8 Of The Most Powerful 4-Cylinder Cars You Can Buy In 2025

While there's no knowing for sure how long big-displacement engines and their sky-high horsepower numbers will last, it's been clear for the last few years that cylinder count amongst internal-combustion cars is on the decline. Regulations seem to change every four years in the United States, but in Europe and elsewhere, fuel-economy and engine restrictions are steering engine development away from big engines with big cylinder counts. For motoring enthusiasts, that means shifting focus away from big V8, V10, and V12 engines. While they still exist, they aren't as ubiquitous as they once were, and they certainly aren't powering most of todays attainable cars. Instead, we turn to four-cylinder engines. 

Four-cylinder engines pack way more punch than they once did. Turbochargers are pretty much everywhere, as are high-revving, high-performance versions of everyday motors. Plus, with the advent of electric motors and hybrid technology, a four-cylinder engine can be used in conjunction with a hybrid system to make big overall power. So, we've rounded up a few of the most powerful cars that you can currently buy in the United States and put them together here. 

Some of these four-cylinder cars are exclusively internal combustion, while others use hybrid power to make big numbers. The models are either turbocharged, supercharged, or use multiple methods of forced induction. But no matter how they make their power, all these cars use four cylinders.

We all know the Mustang for its notorious V8 engines and its pony car dominance over the last several decades. A big V8 has essentially been its calling card for many of the Mustang's generations. But it's a four-cylinder turbocharged engine that powers many of the Mustangs you see on the road today. Standard on the base version of the Mustang is a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine called the EcoBoost. It makes 315 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. Paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, the four-cylinder Mustang is capable of going from zero to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds.

With the V8, as you'd probably expect, power and acceleration are improved. The Mustang's 5.0-liter V8 puts out 480 hp and the Dark Horse trim ups that number to 500 hp, but both models are significantly more expensive than the EcoBoost. And for that extra money, they sprint to 60 mph just a few tenths of a second faster – 4.2 and 4.1, respectively. It's no 5.0L, but the Mustang four-cylinder EcoBoost engine is certainly enough power for most rental car fleets.

Still carrying the torch for front-wheel drive hot hatchbacks, the Integra Type S makes big power for a compact luxury four-cylinder car. The standard Acura Integra uses a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, but it's no behemoth. It puts out 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque — enough for most commuters, but not nearly enough for horsepower-hungry enthusiasts. 

The Integra Type S, however, shares its powertrain with the Honda Civic Type R, and despite the Civic's reputation for performance, it's actually the Acura that comes out on top in terms of power. The engine powering both cars is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, part of Honda's K-Series engines. In the Type R it produces 315 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, but in the Integra Type S, it makes 320 hp and 310 lb-ft. That's 120 hp more than the standard Integra and certainly enough to make the Type S an entertaining car whenever the roads get curvy. The zero to 60 ratings with the Integra Type S is 5.1 seconds — a decently quick time, but all-wheel drive rivals typically have it beat. 

There are several high-horsepower Cadillac sedans worth talking about, many of which are powered by big General-Motors V8 engines. Cars like the Cadillac CTS-V and the CT5-V Blackwing are right at the top of that list. Sedans with seating for five and enough power to light up the rear tires is Cadillac's party trick these days – especially on the V models. If you're looking for four-cylinder power, though, the CT4-V is where you'll start that search.

The standard CT4 gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 237 hp — a respectable number. The CT4-V however, is upgraded to an impressive 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. With an estimated top speed of 156 mph on the track and a zero to 60 mph time of just 4.8 seconds (according to Cadillac), the four-cylinder CT4-V is certainly worth a closer look. The CT4-V Blackwing goes even further, offering 472 hp from a twin-turbo V6, but that cylinder count disqualifies it from our list.

One of Audi's entry-level vehicles, the A3 provides refinement and a bit of motoring fun for a reasonable price. The plucky four-door puts out 201 horsepower, which is adequate for its class, but it's the sportier S3 that really gets things going. With the S3, you get a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 328 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque — big numbers for any four-pot motor and a significant jump compared to the 2024 Audi S3, which had just 306 hp.

The S3's turbocharged engine is paired with Audi's 7-speed S tronic transmission and, of course, all-wheel drive. According to Audi, the top speed of the S3 is limited to 155 mph. Acceleration from zero to 60 mph is dispensed with in just 4.4 seconds thanks to the launch capabilities of all-wheel drive. The even-higher-performance RS3 is also available, and it provides 401 hp, but it gets those ponies from a five-cylinder engine, so it doesn't qualify for our list.

While it might not be the flagship Carrera 911, the Porsche 718 Cayman is still an excellent driver's car. What's more, it's downright affordable compared to the 911, especially when you go with one of the two available four-cylinder engines. The standard 718 Cayman puts out 300 horsepower –a healthy amount even amongst all these vehicles — but the Cayman S increases that power rating to 350 horses and 309 lb-ft of torque. 

The four-cylinder engine revs to a satisfying redline of 7,500 rpm and when the 718 Cayman is equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package, it's capable of darting from zero to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds. Not to be outdone, Porsche also claims a top speed for the Cayman S of 177 mph with summer tires. If you're looking to get the top-down experience while driving your entry-level four-cylinder Porsche, the Boxter S offers essentially the same stats via the same turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. 

As you go down this list, you'll likely notice that we combined a few cars, listing multiples from the same automakers together if they use the same powertrain — that's the case here with the Cayman and the Boxster. Wilder versions of the Cayman like the GTS 4.0, the GT4 RS, and the Spyder RS all make more power — the GT4 RS, for example, makes 493 hp, but those versions of the 718 do it with the use of Porsche's flat-six engine.

In our review of the Lotus Emira, there was a lot of praise to be thrown around. The excellent styling and the impressive driving dynamics help set it apart from the competition. But before you drive one off the dealer lot, there are some decisions to make. There are two choices for powertrain when it comes to the Lotus Emira, but both of them make the same amount of power. The first choice is a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 (sourced from Toyota) that produces 400 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.

There's also a four-cylinder engine available too, a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that puts out the same 400 hp and even more torque at 354 lb-ft. In previous years, the Emira's four-cylinder engine produced 360 hp, but Lotus has upped the ante for 2025. Sourced from AMG, the four-cylinder engine can only be had with an eight-speed automatic transmission (the V6 is available with a manual), but it's still impressively quick to drive. According to Lotus, the rear-drive mid-engine Emira will scoot from zero to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. Top speed for the Emira is estimated at 182 mph — extremely impressive for anything with four cylinders.

For a while, Volvo has been using engines that come with both a supercharger and turbocharger (yep, you read that right, they get both). This complicated build setup extracts every last bit of horsepower from small-displacement engines and amongst this list of high-powered four-cylinders, that's saying a lot. Like Mercedes does with their hyper-powerful four-cylinder (more on that in a bit), Volvo uses this engine in a number of applications, like the S60 and the V60. 

Using the twin-charged four-cylinder engine and a plug-in-hybrid setup to produce 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque, the S60 is probably the most unassuming car on our list. It's refined and luxurious, and it doesn't have much in the way of boisterous styling. All-wheel drive helps the S60 get off the line quickly, but it is a relatively heavy car (4,410 pounds according to Volvo) so zero to 60 mph will take about 4.3 seconds. Volvo's big sedan, the S90, also offers the 455-horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain. 

In a car that's typically associated with the power and grunt of a V8, Mercedes took a big leap, powering the latest AMG C63 with a four-cylinder engine. The turbocharged 2.0-liter under the hood of the C63 doesn't have to move the big luxury car around all on its own, though, as it is paired with an electric motor that adds 201 horsepower of its own to the mix. Combined, the engine and hybrid system produce an eye-watering 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque, put to the ground via 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. It's almost as if Mercedes were proving a point. The zero to 60 mph time, according to Mercedes, takes just 3.3 seconds in the C63. 

By comparison, the previous-generation's twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine put out 503 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA 45 S uses a version of the same four-cylinder engine, but with no hybrid system to add electric juice, so it has to make due with 416 hp and 369 lb-ft. This is still enough to put it ahead of most of the cars on this list. 

Along with the CLA 45 S, the Mercedes' AMG GT43 and other Mercedes products use the same M139 four-banger and put out the same 416 hp. We could've given those cars a spot on this list too, but it seemed unfair to list multiple vehicles powered by the same engine. No matter what it's powering, the M139 engine is a force to be reckoned with.