1.5t vs 2.0 engine

TimmyRox

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I know there have been a few other posts about this topic (and I've read them) but they are all 1+ years old and I was hoping for a fresh take on this subject. I was thinking about purchasing a 2020 Hatchback but than I started seeing all the problems people were having with the 1.5t engines with oil dilution. Now if oil dilution is still a problem with these engines I would be a good candidate for it as I live in a cold climate (Canada) and take lots of short trips as I am only about a 5-10 minute drive to work and don't very often take long trips anywhere.

This has me thinking if maybe I should get the sedan sport with the proven 2.0 engine instead or maybe wait another year or two for Honda to perfect there 1.5t engines. I am also concerned about the reliability as turbo adds another moving part that could go wrong and I would like this car to last a long time. Any thoughts?
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REBELXSi

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I know there have been a few other posts about this topic (and I've read them) but they are all 1+ years old and I was hoping for a fresh take on this subject. I was thinking about purchasing a 2020 Hatchback but than I started seeing all the problems people were having with the 1.5t engines with oil dilution. Now if oil dilution is still a problem with these engines I would be a good candidate for it as I live in a cold climate (Canada) and take lots of short trips as I am only about a 5-10 minute drive to work and don't very often take long trips anywhere.

This has me thinking if maybe I should get the sedan sport with the proven 2.0 engine instead or maybe wait another year or two for Honda to perfect there 1.5t engines. I am also concerned about the reliability as turbo adds another moving part that could go wrong and I would like this car to last a long time. Any thoughts?
If you don't need the extra power, get the 2L
 

Maroco

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If you don't need the extra power, get the 2L
Agreed. If you dont wanna tune it etc, and its just an a to b car, get the 2L. Not that i think the oil dilution is really enough to sway someone anymore. Its just less parts that can go bad in a NA setup. Its inherently cheaper to keep running long term.

Both a great engines! Both should last 100k miles and more. But, 2L is the safest option.
 

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OP, based on everything you wrote, get the 2.0 engine. It's a big investment. If you get the 1.5T but are constantly stressing about the turbo and oil dilution, you won't be happy. I have the turbo, am tuned and I love it but the 2.0 is the conservative, "safer" choice. It sounds like it would give you the peace of mind you need.
 

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The oil dilution problem may affect long term wear in the engine.Honda has reprogrammed the hvac on the car to minimise the effects of oil dilution. The 1.5t engine will probably outlast the CVT transmission and the aircon system even with this problem. So you would probably have already scrapped the car by the time the engine wears out.

In Canada the EX sedan is cheaper than the Sport Sedan and has the same drivetrain. The Sport Sedan looks cool but is $30,000 with taxes in Ontario. Too much for that drivetrain in my opinion.
 
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I know there have been a few other posts about this topic (and I've read them) but they are all 1+ years old and I was hoping for a fresh take on this subject. I was thinking about purchasing a 2020 Hatchback but than I started seeing all the problems people were having with the 1.5t engines with oil dilution. Now if oil dilution is still a problem with these engines I would be a good candidate for it as I live in a cold climate (Canada) and take lots of short trips as I am only about a 5-10 minute drive to work and don't very often take long trips anywhere.

This has me thinking if maybe I should get the sedan sport with the proven 2.0 engine instead or maybe wait another year or two for Honda to perfect there 1.5t engines. I am also concerned about the reliability as turbo adds another moving part that could go wrong and I would like this car to last a long time. Any thoughts?
Definitely get the 2.0 cause short trip is bad for the 1.5 t especially in cold
 

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There are much more recent ones that that... here one from just a few months ago.

https://www.civicx.com/threads/long-term-reliability-1-5t-vs-2-0na.40145/

This horse is beyond dead.

Buy whatever car you want. Both engine designations are near 20 years old... be it the K or the L. This K is pretty much on par with the Si engine from a 7th from the early to mid-00s... or the base RSX engine. It is a good engine with a good mix of power and efficiency. It is *not* on par with one of the performance variants of the K series engines that brought it to fame... like a K20A2 from an RSX... K20Z3 from an 8th Si gen... K24Z7 from 9th gen Si. The L has been gone through from it's Fit/CRZ days and make to what it is today and to provide Honda with a relatively small and light block (the block itself is lighter than a K) for it's small displacement, relatively high compression turbo engine for a mix of economy and power in their mid-sized cars and CRV. Whereas other car companies are looking at variable compression (Nissan) or spark ignition (Mazda)… IMO... Honda is kind of playing it safe with this engine and with the use of a CVT to get the most out of something old.

Turbos can be had used for $400 USD when they pop up on ebay. New around a thousand. They can be changed in half a day with basic hand tools. It's probably be a grand of labor to pay for an install. They are also very reliable and most of our cars are going to end up in the scrap yard with their stock turbos still installed. This is my 5th turbocharged car. The only car I replaced turbos on was one I bought with known bad turbos with the intention of upgrading anyways... and probably have 20 turbo-car-years worth of ownership at this point.

If you are not interested in the additional power and efficiency that a L15B7 can bring and with "new" technologies like turbochargers and direct injection (both decades old and pretty mature) and are looking for simplicity and the bottom dollar, a K20C2-powered car is probably right up your alley. The worry you'll have for what-ifs with a car with a turbocharger attached when there is an engine out there that doesn't use one and will direct injection vice port injection will probably hurt your ownership experience.

Yes... there is a recall to help minimize the oil dilution. Yep... direct injection coupled with low resistance rings which will be exacerbated by short trip and in cold weather can make it worse. Possibly. Are you going to pull your dipstick and look at it daily? Send oil off for analysis. Taste/smell it every opportunity you get? Yep... recommended oil viscosities are getting thinner for more efficiency too.

Still... the majority of the doom and gloom for L15B7s are based on a lot of hand-wringing about what-ifs about cars that are somewhere between new and ~4 years old and are fine and whether or not they're going to make it to 10...15...20 years and have gone enough miles to make it to the moon... (and maybe back). There aren't a bunch of broke turbo Civics yet and it's not going to happen for a long, long time and, by then, I'm sure broke K20C2s powered cars will be well represented. For most that end up in a scrap yard... a failed powertrain will have nothing to do with it. I'm more worried about cancer than a broke car. Did you know over a million and a half people in the US got cancer last year... and over half a million died from various forms? In nearly 18 years growing up living at home... my parents never had an engine fail, but my mom has gotten cancer and managed to beat it and cancer did my dad in and they both lived low-risk lifestyles. You can worry about the things in life you can't control and control what you can... and if buying a 2.0 makes you feel in control and will keep you from worrying... I highly recommend it.

If you really want a Civic... drive and really like a model with a L15B7 more than the K20C2... I say go for it. You only live so long and life is worth living and enjoying and not being afraid of a bunch of what-ifs that have a minimal chance of happening.
 


87elco

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My 2.0 seems it eat oil but it also could be leaking somewhere..luckily I'm under warranty and going to take it to the dealer
 

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Why do you prefer the 2.0?
I prefer the more predictable power delivery. Maybe it's because I grew up on naturally aspirated engines but the turbo lag on the 1.5 drove me nuts. I cut off way more people than I liked because the power was so slow to kick in and then when it did, it rocketed ahead and nearly rear-ended the person in front of me. I'm exaggerating of course, I don't drive aggressively but my point is that I didn't get the power I wanted when I wanted it.

The 2.0 may not be as strong as the Turbo but at least it's an engine I understand. Plus it feels smoother to me and don't believe the spec sheets, it is JUST AS FUEL EFFICIENT as the 1.5. Oh and it costs considerably less.
 

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don't believe the spec sheets, it is JUST AS FUEL EFFICIENT as the 1.5
If we're not going to believe the EPAs loop... and say real world data is what counts... then a quick look a fuelly will show that the 1.5 is still the more efficient engine for miles per gallon from all the data accumulated over 4 years.

2.0

http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civic?engineconfig_id=13&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

1.5

http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civic?engineconfig_id=37&bodytype_id=&submodel_id=

There was also a comparo done on Car and Driver:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a...honda-civics-turbo-vs-non-turbo-fuel-economy/

There's no shame in it... it just makes sense. It has smaller pistons so less of a contact patch at the rings for friction, and DI to allow a stratified burn when cruising at low load. The difference isn't extreme and it'd take a long time to recoup the cost of, say, an LX vs another trim with the L15B7. At that point though... one should be looking at the optional equipment the higher trims give or the added performance brakes/suspension provides if that's what someone is after. The Canadian LX is supposed to pretty well equipped however, so what we have in states may not apply to the OP.
 

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Many car mags I read say don't buy turbo 'cause oil dilution issue.
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