Sometimes the OG stays on top of the pile. The inaugural K20 motor might not have the most stock horsepower or the largest displacement, but when it comes to availability, versatility, popularity, and accessibility, the original remains the favorite of Honda fans around the world. From 2000 to 2011, the K20A came in several variations, producing power ranging between 155 and 220 horsepower and between 132 to 152 lb-feet of torque, depending on the year and variant.
Honda pushed out several variations of the K20A, unimaginatively named the K20A1, K20A2, K20A3, K20A4, and K20A6. The A1 was purely for the Japanese domestic market (JDM). The K20A2 first arrived in the United States under the hoods of Honda’s performance sedans, such as the Integra Type R, Civic Type R, and Acura RSX. The K20A2 pushed 200 horsepower for the second generation Civic Type R between 2001 and 2006. The A3 variant might sound new and improved, but Honda downgraded the internals for cheaper production. The A3 and A4 are defanged versions intended for Honda’s more sedate Accord and CR-V. The A3 is good for about 160 horsepower and 141 lb-feet of torque, while the A4 is rated at 150 horsepower with 140 lb-ft of torque.
The K20A and its variants provide a mix of reliability, modification potential, power, accessibility, and availability not found with any other engine on this list, making the classic K20A top dog on our list of Honda K-series engines ranked from worst to best.
[Featured image by Hatsukari715 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC Public Domain]
