VW Jetta TDI, 2.0L 140-hp turbodiesel, 3rd consecutive award winner
The auto industry is embracing the age of electrification, and so too is the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list.
Both the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle and Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV earn their way onto the 2011 list, as selected by Ward’s editors after evaluating 38 vehicles with new or significantly improved engines for the ’11 model year.
But fuel efficiency and environmental friendliness are not the most important criteria for eligibility this year, as seen by recognition of the new 5.0L V-8 in the Ford Mustang GT, 5.0L V-8 in the Hyundai Genesis and the 3.0L supercharged V-6 in the Audi S4…
This year’s winners and the applications tested:
3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi S4)
3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 335i)
1.6L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Mini Cooper S)
3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Dodge Avenger)
5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang GT)
1.4L DOHC I-4/111kW Drive Motor (Chevrolet Volt)
5.0L Tau DOHC V-8 (Hyundai Genesis)
80kW AC Synchronous Electric Motor (Nissan Leaf)
2.0L DOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Volkswagen Jetta TDI)
3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (Volvo S60)“The one thing they have in common is they all are stand-out performers in their own way and sell the value proposition of the vehicles they power,” Winter says.
RTFA. The editors delve into each award and why. Just a paragraph or two; but, gives you a taste of the breadth of modern prize-winning design coming from auto engineers around the world.
Detailed analysis of each is in the upcoming issue of Ward’s Autoworld magazine and will be online, next week.
This is all bullshit. The world’s best engine is the un-smogged, un-fucked, Chevy small block V-8, in production continually since 1955.
Look at that stupid VW engine, you can’t even get to it to work on it. Take a look at a 1955 American car engine, and you can understand everything you see. These new things are impossible to keep running for 50 years.
That, and my carefully acquired, NON CALIFORNIA LEGAL, smog producing, Husqvarna 445 Chain saw engine.
I RTFA: “you lie!!!” There is no explanation at all for why the engines stand out in their catagory. There is no mentioning of what the categories are.
Useless article. Too bad, I’d like to know more.
ICE’s are so OBSOLETE – MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD !!! Where is the “New” Technology from the pushers of Auto Crap ???
And you still can’t get it here.
The Golf base model is the 2.5L petrol 115hp engine that does around the same MPG as a minivan.
And you can’t buy the Subaru with their amazing turbo diesel either.
I’m beginning to think it’s a conspiracy – the world’s other car makers have all decided to see just how much crap they can dump on US drivers.
I really don’t care enough to RTFA. I did wonder why it would not have been sufficient to say, “RTA.” No obscenity necessary. Oh, well. They say cursing is the sign of a poor vocabulary.
ANYway – what ever became of the Wankel (Wankle?) engine? I remember sooo many years ago, hopping into a Mazda and -wow! – did that thing go. And such a small quiet engine, too.
The car itself was a piece of crapola. Brand new and seemingly held together with chewing gum and rubber bands. I hear they’ve gotten better.
Don’t think I ever drove another one.
Knew a guy once who claimed he had a lawn mower with a rotary engine. Said the tall grass never stalled it.
#5: You want the Mazda RX8… unless that was the one you hopped into all those years ago (relatively speaking — it was released in ’03 iirc).
They’re fairly nifty engines, but they eat oil like there’s no tomorrow to keep the whole thing in working order.
#5 AnimalBio – I believe that was a “wanker” lawn mower he was talking about. As in he was pulling your wanker.
#4,
Actually you can get the Jetta TDI and the Golf based Jetta Sportwagen TDI in the US. I have the TDI and love it.
#5 The wanklel engine has a lot going for it. But it has two killer problems. Poor gas mileage for the power output and problems with seals, leading to excessive oil consumption and seal replacement.
Now, from where I sit, the world’s best engine isn’t internal combustion at all. Limiting myself to engines that are actually operable, it’s either the Southern Pacific 4449 or the 90 inch engine at Kew Bridge.
#6 not anymore, the rx8 is designed to burn a bit of oil, like a motorbike but not very much or it would kill the catalyst
The big problem is that they fundamentaly can’t get the huge compression ratios you get in a modern engine (esp a diesel) and you have such a short fuel injection time window you can’t do much with clever fuel injection strategies.
#1 for the win. I’ve had the 350 in a Pontiac, Chevy and an Olds. It’s a good mill.
Over engineered pieces of crap,will leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere with no
chance of fixing it your self.
All we need are carburated 6 bangers with
mechanical distributors and points.
Grrrr, I miss the old days,this really is a pet peeve of mine.
It doesn’t really matter what the specific engine is as long as the vehicle is large and powerful. The perfect world would be 250 M Surburbans on the freeways. The vehicle matters more than the engine for the most part. Even an electric Suburban would be fine if it could go 800 miles in one day.
RTFA? Way to be a jerk Eideard!
The best engine design in the last 40 years was the AMC 4.0 straight-6. It’s simple, durable and reliable. It was also pretty efficient. I get 26-27 mpg on the highway in my Cherokee 4wd. A little modernizing could take that engine a long way.
The rotary (wankel) engines had lots of power with a small engine. However they had very little torque, required very high revs to get to the power, and weren’t that efficient.
The world’s BEST engine can’t possibly have a computer chip in it.
The world’s BEST engine can’t possibly have smog control shit all over it.
The world’s BEST engine can’t possibly be hidden under covers and shit so nobody can repair it themselves, when they really need it to work, as in the middle of a National Forest, using simple spare parts such as a distributor, carb, starter, points, a fuel pump or filter, etc. Things that simply bolt in. Plus some spare hoses.
If you can’t do that, it AIN’T the worlds best engine. PERIOD.
I get the feeling that I’m not to first to say BULLSHIT on this article.
Wow. All ICE technology, 100 years on.
Why don’t we have microturbine motors coupled to generators powering electric powered cars?
Microturbines have 1 moving part. They can be made with non contact bearing, meaning no parts ever touch and wear out. They can run forever. They can run on almost any fuel. They have super low emissions.
The electric motors have more torque than any ICE. A microturbine is better suited for charging the battery system that powers an electric motor.
#s 12 and 14
I was going to nominate the Chrysler Corp. Slant 6, but the AMC mill is really just about as good.
I still wanna know how you get 25 or so mph out of a Cherokee though. Best I ever got on mine was 19 highway. In town it was more like 14. The engine itself was still fine when my Cherokee went to the junk yard. The AC, power steering pump, headliner, seats, and tires were all pretty much shot, then the fuel pump went 2nd time in 4 years, and with gas going at $4 at the time, I said, “Later”.
I do miss driving it though.
spsffan,
In town I’m definitely down to 16-18 mpg. I just set the cruise control at 65-70 mph and go. It doesn’t take much mixed driving to drop down to the low 20’s. 15, 25 or 35 mpg doesn’t make much difference as long as it is paid for. Oh, and in the snow, if Cherokee can’t get you there you’re done. Get a snowmobile.
I think the fuel economy of the cherokee was really due to it’s light weight more than anything else. It is somewhere between 3000 and 3100 lbs. Considering my GTI weighs 3000 lbs that’s pretty amazing. Our ’05 Liberty diesel is over 4000 lbs.
I think mostly these engines are prized for their engineering marvel and new technologies.
But I also noticed that many have turbo’s. Frankly, as a mechanic my opinion is that GM has simply taken older block technology and dressed it up. Only recently have they actually started doing better. Direct injection for one. But I give them credit for the NorthStar engine which in its day was great. Unfortunately as the US was the last to embrace injection engines they still lag behind almost everyone still.
# 6 Tippis said, “You want the Mazda RX8… unless that was the one you hopped into all those years ago (relatively speaking — it was released in ’03 iirc).:
Oh, Mr Tippis. I am talking waaay longer than ’03. I’m going back 30, 35 years.
My work van has a 2.7L 5-cylinder diesel and gets 27 mpg, it’s a 2005 Dodge Sprinter (Mercedes Benz) and the towing capacity is 5000 pounds. Chrysler stupidly decided to replace it with a gasoline V6 in the newer models and they now get 23 mpg.
I’m surprised the Fiat MultiAir didn’t make the list.
#5 #6 #9 I’ve owned several RX7’s. The 1.3 liter has only a few moving parts, can run 200k + miles without any major problems and is so light one person can carry it.
My 93 had close to 300hp new. They burn oil because they need to lubricate the seals usually, about a quart every 1500miles. The race teams premix. And they run best on low octane gas.
The early engines found in the RX3 to first gen RX7 had problems with apex seals. Second gen 7 to 8’s don’t have this problem.
One of the recent US car magazines have a list like this. Their list is much better rationalized. If you’re interested in cars, that’s the list to look at.
No kidding, my 03 Trailblazer just cost me $1400.00. There wasn’t a single internal issue. It was an o2 sensor,camshaft position sensor,coil, on plug of course, so I have five more to go. Then the killer, the clutch fan, why the hell is the clutch fan ecu controlled. Try $600.00 with labor!
So why not the 170hp 2.0 Tdi VW Diesel. Or their equally over the top 160hp 1.4 litre Turbo Supercharged petrol engine.
Or Fiat’s 180hp 2.0 turbo diesel unit. Used by GM in it’s euro cars.
Or Fiat’s 875cc two cylinder turbo unit that pops out 85hp… and it’s expected to raise even more power later next year.
Love the old time stuff w/o the electronics, I can work on it. I also love my C5 Corvette with LS/V8 which gets 31.5mpg hwy.
Modern vehicles way too heavy. Just read where the 2001 Dodge Charger R/T is 4200 plus lbs. Imagine what it would do at say 3300 lbs, which should be easily doable.