When it comes to cars in America, it’s the norm to think of V8s. But now and then, a four-cylinder car also slipped in. Comparing it to a V8 is unfair, honestly, because while V8s were and are gas-guzzling beasts, the four-cylinder cars were economical plodders and nothing to sing home to mama about. But that was back then, today it's a different story.
The most common layout of a four-cylinder engine is an inline-four, where the four cylinders are arranged in a line. Sometimes, very rare for a car, a four-cylinder engine can be a V4 as well, where the four cylinders are arranged in a V on a common crankshaft. And then there’s the flat-four or the boxer four, where the two banks of cylinders lie on opposite sides of a common crankshaft. This is what Porsche uses. So while the Japanese and Europeans have shown immense prowess in making four-cylinder engine-powered cars, there have been a few gems from America as well.
The good thing is that since engines are slowly becoming more powerful, the popularity of the four-cylinder is on the rise. So here go some of the coolest four-cylinder of America, then and now.
10 2021 Ford Bronco Sport: Four-Cylinder Off-Roading Prowess
The Ford Bronco came back in 2021, and with it came the best four-cylinder engine in off-roaders till now, in the Bronco Sport. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine comes in the Badlands and First Edition trims, and makes a solid 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.
With 8.8-inches of ground clearance and plenty of stomping pedal power, the Bronco Sport’s four-cylinder engine makes for a great off-roader and one that keeps your gas bills low. Plus with a stiffer suspension and front dampers, it makes for a comfy ride too.
9 1983 Dodge Shelby Charger Turbo: Four-Cylinder Shelby Classic
Most of the time, Carroll Shelby was all about V8 engines coaxed into making enormous amounts of power. Think the Mustang Cobra and Boss versions. But in ’83, Shelby made the Dodge Charger Turbo that came with a turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine and made about 146 horsepower.
The car also came with the famous pizza wheels and bore plenty of suspension tweaks and gearing changes to make it a performance ride, enough to match the Cobra in corners at least if not on a straight road.
8 1908 Ford Model T: The Four-Cylinder Kick Starter
When it comes to four-cylinder-powered cars, you have to talk about the car that started it all. And not just four-cylinder, basically the car that acclimatized people to cars. With a 1,300-pound curb weight and a 2.9-liter four-cylinder engine that made all of, wait for it, 20 horsepower, the Ford Model T was quaint but cool.
Call it the Model T, the tin Lizzie, the leaping Lena, the Jitney, or the Flivver, this Ford car has gone down in history as one of the coolest four-cylinders ever.
7 1971 Ford Pinto: The Flaming Four-Cylinder
The Ford Pinto has earned a rather fiery reputation over the years and some of it is not wrong. They made the car cheap and made it in a hurry, and forgot to do proper R&D. The result was that in the case of a fender bender, the Ford Pinto could, and did catch fire because of fault with its fuel inlet.
The issue was fixed after a recall, although Ford had to be taken to court for it. But on the whole, the Pinto was just what people needed in the malaise era, with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that made 95 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of fuel-savvy torque.
6 2018 Jeep Wrangler: Four-Cylinder’d Beast
The fourth-gen Jeep Wrangler debuted with a shocker, being more efficient and more powerful (torque-wise) than its V6 elder bro. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot came with an electric-assist system and made 295 lb-ft of torque, 35 more than the V6.
The two-door four-cylinder Wrangler also comes fuel-efficient, earning a 23 MPG rating, over the four-door four-cylinders 22 MPG. The only downside is this engine comes with only automatic transmission, no stick shift fun.
5 1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth: Four-Cylinder Hot Hatch
The Cossie, as it was lovingly called, replaced the acclaimed Sierra Cosworth and bore a Cosworth-tuned engine that made a solid 224 horsepower from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. This was always supposed to be a limited-production car and a little over 7,000 were made from ’92 to ’96.
The moment you turned this engine, you knew it was something downright special, considering that roaring grumble and a very evocative turbo hiss. This car was a pure driving pleasure, and most knew it.
4 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost: Four-Cylinder Powerful ‘Stang
Ford has always been somewhat of a leader in the automobile industry and led the brigade in popularizing the four-cylinder in a big way. So much so that later, even the Camaro got a four-pot option.
The 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost carried a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that made 310 horses but got a boosted torque, at 350 lb-ft. Enough to beat a 2005 Mustang GT. For 2021, the horsepower can go up to 330, making it quite the performance car.
3 2021 Chevrolet Camaro Turbo 1LE: Four-Cylinder Superstar
Think of this as a Camaro with the smallest engine that comes riding on the legendary SuperSport suspension and performance. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder may sound and look small, but jets a large-hearted 275 horsepower and 295 lb-ft torque, and does not need to be apologetic in any way.
The 1LE is a track package, and with the four-cylinder engine, this Camaro is not only a sports car or a muscle car – it’s a wonderful play of the two. The power is just enough but the handling blows your mind and can outrun many a V8.
2 2018 Ford Focus RS: Zippy Four-Cylinder
Frankly, it’s tough to find a hot-hatch more focused than the Ford Focus RS. With a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that made 350 horses and 350 lb-ft of torque, it gave many a sleepless night to the European hot-hatch makers like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW.
Since the same engine also went into the 2018 Mustang, you know this had to be a very cool car and one that was a complete hoot to drive with a 0-60 MPH time of 4.7 seconds, at top speeds of 165 MPH. At the time, it was the new definition of ridiculous.
1 2013 Cadillac ATS: Four Cylinder Luxury
The Cadillac ATS may have hung up its luxurious Nappa leather boots in 2019, but it was truly a class apart. Nimble and powerful, this was a driver’s car, one that you would want to drive because it was such fun. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine came turbocharged for 272 horses and 295 lb-ft of healthy torque.
It could come as a rear- or all-wheel-drive, and be paired with a manual or automatic transmission. So this car had a little bit of everything on offer, making it quite the energizing ride.
Sources: MotorTrend, Hemmings, PopularMechanics, autoevolution, TopSpeed, CarandDriver, ConsumerReports