Diesels, Turbos Win Big In Ward’s Auto List of 10 Best Engines for 2014

Interesting.....and those hating GM......two engines on the list .  Honestly the most impressive one hear to me is the further advancement of the small block V8......Amazing that it is as small , light, powerful, and efficient as it is in this day and age.  Of course it is a completely modern state of the art version of the venerable ole V8.....

And NO , if you have EVER driven a good sports car with a great small block vs. a comparable turbo powered sports car  , when it comes to performance , there is NO substitute for cubic inches , period .  Bigger is ALWAYS (displacement)  better given all else is equal .

I usually hate it when people use cars to expose their cultural biases, but the first thing that struck me on this list was the fact that there is only one engine remotely related to Asia on the list.  Seven of the ten are completely or mostly European in origin.

It would seem that European manufacturers, having lived for years with relatively higher fuel taxation and better roads, got a leg up on building high-mileage engines.  US and Asian automakers, for some unknown reason, seem just now to be catching up in diesel and turbo technologies.

There is indeed a "replacement for displacement"  --- it's called efficiency.

I haven't heard anyone say anything wonderfull about a Honda 3.5V6. Now the 3.5 Ecoboost still rivals in so many platforms, These guys are blind.

Shame Fords 5.8 didn't make it

Funny... A Chrysler engineered motor in a fiat won...

And a fiat engineered engine in a Chrysler product also won

It would be interesting to see the list if it were all engines in vehicles over $100,000. 

Here are a couple I like: Porsche GT3-RS, Tesla Model S (motor), that flat plane crank 3.0L V8 in the Ariel Atom 500 (I know it's not a 2014), W16 Quad Turbo, Porsche's 4.6 L V8 in the 918 Hybrid Spyder.  

@Shriker66 Exactly. There's just no way a small engine can pack that punch, that satisfying torque delivery and the feeling that the engine still wants to keep on going, it's exclusive to V8s. 

A ton of say, twin turbo V6's might match or exceed the power and torque output of a NA V8, but those engines work really hard and are constantly stressed by turbo pressure and a bunch of other crap.  

@faire I'm willing to bet that the simple two valve pushrod design of the new LT1 equals or exceeds the "total" efficiency of any motor on the planet, especially within that price point. Volumetric efficiency is always going to favor multivalve engines, but the pinnacle of efficiency as a total package with relative size, weight, mpg rating, and much lower parts count must go to the LT1. It is just an absolute marvel, and dead simple. No one ever considers the efficiency of the actual manufacturing process, which the LT1 wins hands down. There are literally hundreds of fewer parts within that engine, compared to a dohc V8 like the Ford 6.2...........and to me, that's real efficiency

@faireThe 6.2 V-8 in the new Corvette gets 29 mpg.  All things considered, that is quite efficient.

No theres not. Not when its done right. Its called the LS small block chevy

@Silver Raven Ahhh the Ecoboob ....... all one liter of it. 

@Ryan Shedlock

And a fiat engineered engine in a GM (cruze) product also won.

how ironic

30mpg in eco and wait for the 8 speed next year nothing makes 460hp getting 30 mpg all from a old push rod na v8 their so outdated right

@Mr. K@Ryan ShedlockGM-Fiat joint venture diesel engine*

@Mike the car nut @hairballhead I think it was sarcasm. 

@hairballheadOutdated???  Wow.  If ignorance is bliss, you're in heaven.