The first four-cylinder vehicle was named the Buffum Stanhope, built in 1894 by American manufacturer H.H. Buffum Company. Back then, a four-cylinder engine might as well have been a big-block V8, but today, a four-cylinder engine is synonymous with fuel economy, reliability, and compact cars. The four-cylinder engine has evolved over the years, becoming more efficient as time went on.

Early models, such as the Daimler Phoenix, produced just eight horsepower. In contrast, a modern hybrid-assisted four-cylinder, like a Mercedes C63S E Performance, delivers up to 469 hp and 402 lb.-ft. of torque. Today, we will cover the biggest displacement four-cylinder engines ever produced and fitted to production cars.

How we made our model selections: HotCars combed through the history books, including Wikipedia, Edmunds, and more, to find the biggest-displacement four-cylinder engines ever produced and fitted to a production vehicle. We ranked each entry by their displacement in cubic centimeters or cc.

12 Ford EcoBoost: 2.3 Liters (2267 CC)

Ford’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine was initially introduced in the 2015 Ford Mustang and the Lincoln MKC. Today, the EcoBoost is a staple of Ford’s lineup, available in a plethora of vehicles in various states of tune. The least powerful version of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost is found in the current generation Ford Ranger, making 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.

Engine Specs

Depending on the model year, the Mustang variant of the 2.3 EcoBoost produces from 310 hp up to 330 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. Other notable non-Ford applications of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost include the Zeno E10, famously driven by James May on Amazon's The Grand Tour. The Zeno E10 produces 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, which is some serious grunt for a car that weighs less than 1,600 lbs.

11 Honda K24: 2.4 Liters (2354 CC)

Honda’s K-series engines are world-renowned for their ability to produce insane amounts of power when modified while still maintaining legendary reliability. As the name states, a Honda K24 engine is a 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder available in various Honda vehicles. The first generation K24 was produced from 2001 until 2016 and, in my opinion, as a former hot-rodder of Hondas, is the best version.

Engine Specs

The most powerful standard version of Honda’s K-series engine is the K24A2, found in the 2006-2008 Acura TSX, producing 205 hp and 164 lb-ft of torque. While a little over 200 hp isn’t anything to write home about, the tuning potential of the K24 is immense. When I was working in a JDM performance shop, we would do a common swap called the “Army Man.”

Why that was its name, I don’t know, but the process involved taking a K24A2 block and matting it to a more aggressive K20Z1 head from an Acura RSX Type S. This swap with exhaust, headers, and a tune would constantly produce around 250 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque to the wheels, making it an easy way to make good power without the added cost and reliability concerns of forced induction.

10 General Motors LE5: 2.4 Liters (2384 CC)

The General Motors LE5 engine is a 2.4-liter ECOTec inline four-cylinder manufactured from 2006 to 2012. It is mainly found in vehicles from the now-defunct Saturn brand but has also made its way into other GM products, such as Chevrolet’s Cobalt, Buick’s Lacrosse, and several models from the also-dead Pontiac brand.

Engine Specs

The performance of GM’s LE5 is relatively mediocre, producing just 177 hp and 173 lb-ft of torque in the 2006 to 2009 Saturn Sky. The LE5’s performance is so lackluster that it only lasted two years in Chevrolet’s “tuner car,” the Cobalt SS. It was later swapped for a smaller displacement 2.0-liter ECOTec engine, first with a supercharger and later a turbocharged version making 260 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.

9 Subaru EJ257: 2.5 Liters (2457 CC)

The letters E and J might as well be holy scripture to Subaru enthusiasts because the EJ series is one of the best four-cylinder engines ever made. Subaru’s EJ257 is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine found in many performance-oriented models, such as the Legacy GT, Forester XT, and most famously, the WRX STI.

Engine Specs

The EJ257 was such a fan favorite that it was produced from 2004 to 2019, mainly for the US-spec Subaru WRX STI. Initial production was 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. The EJ257’s 15-year production run maxed out in the 2019 WRX STI S209 with 341 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. While the legendary EJ257 is no longer used in most markets in 2024, it can still be found in Australian-spec Subaru STIs.

8 BMW S14B25: 2.5 Liters (2467 CC)

For over 30 years, the BMW M3 has used the same formula: an inline six-cylinder engine at the front, drive to the rear, and a businessman in the middle. However, most people forget that the original and possibly the most iconic M3, the E30, is powered by a four-cylinder.

Engine Specs

Most E30 M3s are powered by BMW’s S14B23, a 2.3L inline four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine manufactured from 1986 to 1991. In 1990, 600 Sport Evolution models were built with the S14B25, a 2.5-liter inline-four rated at 235 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. This made it the fastest M3 of its generation, with a top speed of 154 mph.

7 Toyota A25: 2.5 Liters (2487 CC)

Toyota is a brand that everyone associates with reliability and resilience. If you buy a Toyota, you can safely assume that when you wake up in the morning, your vehicle will start. Toyota has made some genuinely remarkable engines over the years. In the modern era, the A25 family of engines is the four-cylinder engine driving a large portion of Toyota products.

Engine Specs

(Source: Wikipedia)

The A25 engine has been around since 2017 and is found in many vehicles in standard or hybrid form. The least powerful version of the A25 is found in the 2020 and up Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid, producing 174 hp and 168 lb-ft of torque. The most potent version delivers 207 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque and propels 2018 and up Toyota Avalons.

6 Mazda L5-VE: 2.5 Liters (2488 CC)

When people think of Mazda engines, they instantly think of the rotary power units that drive the RX7. Despite Mazda's affinity for "Dorito-powered" engines, their true bread and butter have four cylinders. The Mazda L5-VE is an inline four-cylinder found in the 2008 to 2012 Mazda 6 and CX-7, as well as the 2009 to 2013 Mazda 3.

Engine Specs

Depending on the variant, the L5-VE produces 167 hp and 167 lb.-ft. of torque or 175 hp with 172 lb.-ft. of torque. Ford, which has long partnered with Mazda, used the L5-VE engine for its 2010 to 2019 Fusion and modified it to use in conjunction with a hybrid system for its Fusion, Escape, and Maverick hybrids.

5 Porsche MA2.22: 2.5 Liters (2497 CC)

The first Porsche engine on our list of the biggest-displacement four-cylinder engines ever produced is the MA2.22. It is a 2.5-liter turbocharged flat four-cylinder engine found in Porsche 718 S models and the GTS. The Porsche 718 started production in 2016 and is still being made as of 2024.

Engine Specs

Before transitioning to the third generation, Boxsters and Caymans were driven by a detuned version of the Porsche 911’s flat-six engine. The change to a four-cylinder was controversial among Porsche fans, but in reality, the brand returned the car to its roots in the 1970s 914. The MA2.22 generates 345 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque in S models, while GTS variants produce 360 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque.

4 General Motors L3B: 2.7 Liters (2727 CC)

The General Motors L3B engine is a turbocharged four-cylinder, the base model power unit of 2019 and up Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks. The L3B is also used in the current generation Cadillac CT4-V, as well as the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon.

Engine Specs

GM’s L3B has a displacement of 2.7 liters and utilizes a BorgWarner-developed twin-scroll turbocharger to produce 310 hp and 348 lb.-ft. of torque in its lowest output configuration found in 2019 to 2021 Silverado and Sierra trucks. The most potent version of the L3B is found in 2020 to the current CT4s, making 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, sending the Cadillac to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

3 General Motors LLV: 2.9 Liters (2921 CC)

GM’s LLV engine, also known as the Vortec 2900, is an inline four-cylinder produced from 2007 to 2012 that powered the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. At 2.9 liters, the LLV is one of the top three largest four-cylinder engines ever made and fitted to a production vehicle.

Engine Specs

The Chevrolet Colorado was initially released in 2003 and was powered by a 2.8-liter four-cylinder LK5. In 2007, General Motors switched to the LLV engine, which, with the extra 0.1 liter of displacement, resulted in a modest power gain of ten horsepower and five pound-feet of torque over the LK5. The LLV engine finished production with a peak power output of 185 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque.

2 Porsche M44/41: 3.0 Liters (3000 CC)

Porsche’s M44 engine started life as a secret project, built for a racing car called the 944 GTP Le Mans. The prototype engine that would later grace the Porsche 944 produced over 500 hp when initially tested but did not have the reliability Porsche is known for. Porsche was afraid that the car might not finish the race, so they reduced the power to improve reliability and ended up finishing 7th overall.

Engine Specs

The production version of Porsche’s M44/41 engine is found in the 944 S2 produced from 1989 to 1991. At 3.0 liters, Porsche’s M44/41 engine barely misses out on our top spot and is the second biggest four-cylinder ever produced. The M44/41 generates 205 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, giving 944 S2s a zero to 60 mph time of 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 149 mph.

1 Pontiac Trophy 4: 3.2 Liters (3187 CC)

The Pontiac Trophy 4 takes the top spot on our list of the biggest displacement four-cylinder engines ever produced. The Trophy 4 was made by the now-defunct Pontiac brand from 1961 until 1963 and was only used in one model, the first-generation Pontiac Tempest.

Engine Specs

Famously, the Trophy 4 got its name from being half of the Pontiac 389 Trophy 8 V8 from the Bonneville and GTO. Like most models manufactured in the 1960s, the Trophy 4 has many output options. Depending on the carburetor and transmission, the 3.2-liter can produce from 110 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque up to 166 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque.