Oh...whats that?
All American car companies are bankrupt?

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Ward’s Automotive Group has named Ford’s redesigned 2.5-liter engine for the Escape and Mariner hybrids and GM’s 3.6L direct injection V-6 VVT engine to AutoWorld magazine’s 2009 “Ten Best Engines” list for North America. Ward’s will present the 10 Best Engine awards at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Separately, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) named GM first in the automotive sector in its IEEE Spectrum 2007 Patent Scorecard. Ford came in fourth in that ranking, behind Toyota in third and Nippondenso in second place.

Ford 2.5L. Ford’s 2.5-liter, dual-overhead cam I-4 hybrid engine (earlier post) was the only engine for hybrid vehicles selected as a winner for this year’s list. This is the fifth year of production for the Escape Hybrid but the first year for the SUV to use Ford’s new 2.5-liter engine. Previous models used a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine.

“Ford engineers have done a tremendous job,” said Drew Winter, editor in chief of Ward’s Autoworld magazine. “With hybrids in particular, software is such a big thing. The software that regulates how the power is transferred back and forth from gas to electric, when it’s done badly, can be jerky and unsettling, but when it’s done well, it really elevates driving pleasure. It’s the difference between a superior powertrain and a science experiment.”

The 2009 Ford Escape and Mariner hybrid models use the new 2.5-liter I-4 designed to run on the Atkinson combustion cycle. A new engine processor enables nearly imperceptible transitions between gas and electric vehicle mode. The hybrid models also feature a new powertrain damping system to reduce vibrations and feedback to the driver and other vehicle occupants.

The entire hybrid system in both SUVs was completely developed and engineered by Ford, which holds several hundred patents on this exclusive hybrid system. The Escape and Mariner hybrids deliver fuel economy of 34 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.

GM 3.6L DI V-6 VVT. This is the second year in a row the 3.6L direct injection V-6 VVT has been named to the Ten Best Engines list for North America. GM Powertrain’s 3.6L V-6 VVT with direct injection is GM’s highest-output V-6 and one of the most fuel-efficient in GM's high-feature engine family, delivering a 3% fuel economy improvement over its predecessor. The application of direct injection also reduces cold-start hydrocarbon emissions by 25 percent.

The engine is applied in the Cadillac CTS and will be available in the 2009 Buick Enclave, Cadillac STS, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and Saturn Vue 2-Mode Hybrid.

GM also offers direct injection on its Ecotec 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the 2009 Chevrolet HHR SS and Chevrolet Cobalt SS, Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line.

GM makes big strides but has a long way to go

While Honda and Toyota still dominate in reliability, General Motors has improved considerably in our latest predicted-reliability Ratings. Those are the findings of our 2010 Annual Auto Survey, based on subscribers' experiences with 1.3 million vehicles.

While some GM nameplates had been among the least reliable brands in past years, they now rank above some major European competitors. But as a company, GM is still far from tops in reliability.

Across GM brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC), 69 percent of models had average or better reliability. Cadillac improved the most, rising seven places from last year's ranking. Chevrolet had its best showing in years; 83 percent of models had average or better scores in predicted reliability, up from 50 percent. Also noteworthy:
The major Asian brands are still doing well overall. All models from Acura, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Scion, and Toyota have at least average predicted reliability.
Ford continues to be the most reliable American automaker. Ninety percent of Fords, including Lincoln models, have at least average reliability.
Chrysler remains the lowest-ranked manufacturer in our survey. We can recommend only one of its vehicles, the four wheel-drive Dodge Ram 1500.
While European reliability had been improving, momentum seems to have stalled. All Porsche and Volvo models are rated average or better. But Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are among the worst automakers overall.
The Porsche Boxster has the best predicted reliability in our survey, while the Audi A6 3.0T and Jaguar XF have the worst.

Asia still dominates

Despite recent safety recalls, Toyota models, including those from Scion and Lexus, remained among the most reliable and earned top scores in five vehicle categories. Only the all-wheel-drive Lexus GS and the new Lexus IS 250 convertible are below average. The redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius, hurt by antilock brake problems on early vehicles, scored only average. That is quite a drop from previous years. (We've reinstated our recommendations for eight Toyota models that had problems with sticking accelerator pedals.)

Honda and Acura are among the top four brands, with their models topping five vehicle categories. But problems with rear brake pads help drop the 4-cylinder Accord and Acura TSX to average.

Hyundai and Kia continued to do well, with only one model, the Kia Sedona minivan, rated below average. All six new models for 2010 had average or better reliability, an impressive first-year showing.

Nissan's mainstream models did fine. But the small Nissan Cube had a below average score in its first appearance in our survey. The Infiniti models were all average or better.

Subaru had a good record overall, with a top rating going to the four-cylinder Legacy sedan and the non-turbo version of the Forester SUV. The WRX was the only model that rated below average.