My first exposure to a three-banger was in 1991 with a Geo Metro paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission. A terrible engine with a terrible transmission in a terrible car. 

More recently I experienced the Smart ForTwo which had a mediocre engine with terrible transmission in a meh car. 

By all accounts, Ford may have finally got it right with the new 1.0-liter EcoBoost. With 123 hp from its direct-injected and turbocharged 3-cylinders, it has plenty of juice and pretty much every reviewer has said it's great to drive. Now if only they would put one more ratio in the gearbox…

Reshared post from +Automobile Magazine

+David Zenlea on the 2014 +Ford Motor Company Fiesta with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost I-3: "A tiny car with an even tinier engine and a not-so-tiny price — it will cost more than the base four-cylinder — the Fiesta 1.0-liter is the epitome of what would once have been considered a "not for America" product. Only, here it comes. Is it ready?"

Read more: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1211_2014_ford_fiesta_1_liter_ecoboost/#ixzz2DkW6atJU