Efficiency Drives 2010 Ward's Best Engines Choices; 5 New Powertrains Honored

Efficiency Drives 2010 Ward's Best Engines Choices; 5 New Powertrains Honored

By Scott Doggett December 9, 2009

Five all-new powertrains won Ward's 10 Best Engines honors this year, the magazine reported Tuesday, and each one demonstrated the auto industry's swift movement toward downsized engines to attract consumers who now are making fuel efficiency a top priority.

Throughout October and November, six editors of Ward's Automotive Group tested 34 vehicles from 13 automakers in their normal driving cycles in metro Detroit. They scored each engine based on horsepower, torque, refinement, technical relevance and comparative data. Each engine was evaluated because it was all-new, offered significant technology upgrades or was a returning winner from last year.

Two turbodiesels (one each from BMW AG and Volkswagen AG) and two hybrid-electric vehicles (from Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp.) made this year's list by achieving fuel economy of nearly 40 miles per gallon in the VW Jetta SportWagen TDI and up to 55 mpg in the Toyota Prius in real-world driving.

This year's winners and the applications tested:

• 2.0L TFSI Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Audi A4)
• 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi S4)
• 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (BMW 335d)
• 2.5L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Ford Fusion Hybrid)
• 3.5L EcoBoost Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Ford Taurus SHO)
• 2.4L Ecotec DOHC I-4 (Chevrolet Equinox)
• 4.6L Tau DOHC V-8 (Hyundai Genesis)
• 2.5L Turbocharged DOHC H-4 (Subaru Legacy 2.5GT)
• 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Toyota Prius)
• 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI)

"This year's list epitomizes how the industry is responding to demands for higher fuel economy and lower emissions without shortchanging performance," Ward's AutoWorld Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter said in a statement. "Automakers are using innovative designs and advanced technology to boost horsepower and torque while downsizing engines and increasing efficiency."

This year marked the first time only one V-8 made the grade. The annual Ward's 10 Best Engines competition has been held for 16 years, and as many as four V-8s made the list in both 1997 and 1999.

New to the 2010 list is Audi AG's 3.0L supercharged TFSI V-6 in the high-performance S4 sedan. The S4 made the list three years in a row beginning in 2004, but that was with a potent 4.2L V-8, which by today's standards is a gas guzzler.

The new direct-injection gasoline V-6 still musters 333 horsepower, while achieving up to 24 mpg by some Ward's editors, proving a muscle car can be fuel efficient.

Another Audi honoree is the excellent 2.0L TFSI turbocharged I-4, which returned to the list for the fifth straight year, driven in the Audi A4 sedan.

This benchmark engine, upgraded in 2008, "is well ahead of its time," Ward's said in a statement, "combining both direct injection and forced induction for stellar performance and allowing Audi customers to downsize their engine choice from a V-6 to a 4-cylinder without compromise."

Also returning is the BMW 335d 3.0L diesel, which made the Ward's 10 Best Engines list for the first time last year. Several Ward's editors managed to get about 30 mpg driving the Bavarian sport sedan, which in the U.S. shares its powertrain with the X5 cross/utility vehicle.

BMW's twin-turbocharged diesel inline-6 obliterated the outdated image of the smoky old diesel and applied new common-rail technology and sophisticated urea-based, exhaust after-treatment to provide thrilling acceleration and pristine emissions.

New to the list is General Motors Co.'s groundbreaking 2.4L DI 4-cylinder that powers the re-engineered Chevrolet Equinox CUV and, soon, the Buick LaCrosse and Buick Regal sedans. A V-6 is available in the Equinox, but high take-rates for the standout 182-hp I-4 suggest GM has a winner on its hands. Ward's editors averaged nearly 30 mpg in this highly functional 5-passenger CUV.

Ford Motor Co. brought the goods with its 365-hp EcoBoost DI twin-turbocharged 3.5L V-6 in the new Taurus SHO sport sedan. EcoBoost redefines the V-6, allowing it to take the place of a V-8 in many applications.

In addition to the sedan, Ford is using the EcoBoost V-6 in the Flex and Lincoln MKT CUVs and MKS sedan. Some Ward's editors achieved 20 mpg in SHO testing. A 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine is expected next year.

Returning to the list was Ford's 2.5L hybrid-electric powertrain, tested this year in the all-new Fusion sedan. In 2008, the Escape Hybrid made the list, but the technology since has been significantly revised. The new Fusion Hybrid is lighter, more fuel-efficient and can drive farther and faster on pure electric power.

Ward's editors were able to drive 40 mph with the engine off and in some cases averaged 45 mpg with the impressive hybrid.

Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. also reclaimed a spot among this year's winners with its 4.6L Tau V-8, the only 8-cylinder engine to make the cut in 2010. In the Genesis sedan, the Tau continued to dazzle with its combination of silky, smooth power delivery, aggressive tip-in, satisfying exhaust note and admirable fuel economy.

In a luxury sedan with a base price of $40,300, this 375-hp V-8 remains a great value and gains 10 hp in early 2010.

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. won its second Ward's 10 Best Engines award with its thrilling 2.5L turbocharged boxer engine in the all-new Subaru Legacy GT.

With 265 hp in a moderately sized sedan, this H-4 delivers plenty of punch at every engine speed, as evidenced by a 258-pound-feet torque peak that holds steady between 2,000 and 5,200 rpm. Plus, some judges averaged 30 mpg in the Legacy GT. Subaru's first Ward's 10 Best Engines honor came in 2004 for the WRX STI sport sedan.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s all-new Prius HEV earns its place on the list for the third time. The first honors came when the Prius was significantly improved, in 2001 and 2004.

This hot-selling third-generation Prius carries on Toyota's patented Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which works in tandem with a 1.8L Atkinson-cycle I-4 for an Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy rating of 51/48 mpg in city/highway driving.

Some Ward's editors did better than that and appreciated the ability to switch driving modes for varying levels of fuel economy.

Rounding out this year's winners was Volkswagen AG's superb 2.0L turbodiesel in the Jetta Sportwagen TDI, which impressed with boundless energy, immediate throttle response and a modest amount of combustion clatter - just enough to gently remind the driver it's a diesel.

The VW TDI meets 50-state availability because of its advanced exhaust after-treatment strategy, which requires no urea injection to reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions.

To be eligible for the competition, each engine must be available in a regular-production U.S.-specification model on sale no later than first-quarter 2010, in a vehicle priced no more than $54,000 (a price cap indexed to the average cost of a new vehicle).

The awards will be presented at a January 13 ceremony in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show.

Scott Doggett:  is an AutoObserver.com Associate Editor.