX but it is not a gas guzzler.