Turbos, Diesels Rule Top 10 Engine List in 2014
‘Tis the season for year-end Top 10 lists celebrating and lamenting all things in the world of life, and the automotive industry is no exception. Ward’s Automotive has announced its list of the 10 best engines for 2014, and it’s a turbodiesel-intercooled festival of power this year.
The winners on the 20th anniversary of this list are as follows:
- 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V6 (Audi S5)
- 3.0L Turbodiesel DOHC I6 (BMW 535d)
- 3.0L Turbodiesel DOHC V6 (Ram 1500 EcoDiesel)
- 83 kW Electric Motor (Fiat 500e)
- 1.0L EcoBoost DOHC I3 (Ford Fiesta)
- 2.0L Turbodiesel DOHC I4 (Chevrolet Cruze Diesel)
- 6.2L OHV V8 (Chevrolet Corvette Stingray)
- 3.5L SOHC V6 (Honda Accord)
- 2.7L DOHC H6 boxer (Porsche Cayman)
- 1.8L Turbocharged DOHC I4 (Volkswagen Jetta)
Of note, Ford’s three-pot EcoBoost marks the first time an automaker won a spot on the list with only three cylinders, while Fiat scores a first-time win with its 83 kW electric motor found in the 500e. On the other end, only two engines from last year’s list returned — Audi’s 3.0-liter TFSI and Honda’s 3.5-liter V6 — while six of the 10 are oil-burners, a first for Ward’s.
General Motors scored two wins this year for the first time since 2008 with the Cruze’s 2-liter turbodiesel I4 and the new Corvette Stingray’s 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8. Among trucks, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel is the sole winner, based on the strength of its 3-liter turbodiesel stump-puller.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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not so fast with the jabs against Toyota: my Previa (please do not laugh now) 1995 is supercharged and works just fine. I had a ride in a Toyota truck that was supercharged and it was unbelievable (it had been hopped up a bit). So they can do it as well as anyone. They usually don't for the sake of reliability. Hats off.
I actually miss seeing Hondas new 1.6 diesel on the list. Seems that in real life in a Civic it gets better mileage and is faster than most of it's competitors(here in Norway). 58 mpg and 0-60 in 10.5 seconds... Luckily we don't seem get the 'boring' Hondas over here :P
A truly great engine needs to: 1. Be reliable. Great engines don't have constant nagging issues. 2. Last a long time. This data is not available until the engine has been around at least 5 years and there are several high mileage examples. 3. Be efficient or powerful or character-rich in a way that is superior to most engines. It appears that this competition totally ignores #1-2 and simply rewards companies who are quick to the market.
I'm surprised the Honda 3.5L SOHC V6 made the 2014 Top 10 Engine List notwithstanding excessive oil consumption. The bar cannot be set very high. www.hondaproblems.com/problems/excessive-oil-consumption.shtml