Top 10 Best Sounding Four-Cylinder Engines

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu
top 10 best sounding four cylinder engines

More automakers are turning to four-cylinder engines to find an ideal balance between performance and fuel efficiency.

But not all four-cylinder engines are created equal. While more modern ones are turbocharged, there have been some high-revving, naturally aspirated mills that not only deliver amazing performance, but sound great as well.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Most Powerful Four-Cylinder Cars Available in 2016

AutoGuide.com scoured YouTube to find you the top 10 best sounding four-cylinder engines.

10. Fiat 500 Abarth

SEE ALSO: Fiat 500c Abarth Review

Sporting a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Fiat 500 Abarth is one of the best sounding compacts available today. The small engine delivers 160 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque when mated to a five-speed manual transmission, while its dual exhaust system helps make the Fiat 500 Abarth sound the part of a high-performance compact.


09. Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG

SEE ALSO: Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 vs Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 Comparison

As the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine, it’s only natural that the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG sounds great. The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine now delivers 382 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, helping the four-door coupe go from zero-to-60 mph in 4.0 seconds.


08. Chevrolet Camaro 2.0T

SEE ALSO: 7 Things I Learned Driving a 4-Cylinder Chevrolet Camaro

Some may consider it blasphemous that the Chevrolet Camaro now comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but at least it sounds better than the Ford Mustang’s EcoBoost. The 2.0-liter turbo-four engine cranks out 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and helps propel the Camaro to 60 mph from a standstill in 5.4 seconds.


07. Volkswagen Golf R

SEE ALSO: 2022 Volkswagen GTI and Golf R First Drive Review

Volkswagen might be shifting its focus to EVs, but let’s remember that the German automaker has some great gasoline engines. The Volkswagen Golf R is one hot hatch, thanks to a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 315 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. When equipped with the six-speed DSG automatic transmission, the Golf R does the 60-mph sprint in 4.7 seconds and has lapped the Nurburgring in an impressive 7:51.


06. Subaru WRX STI

For decades now, the Subaru WRX STI has stood for four-cylinder performance with its turbocharged Boxer engine. In the latest iteration, the powerplant cranks out 305 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, and you really can’t mistake the sound it makes with any other engine in today’s market, unless it comes from Porsche.


05. Hyundai Elantra N

SEE ALSO: 2022 Hyundai Elantra N First Drive Review: Big Grin Machine

We’re not kidding around here: the unassuming Hyundai Elantra has had a wicked transformation into the hot N model, and that comes complete with a badass exhaust sound. Pumping out 276 hp and 290 lb-ft of torque, this mean-looking sedan is a laugh riot on and off the track. It has a deep burble that announces the Elantra N’s presence way before you actually see the thing.


04. Porsche 718

SEE ALSO: Chevrolet Corvette vs Porsche 718 Boxster vs Toyota Supra: Sports Car Shootout

Yes, it’s true, Porsche is using four-cylinder engines for its 718 models and at the very least, they sound like they belong. Available on the Cayman and Boxster models, the standard trim 2.0-liter engine delivers 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque while the more powerful S models pack a larger 2.5-liter engine with 350 hp and 309 lb-ft of torque. Like the Subaru WRX STI, the Porsche’s engine is a turbo Boxer four-cylinder, delivering a signature sound.


03. Ford Focus RS

There is so much to love about the Ford Focus RS hatch, but we can all agree it’s the 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder engine that steals the show. Churning 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, the Ford Focus RS is one of the meanest sounding cars we’ve ever heard with a four-cylinder engine.


02. Alfa Romeo 4C

SEE ALSO: 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Review

You’re probably wondering how it’s possible the Alfa Romeo 4C isn’t the best sounding four-cylinder engine on our list. Well, consider it sort of a tie with the one we have after this. The 1.75-liter turbocharged engine packs 237 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, allowing the lightweight sports car to hit 60 mph from zero in 4.1 seconds. But when you push down on that gas pedal, the Alfa Romeo 4C just sounds mean.


01. Honda S2000

SEE ALSO: Honda S2000 Definitely Never Coming Back, Honda Exec Says

So what four-cylinder engine possibly sounds better than the Alfa Romeo 4C? Well, that honor goes to the Honda S2000 and that’s because it’s a naturally aspirated mill instead of all these other turbocharged units. First introduced in 1999 for the 2000 model year, the S2000 had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 240 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, while revving to a ridiculous 8,800 rpm redline and 9,000 rpm fuel cut off. Later on, Honda updated the S2000 with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with a lower redline of 8,000 rpm and fuel cut off at 8,200 rpm. But still, there are very few engines to this day that sound as wonderful as that naturally aspirated S2000 engine.


Recent Updates:

December 12, 2021 – Revamped list based on current rankings and new cars.

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Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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2 of 7 comments
  • Josh Josh on Aug 23, 2022

    Interesting that you say that considering the head (and hence the sound) is completely different between the 2. Which is also why the 2.3"Ecoboost" makes 350hp and 350lbft of torque and the mzr-disi 2.3 only makes 263hp and less torque at 280lbft. So the head and the exhaust, which are a very large part of the overall sound, are totally different. Let's not even bring up that your speed 3 has a forged crankshaft and the RS is cast iron.

  • Josh Josh on Aug 23, 2022

    Also if you don't have a speed 3 and are referring to a regular Mazda 3, you're completely mistaken about all of it. Btw, the speed 3 and the focus RS both run a BW K04 turbo.

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