Agree. I like to compare a 318 to a 327 chevy. There were two barrel, low compression 327s, usually in a full size impala with no gear, and a powerglide. They couldn't pull a fat girl off a tricycle.
The 318 is very similar to that 327, a low-po workhorse, with no pretense of performance, so no reputation, except as a workhorse.
The difference is, of course that there were very-much thoroghbred versions of the 327. Solid cams, big holleys or fuel injection, 11 to 1, good manifolds, and rated well above one horse per cube. 350 chevies built there reputation on the foundation of the 327. A 318, never got any factory performance parts, so no reputation. The 318 Mopar owner has to add his own performance parts, and build his own reputation.