10 Reasons to Celebrate Auto Industry’s Future Dec 19, 2008 9:05 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy Imagine what technologies will surface for Ward’s 10 Best Engines testing several years from now, a product of the current frantic hand-wringing from Detroit’s executive suites to its test labs and assembly lines.
10 Best Engines Quick Hits Dec 19, 2008 9:04 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff A concise pro-and-con review of every engine evaluated for 2009, with nothing left on the table.
Ward’s Announces 2009 10 Best Engines Winners Dec 5, 2008 12:54 PM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff Three 4-cyl., five 6-cyl. and two 8-cyl. engines make this year’s list. Two are diesels and one is a hybrid. All prove that emotion, brute strength, refinement and fuel efficiency can go hand in hand.
Audi AG: 2.0L TFSI DOHC Turbocharged I-4 Dec 19, 2008 9:03 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff Various improvements aimed at boosting torque output and drivability give Audi’s 2.0L TFSI turbo-4 its fourth-consecutive Ward’s 10 Best Engines award.
BMW AG: 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel Dec 19, 2008 9:02 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff A powerful, sporty character, great efficiency and trick compound turbochargers make BMW’s new I-6 diesel a perfect steward of modern clean-diesel engineering.
BMW AG: 3.0L DOHC Turbocharged I-6 Dec 19, 2008 9:01 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff Powerful, efficient and stimulating to drive, BMW’s 3.0L turbo-6 proves the only replacement for displacement is a pair of turbochargers and advanced fuel-injection.
Chrysler LLC: 5.7L OHV V-8 Dec 19, 2008 9:00 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy The new Hemi earns its Best Engines honor not on pure emotion or brute force but with an active intake manifold, variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation and a glorious exhaust note.
Ford Motor Co.: 2.5L DOHC I-4 HEV Dec 19, 2008 8:59 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy Even without extreme “hyper-mile” driving tactics, meeting and surpassing the Escape Hybrid’s 34-mpg (6.9 L/100 km) city fuel-economy rating is not difficult at all.
General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6 Dec 19, 2008 8:58 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy For the second straight year, the 3.6L “high-feature” V-6 in the Cadillac CTS makes the 10 Best Engines list for its laudable low-end torque and effortless power delivery.
Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6 Dec 19, 2008 8:57 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy Honda’s 3.5L V-6 in the moderately priced Accord coupe speaks to the enthusiast buyer who wants practicality most of the time, but superior performance all of the time.
Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.: 4.6L DOHC V-8 Dec 19, 2008 8:56 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff Though politically incorrect, the introduction of Hyundai’s new 375-hp Tau V-8 breaks new engineering ground for the South Korean auto maker and scores it a first-time 10 Best Engines award.
Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6 Dec 19, 2008 8:55 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Ward’s Staff Balanced, powerful and highly advanced, Toyota’s Lexus V-6 remains one of the best examples of premium-powertrain engineering.
Volkswagen AG: 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel Dec 19, 2008 8:54 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy An affordable diesel like the Jetta TDI is exactly what America needs now, along with more diesel pumps.
Judges’ Remarks
Death to ‘4-Banger’ Moniker Dec 19, 2008 8:53 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Tom Murphy Ward’s 10 Best Engines judges have ignored inline-4s for too long, but this year’s testers are good enough to banish the term “4-banger” from the automotive lexicon.
Green Queen’s Great Escape Dec 19, 2008 8:52 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Christie Schweinsberg Hybrid-electric vehicles have left 10 Best Engines Judge Schweinsberg cold, but not the new Ford Escape HEV, achieving an average 36.8-mpg (6.3 L/100 km) in mostly highway driving.
Take a Seat, If You Like Mitsubishi’s Evo X Dec 19, 2008 8:51 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Steve Finlay What it lacks in polished manners, the Evo makes up with raw street cred. It takes little spurring for this all-wheel driver to go all out.
Thank You for Not Smoking Dec 19, 2008 8:50 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Drew Winter We will dispute the critics by saying diesel torque and efficiency, coupled with driving ranges of 500 to 600 miles (804 km to 966 km), are worth it at $3 per gallon and at $5 per gallon.
Automatic for the People Dec 19, 2008 8:49 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Byron Pope Lately, automatic transmissions have gotten so good, they sometimes are preferable to tried-and-true clutch-and-stick manuals.
Yep, It’s Got a Hemi – Wanna See? Dec 19, 2008 8:48 AM, WardsAuto.com, By Mike Sutton In a time when attractive products are key to the salvation of the domestic auto industry, Chrysler understands gearheads appreciate an engine that looks as good as it performs.
