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Why the world’s best engines are smaller than ever

By Justin Hyde | Yahoo! Autos – Fri, Dec 9, 2011 6:01 PM EST

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Every year for the past 18, the tech gang at Ward's Automotive compile their list of the ten best engines in the world. This year's list sports the smallest lineup ever, with the average engine roughly half as big as it was a decade ago. Here's why the size of your block may not matter anymore.

First, the official list and the vehicles they're most often found in:

Instead of size, automakers have been pushing toward tinier engines to save fuel, while using tech bits like direct injection, super- & turbocharging and other tricks to keep power steady. Yet there's only one hybrid on the list — a reflection that many hybrids push for fuel economy at the expense of good driving — and no diesels, a slight the oil-burning community will not appreciate.

Also missing: Any engines from Toyota, Honda or  Mercedes, three companies that have suffered their share of misfortune as of late, some of it self-inflicted. And all the vehicles powered by this list are quite popular. Having a top engine won't redeem a terrible car — but it's a requirement for building a great vehicle.

 

94 comments

  • Locke
    Locke  •  Olympia, Washington  •  24 days ago
    My VW 1.9 TDI gets low 40's mpg overall and I'm about to hit 200k (low for TDI's). No diesel's on here? Shame on them.
  • Mr Obvious
    Mr Obvious  •  4 months ago
    Two of the most glaring omissions from 99% of all vehicle rating and comparisons are the cost of maintenance and of fuel. The "Tech Gang" at Wards are just that...techies. Of the 10 engines they think are so great, 8 REQUIRE Premium Fuel AND Synthetic Oil both of which dramatically increase operating and maintenance cost....for which they don't have to pay.
  • Thomas
    Thomas  •  5 months ago
    give me a engine that is easy to fix,low cost parts and thats the best engine for me..
    • Samuel R
      Samuel R 5 months ago
      Of course, it is even better if the engine rarely needs fixing, e.g. will go 500,000 miles or more without needing a rebuild.
    • Mr Obvious
      Mr Obvious 4 months ago
      Unfortunately, due to overly stringent Federal emissions and CAFE standards, engines can no longer be produced that are easy to fix and have low cost parts.
  • JayJ
    JayJ  •  4 months ago
    Newer engines havent been proven on reliability yet
  • Samuel R
    Samuel R  •  5 months ago
    Irv Gordon's 1966 Volvo 1800S with a Volvo B20 4 cylinder, pushrod engine. First rebuild at 800,000 miles. Irv later decided that had been premature. The second rebuild, not needed until 2.6 million miles, confirmed the first rebuild had been premature. Now closing in on 3 million miles total - all with the same driver. In the Guiness book of records for the most confirmed miles on a privately owned passenger car.
    • sherryl
      sherryl 5 months ago
      i thought those were 5 cylinder enigines
    • blu stone
      blu stone 5 months ago
      Sure hope he's got that thing insured with Lloyds of London .. Murphy's Law says he'll get " T-Boned " before she turns over 3 mil ........... or some kid will steal it for a joy-ride, and total it !! I've seen the car on tv, and the guy's a fanatic about maintenance & up-keep, and it is beautiful !!
    • douglasc
      douglasc 5 months ago
      i had one ,,although reliable it was a gutless wonder.
  • name
    name  •  5 months ago
    Clearly there is a major disconnect between the bozo that wrote this article and the people who commented on it. Will anyone at Yahoo even notice?
  • Bill
    Bill  •  4 months ago
    not a fan of turbo engines. Not good for long range durability and resale.
  • Ted
    Ted  •  5 months ago
    Yes--Chrysler, Audi and BMW are all known for great reliability (not!)
    • Adam
      Adam 5 months ago
      Sure Ted. You know what your talking about. I have a BMW in my driveway with 325k on it, another one with 200k and two more with over 100k. Sure TEd, keep posting your comments.
  • gerald
    gerald  •  5 months ago
    With the glut of natural gas we have, the destructon of opec is doable. Can the public handle the transfer of this volitile gas in its highly pressured state, it`s probably too dangerous. Run the numbers and natural gas at $3.15 per million BTUs beats gasoline about 4 to 1. Jerry
    • Dwain
      Dwain 5 months ago
      The feds will figure out a way to tax it so it costs as much as gas!!!
  • BigJimAndTheTwins
    BigJimAndTheTwins  •  5 months ago
    This is crap. To delete Toyota, Honda and Mercedes is a farce. And there is no Hemi, no small block Chevy. Any real car guy would think this article has been written by a gay hairdresser. Do not listen to these morons. Go talk to mechanics and mechanical engineers. I am both.
    • Alberto
      Alberto 5 months ago
      BJ&TT Yes, you're totally right!
    • dave m
      dave m 5 months ago
      I agree--your knowledge is evident.
  • joeloca
    joeloca  •  5 months ago
    offenhauser engines were developed in the late 30's. 4 cyclinder high horsepower ...wonder why the big 3 automakers never adopted that line of thinking. oh yeah. greed . The tech has always been there
  • Big DMC
    Big DMC  •  5 months ago
    Give me the old american v8 all that high tech crap is just more stuff that can go wrong!
  • Dariusz
    Dariusz  •  5 months ago
    Maintain your car properly and you won't have issues with powertrain. I own a 99 Cherokee
    have close to 160,000 miles on it with no major issues.
  • dave m
    dave m  •  5 months ago
    Historical fact--
    Ford produced a DOHC gasoline V-8 that powered tanks in the early 1940s (the cams were driven by a worm gear rather than a chain)--The technology did not make it to production automobiles until the 1960s when European manufacturers began switching from pushrod engines to overhead cam designs, Benz being one of the first to do so.
  • Deanls
    Deanls  •  5 months ago
    How can they list a "new" engine with no longevity? Take my 2001 Dodge 1ton with 5.9 Cummins or my VW 1.9 TDI with 258,000 miles on it, they should be placed on there some where. AND I get 42 mpg on the highway. I'm suprised they didn't mention the Chevy 350 diesel conversion (pos) or the 2003 Ford 6.0 diesel (pos)
  • YEH METS
    YEH METS  •  5 months ago
    i think ford flathead #1 chrysler slant 6 #2 jeep stright 6 #3 chevy 283 #4, they all last forever
  • Jeff
    Jeff  •  5 months ago
    Stan Meyer who came up with a fully functioning engine system that fully powered our automobiles with any kind of water, that would have given every one of us freedom from fossil fuels for a one time charge of $1500. Never needing maintenance or repairs, and used about 22 gallons of water to drive across the entire US from NY to LA. and the deal made with our Government, and the outcome of that deal.
  • Nosaj
    Nosaj  •  5 months ago
    1.6L DOHC I-4 (Hyundai Accent/Kia Soul), 3.5L DOHC V-6 HEV (Infiniti M35h)
    Seriously? I would have considered them for a list, but it wouldn't have been the ten best engines in the world.
  • Ray Hudson
    Ray Hudson  •  5 months ago
    I had a 1997 E-150, 5.4 liter with 341,000 miles with no major work done to it. Great truck.
  • jesse
    jesse  •  5 months ago
    where is my Hemi?not the ole 426 but the newer version, i have an 08 didge ram 1500, with a hemi, w/5 sp auto behind it, also have 392 rear gear,( i pull a 24ft gooseneck horse railer thats been converted to a sleeping area in the dressing area) lots of wood, ,hard wood flooring a/c, heat, etc) it pulls much better than its counter parts, the 5.9,an the 6.7 diesel, have 62,000 miles an never had a wrench on it, recall, or any prbs yet, i do have it serviced at 3,000 miles only by a dodge dealer,would love any input from others Hemi owners.
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