A History Of The Honda Civic And Honda Accord Engine 2001-Present

The Honda Civic engine and the Honda Accord have been pillars of the Honda lineup for the past three decades. There is a good reason for this record; both sedans are well-built, competent vehicles that have a loyal following. Both sedans are perennially at or near the top of the sales chart in their respective classes. The Honda Civic is a subcompact, and throughout its history has featured a range of economical four cylinder engines. The Honda Accord started out as a subcompact, but over the years has grown into a mid-sized sedan. As it has grown larger, it has added a six cylinder option to go with the standard four cylinder engine.

The Honda Civic was introduced in the United States in 1972 as a two door coupe. The vehicle featured a 1.2 liter four cylinder engine and front wheel drive. Over the years, the Honda Civic engine increased in size along with the size of the vehicle. The hallmark of the Honda Civic engine over the years has been its outstanding fuel economy. The engine size had increased to a displacement of 2.0 liters by 2001, increasing the power output available in the Civic while still garnering excellent fuel economy numbers. Beginning in that year, Honda introduced its VTEC system in the Honda Civic engine range. The VTEC system allows for improved fuel atomization, and thus more power and fuel efficiency, by opening one intake valve slightly at low RPM to creat a swirl effect in the fuel combustion chamber. The Honda Civic engine found in the current generation Honda Civic is a 1.8 liter unit that produces 140 horsepower at 6300 revolutions per minute, while returning fuel economy ratings of 26 miles per gallon in city driving and 34 miles per gallon on the highway. In addition to the aforementioned VTEC system, the Honda Civic engine features multi fuel induction and a single overhead cam engine design.

The Honda Accord came to the United States in 1976, and was originally as a compact hatchback. Like the Civic, the Accord's size has increased substantially over the years. The Accord is currently classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a mid-sized vehicle. The current generation of the Honda Accord offers a four cylinder and six cylinder engine option. In four cylinder guise, the Honda Accord engine is a 2.4 liter unit equipped with Honda's VTEC system. The engine is able to make 177 horsepower at 6500 revolutions per minute, and pulls 161 pound-feet of torque at 4300 revolutions per minute. The Honda Accord engine features a mult fuel induction system, and runs on unleaded gasoline. The dual overhead cam design has four valves per cylinder, and an aluminum block. The six cylinder available as a Honda Accord engine option is a 3.5 liter unit also featuring the VTEC sytem.