Ward's 10 Best Engines of 2010

Nothing really surprising. IMHO all the engines on that list are very good and deserve to be there.

I second 7driver, where are the Japanese?

No 3.5L Nissan? What are they Nissan fans going to brag about now? ;)

Full disclosure: I've always thought this was a silly list anyway.

Good to see the Subaru EJ motor on the list! :o)

I wish this list had quality as a component. It's one thing to be cutting edge, it's another to do it reliably. For example, are these direct injeciton engines proven to have long term durability and performance vs port injection. I don't really care if my engine has 8% better fuel economy or 9% more horsepower if it's going to be filled with carbon or sludge after 75,000 miles.

+1 for t10 -- Where's the list of engines that go 10 years and 250k miles without any major repairs?

Sort of difficult to know 10 years in advance whether an engine will be reliable... as Ward states... they're rewarding based on "horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance."

Sort of difficult to know 10 years in advance whether an engine will be reliable... as Ward states... they're rewarding based on "horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance."

Do you know what's off that list? BMW's N54 twin turbo engine.

I don't see whats that special about the 2.0T as I was expecting more refinement. Sure it pulls nicely but it shouldn't sound like farm equipment when doing so.

@brn, the Nissan VQ3.5 has grown to 3.7 liters, and is now old news without FI or DI. I am really intersted in the S4 motor! But, as others have pointed out, I want to see these things last. My VQ3.0 Maxia is approaching 190K miles without a hitch, and still going strong. I hope the Audi DI engines can do as well.

"Do you know what's off that list? BMW's N54 twin turbo engine."

So is Mazda's DISI (Smoking)Turbo.
Darn.
(Sarcasm off)

W/ regard to the 3.7 VQ being absent on the list - while it has increased in size and power, it has also become less refined than its earlier variant.

Where is the famous Honda VTEC engines? What about the Nissan VQ series? And who could forget the 4.4 turbo V8 from BMW?

The combination of turbine like smoothness and high rpm power(and reliability) on Honda engines should have earned a spot in this list. The excellent power of a Nissan VQ also cannot be forgotten. The 4.4 turbo V8 from BMW is amazing and it did't earn a spot on the list. Whats wrong with this test?

Maybe I should conduct a test to the same extent as this but obvoisly not forget some of the excellent engine out there.

I don't know who the folks at Ward are but I can imagine a bunch of old gray haired grandparents types...

the 3.7L doesn't need to be on there because its not refined near redline. The BMW 3L turbo should be on there. The BMW 4.4L turbo cannot make it due to price constraints. The LS3 should be on there. No reason for the Prius or Fusion engines to be there. Its ridiculous.

The 2.5 Subie turbo engine has won several awards over the last few years. This is just one more.

1487, no the N54 should not be on this list. It's got problems and has had them for 4 years. BMW has not fixed the issues with the N54 (thus the extended warranties).

Nissan: time for a clean sheet V-6.
Honda: get your act together.
Ford & Hyundai: hustle out those derivative engine designs!

Honda engines have long lacked lower-end torque.

Exactly, and that happens to suck big time!

blueguydotcom,

The N54 HAS had its share of problems, but it's kind of funny how some cars have been almost problem free. I have a friend who tracks his 2007 E92 on a frequent basis; he's even fitted a piggyback boost control unit. He hasn't had the first problem with it.

Road, I'm guessing there's a reason the HPFP is now covered to 120k miles on 2007s and 2008s. I expect that will be extended to 09 and 10s as people with those cars are sill having the same problems. Something about the design/QC isn't right...

Off to go shopping for a car tonight... my 335i should be out of my hair by next Friday.

"Off to go shopping for a car tonight."

I'm waiting on a PPI report on an E39 M5 my dealer just took in trade. I may finally get to say Sayonara to the MS3...

Road,

Most likely I'll be settling for something less flashy. Drove a Golf TDI tonight and really dug it. Solid feeling, well put together little car with an amazing little engine.

"Drove a Golf TDI tonight and really dug it. Solid feeling, well put together little car with an amazing little engine."

Those are very nice cars.Unfortunately all of my local VW dealers have abysmal service departments. Isn't VWoA going to bring over the GTD?

Road,

It's all rumor right now. Wife isn't sold on the TDI. We drove a GTI today and in the rain so I couldn't push it hard. Very conflicted. Logic dictates a simple car after my experience with the 335i. Emotion... well...

In my case the E39 M5 received a shockingly clean bill of health, but the Used Car Manager at the dealer started to play games while my sales associate was out sick. I may yet bring it home, but I'm not holding my breath.

Please someone let me win the lotto so I can have that 333 hp Audi S4!