Are Three-Cylinder Car Engines Reliable? (Explained)

With fuel prices always on the rise, it’s no wonder that 3-cylinder cars are making a comeback.

The question is, are they as reliable as your everyday four-cylinder cars? In this article, we will dive deeper into this debate.

Here’s Why Three-Cylinder Car Engines Are Reliable:

Three-cylinder car engines are made to be fuel-efficient and reliable. Three-cylinder engines are found in the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, and MINI Cooper. These engines are just as reliable and long-lasting as four-cylinder engines, provided owners follow the correct vehicle maintenance plan.

Do Three-Cylinder Engines Last as Long as other Car Engines?

Three-cylinder car engines are reliable. However, this is only achieved by ensuring that your maintenance plan is up to date and that you are doing regular health checks to ensure the motor is still in healthy running condition.

Any motor can become unreliable if not looked after properly.

You will find plenty of high-mileage three-cylinder cars still running strong on our roads today. It is very rare to find an unreliable engine these days, as companies invest millions into research and development when it comes to designing new engines.

As long as you ensure that you look after your vehicle and follow the proper vehicle maintenance plan, any engine can be reliable.

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when owning a vehicle:

• Check the vehicle’s oil level at least once a week.
• Ensure your car is fully warmed up before doing wide-open throttle driving.
• Check the coolant levels regularly to avoid overheating.
• Make sure your car is serviced within the recommended service intervals.
• When replacing engine components, do not use cheap pirate parts; these usually don’t last as long and often damage your engine.

What are the Drawbacks of Three-Cylinder Engines?

One of the main drawbacks of a three-cylinder motor is the fact that the motor naturally creates more vibrations compared to a four-cylinder. Since there is an unequal amount of cylinders, the motor is always somewhat out of balance.

Manufacturers have implemented many different strategies to try and counteract this side effect, mainly by using counterbalanced crankshafts and special engine mounts that soak up the vibrations.

Interior quality and sound deadening have also drastically improved over the last decade, which definitely helps with road noise and vibrational feedback.

With that being said, the average motorist probably wouldn’t even know the difference unless you pointed it out to them.

Three-cylinder engines generally also generate less power than a four-cylinder would. But, this doesn’t mean you don’t get some fast three-cylinder cars. In fact, there are plenty of sports cars utilizing this motor with the aid of a turbocharger.

For example, the Ford Fiesta ST went from a four-cylinder to a three-cylinder in their newest model, with the newer model making more power and torque whilst being more fuel efficient.

There are also many other three-cylinder turbo cars that are making healthy figures, but as for your normal everyday commuter, the three-cylinder motor is made to be efficient. Therefore, what you sacrifice in performance, you make up in fuel economy.

However, this doesn’t mean you won’t have enough power to overtake a vehicle or get up a steep incline; it just means you won’t be winning any races any time soon.

The last drawback would be the noise of the engine. Generally, three-cylinder engines are a bit louder, as that is just how the engine works. This is only really noticeable at lower rpm; once you get into the higher rpm, it evens out.

The only time you will really start noticing a difference in the engine tone and sound is once you start to modify the exhaust of the car. Most new cars have great muffler designs that help keep interior drones and general unpleasant noises at bay.

So if you aren’t going to be changing anything in the exhaust, then the noise levels will be more than acceptable.

Do Three-Cylinder Engines require more Maintenance?

These engines don’t require any more maintenance than your average engine.

In fact, you might actually save money on maintenance as there are fewer parts to buy. For example, you only need three sparkplugs instead of four like in a normal engine.

In general, a three-cylinder is very cost-effective when it comes to maintenance. There really isn’t much a three-cylinder cannot do these days.

The only time a three-cylinder will become expensive to maintain is if you are using it for anything other than what it was built for.

This means if you intend on towing heavy trailers or decide to do some enthusiastic driving, then it could lead to more wear and tear, which in turn means more maintenance.

The most important thing to remember about this motor is that the manufacturers designed it to do one thing really well, and that’s to be as fuel efficient as possible.

So if you use the car for what it was intended for, then it won’t cost you any more than a traditional four-cylinder would.

What are the Most Reliable Cars today with Three-Cylinders?

There are only a few cars using the three-cylinder engine in today’s market, as most of the manufacturers are leaning towards bigger SUV-type vehicles.

However, here is a list of the most reliable three-cylinder cars that you can buy now.

Ford Fiesta

Arguably one of the most successful and well-known hatchbacks around, the Fiesta uses a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that boasts a healthy 120 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque.

This means you will have more than enough power for your daily commute. You can also expect to see an average of 35 mpg combined.

Ford Focus

Similar to the Fiesta, the Focus also uses a turbocharged 1.0-liter engine. The big difference here is that the Focus is a larger car, with more interior space and much more space for your luggage.

The larger body does mean you get slightly worse gas mileage, but expect to still see an average of 33 mpg combined.

Ford has been producing this engine since early 2012 when the Focus was introduced with the very first three-cylinder engine. This means that Ford has had a while to perfect this motor, and thus you should not have any worries about reliability at all.

MINI Cooper

The Mini Cooper has recently been using their new 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine in a few of their cars and has had great success with it so far.

It is worth noting that BMW also owns the MINI brand, which means that a great deal of research and development goes into the car and the engine itself.

Therefore you can rest assured that the time and money spent on these motors ensure that they won’t let you down when you need them most.

Smart ForTwo

These cars have been on sale in the US for over well over a decade now. However, they are much smaller than your average car.

They are known as compact cars, which means you can basically only use them for city driving or driving to work and back. Don’t expect to be doing big shopping trips in this anytime soon.

The earlier versions of these cars came with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine which was more than enough power for these little commuters.

Later versions saw them using a smaller 0.9-liter engine. The fact that these cars have been on sale for more than a decade means that they have tons of time to work out any issues when it comes to reliability

What are the Most Reliable Car Engine types?

If the three-cylinder is not something that you are looking into, but you still want something that will be as reliable and don’t mind spending a little extra on fuel, then there are a few options to look into.

Honda B-Series Motor

It goes without saying that most Honda motors are known for their longevity and performance capabilities. The B-series motors are no exception.

With its well-known VTEC technology, which helps improve performance and fuel efficiency, it has been a fan favorite for most people looking to get the best value for money.

Honda also offers these motors in different sizes, so if you looking for something more fuel economical, then the 1.6-liter will suit you best.

However, if you are looking for something with more performance, then they also offer them in a 2.0-liter variant.

Here is a list of cars that use this engine:

• Honda Civic
• Honda CRV
• Honda Integra
• Honda CRX

Toyota 2AR-FE Motor

It comes as no shock that Toyota makes reliable engines, however, this motor is probably one of the most reliable engines they have ever made.

With their Dual VVTI system and full Die-cast aluminum design, these engines have stood the test of time.

Spare parts are also readily available if you do need to replace something.

This engine can be found in a few cars:

• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Rav4
• Toyota Alphard
• Scion TC

General Motors LS Motor

This is not an engine known for its fuel efficiency, but it is legendary when it comes to reliability.

The LS motor has been around for a very long time and has become a popular motor to use for engine swaps as well.

They are simple to work on if you need to change anything, and they are just a really good all-around engine.

If you are looking for something with a good amount of performance and a lovely soundtrack, then this motor gives you everything you need.

The LS motor is one of the most reliable V8 motors ever produced. People all over the world use these motors for various motorsport activities.

Plus, if anything does break, spares are cheap and easy to get no matter where you are.

This engine is found in multiple generations of the Chevrolet Corvette. However, if you go down to your local car show, you will probably find many other cars that use this motor.

Was this article helpful?