7 Best 3-Cylinder Cars
7 Best 3-Cylinder Cars
While 3-cylinder cars were available in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, their low power and high levels of stimulation left a lot to be desired. Today`s 3-cylinder engines usually use turbocharging and direct injection to produce reasonable (or better) horsepower and fuel economy, combined with a number of tricks–including active engine mounts and purposefully ‘unbalanced` flywheels and crankshaft pulleys–to reduce noise, stimulation, and harshness. Tho’ only a limited number of 3-cylinder engines are available in North America at the moment, expect that number to soar in the next few years. Until then, let`s take a look at seven of the best 3-cylinder cars on the market today.
BMW i8
The BMW i8 is a high spectacle hybrid sports car, that uses the combination of a mid-mounted 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine and an electrical motor to provide efficient spectacle. Unlike most other hybrids that concentrate on fuel economy, the i8 is designed more for spectacle. The internal combustion engine sends two hundred twenty eight horsepower and two hundred thirty six lb.-ft of torque to the rear wheels through a 6-speed transmission, while the electrical motor uses a 2-speed transmission to power the front wheels with an extra one hundred twenty nine horsepower and one hundred eighty four lb.-ft of torque. That all adds up to a total system power of three hundred fifty seven horsepower and four hundred twenty lb.-ft of torque. Thanks to the extensive use of aluminum and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP), the i8 weighs in at a relatively light Three,455 lbs, making it joy to drive, economical, and swift.
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In order to generate almost two hundred thirty horsepower from such a puny engine, the 3-cylinder uses four valves per cylinder, turbocharging and direct injection (however the compression ratio is a relatively low 9.Five:1). As the i8 is the very first mid-engine BMW since the infamous M1 of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, spectacle had to be awesome, and with a 0-60 mph time of Four.Two seconds and a top speed of one hundred fifty five miles per hour, the little 1.5-liter engine succeeds (with help from the electrical motor). A similar engine is used in some of BMW`s other models in Europe, and we might eventually see more 3-cylinder BMW models on the road here.
Ford Fiesta
The Fiesta is Ford`s smallest and least-expensive car, but that doesn`t mean that it`s boring. Available as an option on both the hatch and sedan versions of the Fiesta SE, the 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine generates one hundred twenty three horsepower. The run to sixty mph takes under nine seconds, which while not exactly quick is decent for an economical subcompact car. Only available with a 5-speed manual transmission, the lil’ engine is good for thirty one miles per gallon in the city and forty three on the highway, for a combined rating of thirty six mpg. The Fiesta is nimble like a petite car should be, however the rail can get a bit rough on less than pristine roads.
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Ford`s smallest 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine has a displacement of only sixty one cubic inches, but its four-valves per cylinder and turbocharger help it breathe while direct injection keeps it fed with fuel. The result is over one hundred twenty horsepower and one hundred twenty five lb.-ft of torque (or up to one hundred forty eight lb.-ft of torque during makeshift periods of ‘overboost`) when using 93-octane fuel. An oil lubricated timing belt and variable displacement oil pump increase efficiency, and instead of using power-robbing balance shafts to reduce the stimulation inherent in the 3-cylinder design, Ford has used a specially weighted crankshaft pulley and flywheel. The results are fairly good; at higher RPMs you`d be forgiven for thinking that it`s a larger engine with more cylinders, and it`s only at lower engine speeds that you might miss the extra cylinder.
Ford Concentrate
The Ford Concentrate is a 3-cylinder car that’s a step up in size from the Fiesta, but shares many of the same traits, including its excellent treating and quality feel. Like in the Fiesta, the 3-cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is an option in both sedan and hatch versions of the Concentrate SE, where it makes the same one hundred twenty three horsepower and one hundred twenty five lb.-ft of torque. Unlike in the Fiesta tho’, the Concentrate is suggested with a choice of a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. The manual is the more engaging to drive, however the EcoBoost Concentrate isn`t all that quick with either transmission, and you should expect the run to sixty mph to take well over nine seconds. The manual transmission is also the more economical choice, with ratings of thirty miles per gallon in the city and forty two highway, for a combined rating of thirty five mpg.
MINI Clubman
The MINI Clubman is the largest of MINI`s models, yet the base Cooper version has to make do with the same turbocharged and direct injected 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine as the Hardtop, with its one hundred thirty four horsepower and one hundred sixty two lb.-ft of torque. The extra space inwards is welcome, and the Clubman treats almost as well as its smaller siblings, but its still a petite car, and with a curb weight over Trio,100 lbs both acceleration and fuel economy suffer; the run from zero to sixty miles per hour takes about nine seconds, and fuel economy with the manual transmission is rated at twenty five mpg in the city, thirty five highway, and twenty eight mpg combined. The extra weight does seem to help slick out the bumps tho’, with the Clubman having perhaps the best rail of all current MINIs.
MINI Hardtop
Base Cooper versions of the MINI Hardtop come standard with a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine (by BMW) that makes one hundred thirty four horsepower. The run from zero to sixty miles per hour is ended in just under 7.Five seconds for 2-door models (and just over 7.Five seconds for 4-door models) with either the automatic or manual transmission. The 2-door versions with the manual transmission are the lightest, coming in at around Two,625 lbs, but when paired to the manual transmission the slightly stronger 4-door model is more economical at twenty nine miles per gallon in the city and thirty nine on the highway for a combined rating of thirty three mpg. The manual transmission comes with a rev-matching system that helps slick out downshifts, and like all of MINI`s models the Hardtop is fine to drive (especially for a 3-cylinder car), however the rail can be a bit rock hard.
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The MINI engine is related to the one found in the BMW i8, and uses some of BMW`s technology, including VALVETRONIC variable valve control and Dual Vanos variable valve timing. Combined with four valves per cylinder, twin cams, direct injection, and a turbocharger, the end result is one hundred thirty four horsepower and one hundred sixty two lb.-ft of torque for this 3-cylinder car. However this is significantly lower than the i8`s engine, it is more power than found in the MINI`s previous standard engine, and gives the company lots of chance for more powerful versions of the powerplant in the future.
Mitsubishi Mirage
The subcompact Mitsubishi Mirage isn`t a particularly good car, but it is the cheapest car on this list and its engine isn`t bad, especially considering it’s a 3-cylinder unit. Coming in at just 1.Two liters, this normally aspirated powerplant is still good for seventy eight horsepower. When tooled with a manual transmission the Mirage`s curb weight is as low as Two,018 lbs, which helps make the most of the engine`s power, tho’ it still runs out of steam at highway speeds. Fuel economy is best when paired with the continuously variable transmission, which helps this 3-cylinder car eek out fuel economy ratings of thirty seven miles per gallon in the city and forty three on the highway, for a combined rating of thirty nine mpg.
The Mirage`s 3-cylinder engine has to make do without the benefits (and extra expense) of direct injection, turbocharging and variable-displacement oil pumps, but otherwise it is up to date with dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, and Mitsubishi`s MIVEC variable valve timing system. The result is not fairly eighty horsepower, and unlike the other cars on this list, a torque figure that is lower than the horsepower figure, at seventy four lb.-ft (tho’ with a remarkably broad torque band for a puny normally-aspirated engine). With a bit of tweaking to the engine and an upgraded car, Mitsubishi could have a winner on its forearms.
Clever Fortwo
The clever fortwo is a little city car powered by a rear-mounted, turbocharged 0.9-liter 3-cylinder motor. Its eighty nine horsepower is sent to the rear wheels via either a 6-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission. Refinement and rail quality is fairly good for such a brief car, and thanks to seating that is limited to two, space is adequate, however storage is limited. Despite a low curb weight of around Two,000 lbs fuel economy is unimpressive for a car of this size, with a city rating of thirty four miles per gallon and a highway rating of 39, for a combined rating of thirty six mpg when tooled with the more economical automatic. Adding to the fuel cost is the fact that this 3-cylinder car’s engine requires the more expensive premium 91-octane fuel.
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The Clever`s engine is the smallest on this list, with a displacement of only fifty five cubic inches, and it lacks direct injection, but thanks to its dual overhead cam design, four valves per cylinder and turbocharger it generates eighty nine horsepower and an even one hundred lb.-ft of torque, which is up considerably over the previous model`s available normally-aspirated motor. Still, spectacle is not the Fortwo`s forte; power delivery is peaky with lots of shifting required if you want to keep the turbo spooled, its top speed is a relatively paltry ninety six miles per hour, and the run from 0-60 mph takes over ten seconds.
