Best low consumption cheap to tune high performance engines

[Finng17]

I love Toyota engines for reliability and their cars in general, I recently got deep into learning about the 4a-ge engine which I love that is 1.6L so not as high consumption as 2.0L engines with high reliability and pretty good hp potential but very hard to find cars with this engine in Europe, any recommendations on similar more common engines?

[Bper]

Hi, If you're a fan of the Toyota 4A-GE engine's reliability and performance, you might want to consider looking into the Toyota 4A-FE or 4A-GE 20V engines. These engines offer similar characteristics in terms of reliability and power potential, and they might be more readily available in Europe. Additionally, engines from the Honda B series or Nissan SR20DET could be worth exploring for their reputation for performance and durability.Hope this helps

[APS]

Probably the most easily accessible engine will be Mazda's B6 which was installed in the 323 and Miata / MX5. It is very similar to the 4A-GE but with a longer stroke making it undersquare, giving it more mid-range torque compared to the oversquare 4A.  Still revs to 7500 in standard tune (B6ZE) and can be made to go higher. The abundance of these engines and the number of after market parts makes it an excellent platform to play with. Mazda still manufactures pretty much all parts for it. 

Honda's B-series is a more modern, era-defining engine with the introduction of VTEC. The B16 having almost identical bore x stroke to the 4A but circumvents the compromised torque of the 4A with two cam profiles. It is a classic, albeit of a younger generation of engines.

If you like the 4A-GE then you must make sure to check out the "4A-GE Garage" YouTube channel.

[APS]

Just re-read your topic of this thread and adding comments related to that:

Low consumption - everything is relative but the more power you want to get out, the more fuel you need to put in 🙂 Honda's B16 and other engines combined very good fuel economy with high power. This was because you could cruise along on the mild cam profile sipping fuel below 5500rpm. Then, when you open it up it would deliver more power and gulp down air and fuel as required. 

Cheap to tune - You didn't specify the type of tuning you wanted to do. In general, the 'cheapest' way to tune (get more power out of) an engine is to use forced induction by means of a turbo or super charger. Turbos also increase the efficiency of an engine as you recover some of the energy from the exhaust gases that would otherwise be lost. There are no two ways about it, naturally aspirated tuning is expensive and yields are limited. But, the lack of any weight gain, sound and instant response of NA tuning is the appeal. NA can also be more durable as the power is lower. Personally, I prefer NA for those reasons. 

Again, the Mazda B engine is probably one of the cheapest, regardless of the type of tuning you want to do. It has all be tried. The Honda B-series is also a known entity. Here, though Honda didn't leave a lot on the table should you choose to NA tune it. The B16 came with about 160-180 bhp from factory, which is strong even by today's standards for a 1.6 without using any forced induction.

The 4A-GZE came with a supercharger which took power up to 150 bhp, but more importantly it added much needed torque lower down. The GZE weighed 40kg more than a naturally aspirated 4A-GE.

Regardless of what you choose, start saving up money, now! 😉