Just why does Honda keep pumping out SOC engines? Are they THAT cheaper to make? With the new tech engines out there which make more horsepower and can get the same gas milage as the DOHC why even think of SOC egnines especially in the inline 4's?
I had an '00 Accord 4-banger and it was so underpowered that I got rid of it in 3 months? I almost decided to by Nissan the next time until I drove the FIT. BUT, the Fit could be made easily with a DOHC 1.5 to eek out a bit more horsepower and get better gas milage than I get now: 26 mixed and 38 to 40 long trips. Getting up a hill slows everything down and with the pulley-driven AC on there goes the mpg!
I would really like to get into the far-east thinking on this subject.; I would have paid $1000 more for an Insight electric AC. As it is I paid much more than the MSRP.
I like the car but I think that for the US market the little Fit might have benefitted from a DOHC engine.

 

I think it still hasn't been long enough to make DOHC engine cars more of a standard. You can remember only 16 years ago, DOHC on the integras were high end stuff with sporty motors. Heck cd players have been around for that long and you still can't get it standard on some cars. I do believe SOHC is still more efficient though.

 

SOHC engines are cheaper to make. It takes a smaller head, only one cam, and one cam gear to deal with. It allows for a smaller package, which is what the L15A engine is, that the Fit has.