10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems

WardsAuto Managing Editor Tom Murphy assured a crowd of 400 powertrain executives and engineers that removing the price cap will not lead to a list dominated by exotic sports cars.

A pro-and-con summation of all 26 powertrains evaluated in the 2020 competition. Many comments come directly from editor scoresheets.

This year’s list of winners reflects an industry that is trying to do it all with heart-pounding fire breathers, capable pickups that don’t need V-8s, family cars that don’t need V-6s and a battery-electric CUV that is fun to drive.

As tested in the ’20 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab SLT, General Motors’ all-new Duramax light-duty turbodiesel wins points for its fuel economy and smoothness debunking diesels’ growly image.

A technological marvel, the 2.0L Variable Compression Turbo 4-cyl. in the Nissan Altima wows our judges with silky power and stunning fuel economy for a non-hybrid midsize sedan.

Powerful, quiet, inherently smooth and with a touch of electrification thrown in, the GLE450’s new turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cyl. makes a strong first impression.