Civic Type R Engine Named Wards 10 Best Engine 2018

[administrator]

Wards Auto has just announced its 10 Best Engine 2018 list at http://wardsauto.com/10-best-engines/2018-wards-10-best-engines-mainstream-brands-triumph

This year’s winners:

• 2.0L VTEC Turbocharged DOHC 4-Cyl. (Honda Civic Type R)
  
• 150-kW Electric Propulsion System (Chevrolet Bolt EV)
• 3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6/PHEV (Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid)
• 2.7L Twin Turbo DOHC V-6 (Ford F-150)
• 5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang GT)
• 130-kW Fuel Cell/Electric Propulsion System (Honda Clarity)
• 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Infiniti Q50)
• 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-Cyl. (Jaguar XF)
• 3.3L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Kia Stinger)
• 2.5L Atkinson DOHC 4-Cyl./HEV (Toyota Camry Hybrid)

Honda’s second Wards 10 Best Engines trophy is something altogether different, and yet familiar for an automaker with a long legacy of high-output 4-cyl. engines.

Its new 2.0L VTEC turbocharged 4-cyl. makes 306 hp in the riotous and lightweight Civic Type R – the most powerful Honda ever to reach the U.S. It represents Honda’s 18th trophy for 10 Best Engines but the first with forced induction.

This twin-cam engine’s sweet spot is around 4,000 rpm, but it’s always happy to slam up against the 7,000-rpm redline. It’s efficient, too. We beat on the Type R and still saw 26 mpg (9 L/100 km) during our evaluations.

A close derivative of this same engine appears in the all-new mass-market Honda Accord, with 252 hp. It damn near made the list this year as well.

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[totopo]

Wow, no germans. What happened.

 

[zroger73]

Wow, no germans. What happened.

Mmmhmm. Historic reputation can only carry you so far when you rest on your laurels. That's gotta be embarrassing when you get bested by a Chrysler and a Kia!

 

[Banshee]

To be honest though, Kia and Hyundai have come a long way from about 5-10 years ago.

 

[00057]

Thats awesome!!

 

[Slickone]

Surprised the VR30TT isn't on the list anymore. It was last year. Or the VR38DETT. I'm not a Nissan fan (although I like their sports cars), but their engines are awesome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_VR_engine#VR30DDTT

Actually I'm surprised the 1.5T isn't.

 

[ronmcdon]

I love the CTR, but I don’t see what makes its engine notably special over similar 2.0l turbo motors. Then again what else on the list is a bit pedestrain.

Actually kinda sad the N/A motors were dropped, as that’s one of the things that made Honda special.

I am also suprised there are no German nominations. There’s got to be something from Porsche at the very least.

 

[typemismatch]

For those that didn't catch the criteria, these engines are new or substantially updated for the year or a returning winner from the previous year.

The CTR 2.0L deserves recognition for these reasons
- The highest output 4 cylinder Honda has released to mass market
- Dual VTC
- VTEC
- Turbo
- Direct injection
- Solid torque curve from 2500 rpms

All while maintaining the low emissions and reasonable gas mileage a daily commuter car should have

 

[Slickone]

^ I'm not knocking the engine, but none of those in your bulleted list seem like great reasons to be on a best engines list. I didn't make the all star team just because I played better than I ever had, or played like others.
But, this is a good reason, if you consider the power made:

All while maintaining the low emissions and reasonable gas mileage a daily commuter car should have

 

[erbee]

But i only get 20mpg.


Why 4.0L 9000 RPM GT3 engine isn't there ?

 

[boosted180sx]

I love the CTR, but I don’t see what makes its engine notably special over similar 2.0l turbo motors.

I agree.

 

[seetohey]

To be honest though, Kia and Hyundai have come a long way from about 5-10 years ago.

I agree. I never thought I'd say this growing up, but these days I'd walk into a Kia or Hyundai dealer before a Toyota or Chevy.

 

[zroger73]

I agree. I never thought I'd say this growing up, but these days I'd walk into a Kia or Hyundai dealer before a Toyota or Chevy.

Today's youngest drivers grew up with Hyundai and Kia and aren't discolored by the Kia Sephias and Hyundai Excels of the previous generation.

As someone old enough to have witnessed those brands during their US infancy in the 90s, I still can't shake their cheap, disposable image 20 years later - even when you put a Genesis or Stinger in front of me.

When I was a kid, I always felt GM was THE brand to have, Chrysler (now FCA) was total garbage, and Ford was only slightly better. Later in life, I realized the importance of efficiency, reliability, and resale value and the best choices became Honda, Toyota, and Subaru. German brands don't impress me enough to accept their high maintenance and low reliability.

Although the gap has narrowed, I find it difficult to consider any brand other than a Honda at this point in my life. No other brand makes as much sense to me.

 

[totopo]

But i only get 20mpg.


Why 4.0L 9000 RPM GT3 engine isn't there ?

Because it is an award about mass manufactured engines and takes into account alot of factors other than raw power. The engine has to be available in some car in some spec that is <$60,000. That GT3 engine by itself is probably >$60k.

Mass production engines need to take into a lot of other considerations than raw hp/tq, and it takes a lot of engineering to make good well-rounded engines, and the award is supposed to recognize those efforts.

 

[typemismatch]

^ I'm not knocking the engine, but none of those in your bulleted list seem like great reasons to be on a best engines list. I didn't make the all star team just because I played better than I ever had, or played like others.
But, this is a good reason, if you consider the power made:

When you narrow the field to only engines that are wholly new or substantially re-worked [in our market] for the model year, the available choices narrow and the list makes more sense.

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