Why The Honda K20 Engine Is So Popular, & What Does It Cost?

The Honda K-Series engines are very popular, and the K20 might be the most popular of them all. There are many variations of this engine ranging from the K20A to the K20Z, and not all of them are created equal. The K20 has made a name for itself in terms of reliability, but some of them are more sought-after than others.

When it comes to tuning potential, people tend to gravitate toward the aforementioned K20A and K20Z engines more than the others. Even if you don't plan on tuning anything, these are powerful engines at stock settings, and simple changes can unlock more horsepower. These range from upgrading the throttle body or adding a free-flowing exhaust system. Grabbing an electronic control unit (ECU) would likely be needed at some point, and that'll set you back nearly $900. Depending on the model, most K20 engines are capable of 150 hp to 221 hp, and with the additional tuning you can squeeze out an additional 30 hp to 40 hp.

If you have your hands on a K20C series engine, you can go past the 221 hp mark with a turbocharger. The turbocharged K20C1 could climb past the 300 hp mark, while the K20C3 and K20C4 could hit 272 hp and 252 hp respectively. The K20C2 went back to the normal range of K20 engines with 158 hp. If you take good care of the engine, it's not unheard of to get 300,000 miles out of it.

Picking up a K20 engine isn't exactly cheap, and that comes down to how reliable and in-demand it is. With them being long out of production, you're at the whim of what's for sale nearby. The K20 was last used in a car in 2011, so it's going to become difficult to find them as time goes on. Places like HMotors are a good place to look, and you can expect to spend between $6,000 and $7,000 for a K20A. Other models can run cheaper since there's less demand, but even those will run you a few thousand dollars.

The K20A offers a blend of power and accessibility not found with the other K20s, and that's why it's more popular than the rest. If you can't track one of them down, the other engines in the line are good alternatives. When compared to other popular engine swaps, you're getting a decent deal as prices can easily rise above $10,000 for those.