If you’re lucky enough to be able to manage handling all three at once, there’s no better way to improve the performance of your car than by installing performance chips, parts, and replacements in one go.  Unfortunately for most people, the expenditure, both in money and in time, is too much to invest in all three at once.  If you’re forced to pick between the three, however, not all is lost.  Each type of performance upgrade has its benefits and its downsides, so you simply need to weigh them for each and decide for yourself which one will best meet your automotive performance needs.  If you still can’t decide, then this article may be of help to you.

Performance Chips

Benefits:  By far the cheapest of all three available options, performance computer chips often cost well under $100 to purchase and install.  Even better, the installation is easy, and even for the most novice of automotive installers, completion should be reached in under an hour.  Plus, you can save 4-7mpg of gas by using an aftermarket chip, and can add up to 60 horsepower to your car’s engine performance.

Downsides:  A performance chip can’t match the kind of heat packed in a turbocharger, even though dollar-for-horsepower you get more out of a chip than a turbo kit.  Also, performance chips only work on vehicles with air intake sensors and ECUs, so if you have a pre-1980s car, you won’t be able to use a performance chip.

Performance Parts

Benefits:  Performance components such as turbochargers can boost a vehicle’s engine performance by over 400HP.  Plus, if you can utilize more than one component, you can pair together a nitrous kit and a turbo kit, and double the advantages.

Downsides:  Expect to dish out your savings.  An aftermarket turbo kit can run up thousands of dollars in expenses, before even taking into consideration professional installation if you need it.  Also, these parts aren’t always the easiest to install, so while you may get more power, you’ll have to spend more time, money, and effort to get those enhanced results.

Performance Replacements

Benefits:  With a replacement, you’re not necessarily adding or taking away anything from your vehicle’s current setup; instead, you’re just switching something out.  With a lightweight hood replacement, for example, you can cut up to 100 pounds off your car’s weight, without having any additional parts to worry about in the future.

Downsides:  Any negatives here depend on the part you want to replace.  It’s hard to say if a replacement can make a huge difference or not without knowing the specific part you intend to replace in the end.