2017 Wards 10 Best Engines List

[AmericanLegend]

Wards 10 Best Engines of 2017 (alphabetical order):

• 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW M240i)
• 1.5L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor EREV (Chevrolet Volt)
• 3.6L DOHC V-6/Dual Motor PHEV (Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid)
• 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Ford Focus RS)
• 2.0L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor HEV (Honda Accord Hybrid)
• 1.4L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Hyundai Elantra Eco)
• 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Infiniti Q50)
• 2.5L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Mazda CX-9)
• 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Mercedes-Benz C300)
• 2.0L Turbo/Supercharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Volvo V60 Polestar)

The 5.0L V8 Coyote won in 2011 and 2012.

One very interesting note is that for the first time in 23 years of testing, there is NO V8 on this list!!!

"There is no instrumented testing. Vehicles must have a base price no higher than $62,000 to be eligible.
Editors score each powertrain based on horsepower, torque, comparative specs, noise attenuation, observed fuel economy and the application of new technology.

The guiding principles: Does the engine or electric propulsion system truly sell the car or raise the bar for its competitive set?"

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[mike@vossen]

Wards 10 Best Engines of 2017 (alphabetical order):

• 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW M240i)
• 1.5L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor EREV (Chevrolet Volt)
• 3.6L DOHC V-6/Dual Motor PHEV (Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid)
• 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Ford Focus RS)
• 2.0L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor HEV (Honda Accord Hybrid)
• 1.4L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Hyundai Elantra Eco)
• 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Infiniti Q50)
• 2.5L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Mazda CX-9)
• 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Mercedes-Benz C300)
• 2.0L Turbo/Supercharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Volvo V60 Polestar)

The 5.0L V8 Coyote won in 2011 and 2012.

One very interesting note is that for the first time in 23 years of testing, there is NO V8 on this list!!!

"There is no instrumented testing. Vehicles must have a base price no higher than $62,000 to be eligible.
Editors score each powertrain based on horsepower, torque, comparative specs, noise attenuation, observed fuel economy and the application of new technology.

The guiding principles: Does the engine or electric propulsion system truly sell the car or raise the bar for its competitive set?"

Damn shame........some amazing V-8s out there...

 

[Vile_the_Bastage]

Man there are only a couple V6s on that list.... and one straight 6.

Sign of the times....

 

[Hack]

That list is crap. Someone's definition of "best" needs serious adjustment.

No Ferrari engine
No Porsche engine
McLaren???
The V12 Aston Vulcan engine should be on the list. That thing is awesome.
Bugatti
Audi
Lamborghini

Nothing under 400 hp has any place on a "best" engine list IMO.. unless it's in a motorcycle. If all that's being made are tiny, miserly junk - just don't publish a list. Fuel economy has no place in a "best" list.

 

[1320']

That list is crap. Someone's definition of "best" needs serious adjustment.

No Ferrari engine
No Porsche engine
McLaren???
The V12 Aston Vulcan engine should be on the list. That thing is awesome.
Bugatti
Audi
Lamborghini

Nothing under 400 hp has any place on a "best" engine list IMO.. unless it's in a motorcycle. If all that's being made are tiny, miserly junk - just don't publish a list. Fuel economy has no place in a "best" list.

"There is no instrumented testing. Vehicles must have a base price no higher than $62,000 to be eligible.

Beyond maybe one Porsche and a small handful of Audi engines...what on that list would meet that metric?

 

[mike@vossen]

Beyond maybe one Porsche and a small handful of Audi engines...what on that list would meet that metric?

One engine comes to mind is the Audi 4.0 V-8tt...in the S8 it makes 605hp and cruising on the highway you can get close to 30 MPG..and its tunable....

Just one of many I can think of.

 

[Kevin08]

That list is crap. Someone's definition of "best" needs serious adjustment.

No Ferrari engine
No Porsche engine
McLaren???
The V12 Aston Vulcan engine should be on the list. That thing is awesome.
Bugatti
Audi
Lamborghini

Nothing under 400 hp has any place on a "best" engine list IMO.. unless it's in a motorcycle. If all that's being made are tiny, miserly junk - just don't publish a list. Fuel economy has no place in a "best" list.

There's a lot more that goes into an engine than just the power it produces. I mean, any idiot can make a V8 with 450hp. How efficiently it does that, however, is usually what makes it a 'good' engine. This list, if anything, could be a sign that the consumer V8 may be going by the wayside in all but niche market products.

 

[montreal ponies]

No Voodoo :tsk:

 

[Xavier]

No Voodoo :tsk:

It was there last year.

 

[Hack]

Beyond maybe one Porsche and a small handful of Audi engines...what on that list would meet that metric?

It's idiotic to have a "best" engine list and limit the car price to $6x,xxx.

Call it what it is List of Politically Correct Engines We Love because we are smarter than you dumb red necks .

One engine comes to mind is the Audi 4.0 V-8tt...in the S8 it makes 605hp and cruising on the highway you can get close to 30 MPG..and its tunable....

Just one of many I can think of.

Now that sounds like a decent engine. That would be a much better engine to have on a best list.

There's a lot more that goes into an engine than just the power it produces. I mean, any idiot can make a V8 with 450hp. How efficiently it does that, however, is usually what makes it a 'good' engine. This list, if anything, could be a sign that the consumer V8 may be going by the wayside in all but niche market products.

I disagree. It's not easy to meet all the B.S. government standards and make over 450 HP nowadays. I'm an engineer and I don't believe I'm an idiot, but I wouldn't assume that I could do it.

The list is an attempt to push public opinion, IMO. You can agree with it or not. I have literally no interest in any of those engines and the list colors my opinion of the organization who generated it. Those guys are not the brightest bulbs.

 

[mustang_guy]

Lol bmws are such shit boxes.

These lists and awards are one of the biggest bullshit things in the automotive industry. What isnt shared is their criteria on their opinion what makes it best. The jd power highest initial quality , Jd power engine award type crap results are just as staggering. So many people are lead to believe things that arent accurate.

 

[Xavier]

I don't agree that the list is bullshit. Not everyone is a car enthusiast and they are rating these engines based on their level of innovation and how they serve the needs of the masses. When powerful V8 engines have done that they have been recognized, but there weren't any new or innovative V8s for 2017. The Hellcat 6.2L, Voodoo, Trinity, Coyote, and LT1 have all been on there in just the last few years. I think it would be silly to rate engines purely based on power as such a list would serve an entirely different purpose and be stacked in favor of exotic cars that the average person can't afford.

 

[mustang_guy]

I don't agree that the list is bullshit. Not everyone is a car enthusiast and they are rating these engines based on their level of innovation and how they serve the needs of the masses. When powerful V8 engines have done that they have been recognized, but there weren't any new or innovative V8s for 2017. The Hellcat 6.2L, Voodoo, Trinity, Coyote, and LT1 have all been on there in just the last few years. I think it would be silly to rate engines purely based on power as such a list would serve an entirely different purpose and be stacked in favor of exotic cars that the average person can't afford.

It seems you dont understand why the lists and awards are bullshit. It has nothing to do with enthusiasts. The issue is that people buy cars based on these that dont understand the first thing about cars. These lists arent for the good of the people. Take for example bmw having a higher , highest intial quality rating than ford. Im a bmw master tech (previously ford) which should be no secret around here by now.

Bmws most definitely dont have a higher intial quality. They are some of the biggest piles of trash ive worked on in over three decades. Another example is Hyundai salesmen sling that silly highest intital quality award bullshit all over their salesroom like it has anything to do with how reliable the car will be long term. It means nothing. Jd power award is just as worthless as this list is also. Only a complete ignorant person would buy a car because it received something like this. Its a lot like the people deceived by truecar stickers thinking its the best they can do. I guess people have never heard of invoice OTD which is a lot better than truecar. The car industry doesnt want people to know better
Its a scam, like a lot of other things in the world people of money get away with.

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