According to you: The best engines you’ve ever experienced

In our last installment of According to You, you shared with us your personal thoughts on some of the worst engines you’ve ever experienced. Some answers were expected, but others took many of us by surprise. Hopefully, today’s installment stokes a similar passion—albeit on the positive side of things. We asked for the best engines you’ve experienced, and the answers you gave us were fantastic.

Truly fantastic, to the point we often bundled multiple engine votes into their respective families. Let’s get to it.

Ford inline-six (300 and 200 cu in)

The amount of positive feedback for the 300-cubic-inch Ford inline six-cylinder was a welcome but expected byproduct of our question. These motors get the job done and are very, very hard to kill, endearing themselves to many of you. We also threw in a shoutout for the smaller 200-cu-in version:

Sam: “Ford 300 I6 Dependable and reliable. Very long lasting.”

Sajeev Mehta: “An excellent choice. I loved the 300 once they added port fuel injection and an overdrive automatic transmission to it, that made it perfect for so many uses.”

Wesley: “I’ll add a 3rd vote to that… Still running a 300 6cyl today. She’s untouched other than careful maintenance for the past 31 years.”

James: “Yep the Ford 300 six. Grandad bought a 68 F100 with it and I now have it and it just keeps on running.”

Cday: “My ’65 Mustang has the 200 I6 with 5 main bearings. Bulletproof bottom end and the engine will never die. Easy to work on with easy-to-find parts make it a home run.”

Volvo “Red Block” B21 slant-four

The Volvo Redblock is a legendary motor that lived a long, successful life. Hagerty Community Member Forty2 had a bittersweet moment to share with us, as we apparently asked our question at the right time. RIP to this Volvo 240:

“My ’91 240 was hauled off to the boneyard today (still running but with a smushed-in rear) due to a crash last week, but after a quarter-million miles that engine (and everything else containing oils) never leaked a drop, ran strong (as much as it could anyway), no smoke, fired within one crank of the starter, and will hopefully live on under another Volvo hood.”

Cummins B-series/Dodge 5.9-liter diesel

D. Dewald offered a diesel engine whose longevity has played a big part in its well-deserved reputation:

“The best engine experience for me has been the 5.9L Cummins 24VHO turbodiesel in my 2001 Dodge 2500. Day after day of efficient operation; pulling trailers as needed in the summer and pushing snow through Upper Peninsula winters. After 21 years it still has the original pump and injectors at 230k miles, still runs like new and will probably go to 500k as long as the rest of the truck doesn’t rust away.”

Nissan VQ V-6

Hagerty Community member Det gave us a late-model Japanese motor with an unforgettable naturally-aspirated sound and classic performance traits:

“Various versions of the Nissan VQ (3.0, 3.5, 3.7) in the U.S: I even enjoyed the 3.7L in the last gen NISMO Z even though it lacked high-revving smoothness.”

Small-block Chevy V-8 (especially the 327)

Don’t get me wrong, the small block Chevrolets that are smaller than 327 cubic inches have nothing to be ashamed of. But our readers offered wonderful feedback on the later, larger, more powerful, and subsequently more popular versions of this world-famous engine from Chevrolet.

Marvin: “327 chevy in a 1964 Corvette, 365 hp with a close ratio transmission and 3.70 gears. Redline was 6500 rpm and it would do 65 mph in 1st, 85 in 2nd, 105 in 3rd, and top out at 125-130. Strong engine and very quick!”

Rick: “1969 Z/28 302 bad to the bone back in high school.”

9K2164S: “Chevy 327 with solid lifters, big Holley and single plane intake rowing through a four speed at 7,000 RPM. I’ve owned most all the common Chevy small blocks from 283 through 400 and the 327 was, like the Three Little Bears, “just right”.”

Stephen: “I’m old school and I really enjoy the 302 in my 69 Z28.”

Ken_L: “All of the older small block Chevy engines I owned have been good to me. Current 48 year old one with 90,000 original miles runs great, but will need new valve seals sometime.”

Greg Ingold: “The GM 5.7 “Vortec” engine is really good. Have a close friend with over 300,000 on his 5.7 equipped truck and I’ve had two GMT400 trucks with it that I sold with 250,000 miles on the clock and I still see one of those trucks driving around town today. Only real flaws I’ve experienced is that the intake gaskets leak coolant eventually, but the upgraded ones the aftermarket sells permanently fix that and the funky distributor cap is corrosion prone, so buying the expensive OEM-grade caps upon replacement are an absolute must. They might be low on power by today’s truck standards, but unless you actively try to kill one, they just last.”

BMW inline-six

BMW made so many delightful inline-six motors that you simply have to recognize multiple versions in a single post. I love them all, as they are so expertly balanced that they often feel as smooth at redline as they do at idle.

Audiocage: “A couple of favorites: The inline-6 in an E36 M3. Smooth as silk, and rubber-band-like pull.”

James: “I test drove a euro spec/grey market M635CSi in 1997. It was the only time I’ve ever spontaneously thought “that’s a mechanical symphony I’m hearing”.”

Isaiah: “I had a E46 M3. The motor in it was awesome.”

Paul: “I LOVED my E46 M3 and that S54 motor that went along with it. Absolutely bulletproof and sung like an angel. I wish I had kept it longer!”

Byron: “BMW S38 3.6L (US market) DOHC 24 valve inline-6. De-tuned naturally aspirated F1 engine w/ individual throttle-bodies: 345hp (chipped) in my 92 M5, but it could reliably deliver up to 1,000hp on a turbo. Ran like a watch for 180k miles under my ownership. “Right now” throttle response. Sounded so nice, I would often turn off the stereo when alone on the interstate. Perfectly tolerant of endless Boston “stop & go” traffic jams.”

Julian: “M88/3 in my BMW M635. Stock they are a little more powerful than when fitted to the original M1. Mine has had some Dinan work to further enhance it.”

Chrysler Pentastar V-6

Base model engines don’t get nearly enough love in our society! The Pentastar V-6 makes 292 horsepower which, since this is SAE net calculations, is likely more oomph than the majority of vintage muscle cars. They move well, and they get the job done. As MPH302 put it:

“Just traded my 2012 Challenger at 205K and only because I wanted another one before they stop making them. Absolutely nothing done to the motor except spark plugs and religious preventive maintenance.”

Mazda K-series V-6

The Mazda K-series was a finesse player on par with the BMW inline-sixes mentioned above. But they met a demand for cheaper cars that normal people could afford right off the showroom floor. Be it the tiny 1.8-liter in an MX3 or a 2.5-liter in a Ford Probe GT, these engines provided countless hours of fun for countless people. Or, as Robert put it:

“1995 Mazda 626 DOHC 2.5-liter V-6 with 5-speed: this jewel of an engine had a dual powerband, only fairly strong at the bottom, but came on the cams at 4000 RPM and screamed to a 7000 RPM redline. Incredibly smooth, sounded great, totally reliable (and, in the 626, a sleeper that didn’t attract police attention). Not suited to the automatic transmission as low-end wasn’t strong enough, but with the excellent-shifting 5-speed it came alive. The car cruised at 100 MPH effortlessly but served just as well as a grocery-getter.”

Jaguar inline-six

The Jaguar XK twin-cam inline-six was a beauty to see, hear, and experience from behind the wheel. Denying this is to deny oneself the joy of automotive perfection, or as Leo put it:

“The smooth power, the wonderful sounds and the beauty early on of polished cam covers and porcelain coated exhaust manifolds still uplift me after more than 45 years of working with them.”

Small-block Chrysler V-8

Hagerty Community member Rick recommends the small block 318 and 340 V-8s from Chrysler, which have actually taken hold with a new generation of fans in Japan. The “Dajiban” (a Japanese colloquialism for “Dodge Van”) in Japan is usually powered by the 318 cid small block and it’s wonderful to see a non-HEMI Chrysler cut out a unique slice of the world’s shared love for American V-8s. Plenty of you expressed your love for these awesome eights in the replies to our question:

Audiocage: “And a Dodge 318 that Simply. Wouldn’t. Quit. It’s probably still running strong.”

Tom: “My choice, late 60’s early 70’s Mopar 340 small block. I put 95000 miles on my ’70 Challenger, 4 speed, which I reluctantly sold during the oil embargo. Every mile with that high revving small block was music to my ears. I missed it so much I got another in 1985 which I still have to this day.”

Spike: “My ’70 Duster 340 was an awesome, sweet ride! It could beat many GM & Ford 5.7L powered vehicles. Only problem was the hydraulic valves began to float at about 135mph.”

Raymond: “Dodge Van 318 V8. I don’t know if they are still made yet. I’ve had six of them in my work vans and religiously change the oil and they never failed me. Can’t even say they never got me to work or I had to miss a job. Just routine maintenance and ready to roll.”

GM LS-series V-8

Of course we had to include the iconic LS-series engine from General Motors. Luckily, the Hagerty Community had plenty to say about this workhorse:

BMD4800: “My favorite is my turbo LS3 based 416 stroker. Previously procharged, it is a lesson in absurdity. With a (relatively) mild cam, (relatively) decent idle quality and the ability to pass tailpipe test if needed, it’s pretty streetable. But it is infinitely more brutal than a solid roller cam 540 big block Chevy with a nitrous hit out of the hole. Diesel engine torque with so much under the curve it is borderline excessive. It pulls like a F4 off a carrier deck, just plain brutal torque. It is the quintessential American Car: too much power, too little handling ability. It is goofy without traction control, but I’m not a big race in traffic kind of guy.”

You sound like our kind of crazy, BMD4800.—Ed.

MJ: “Been around long enough to have driven cars with most of my favorite engines. But the best so far is in my 2006 Z06. That 7.0-liter motor is just a wall of power everywhere and in such a light chassis (especially by today’s sports car standards). It boggles my mind that all you need to own one of these is a valid driver’s license.”

Porsche Flat Six (Air and Water cooled)

Porsche’s flat-six, be it air- or water-cooled, is easy to fall in love with. You don’t have to be a kid on the sidewalk to understand it, and the Hagerty Community came out strong for flat-sixes of all kinds:

Franko: “Porsche/VW flat 6 (and 4!) cylinder engines are air-cooled delights. It’s surprising how they have lasted the test of time. Racing, daily drivers, off road, etc. they have done it all & excelled! Even aircraft & boat power!”

Clint: “Best engine with the best sound I’ve ever experienced was the 2-liter carbureted flat-six in my old 1966 Porsche 911 with sport exhaust and K&N-type un-silenced air cleaners. Foot to the floor from a stop, up to the 7200 RPM redline, it sounds like ripping canvas, with an overlay of hollow metallic “pop-pop” sounds from the six-barrel Webers. It was as tough as a little anvil, and with a heart of pure gold.”

Michael: “I was fortunate enough to drive a Porsche GT3 RS (991.2) on a race track. Four-liter flat 6 with over 500 horsepower and a 9 thousand RPM redline. As the RPM’s climb, the mechanical melody and rapid acceleration rise with it. Between 8 and 9 thousand RPM sounds like a muffled Porsche cup car. The entire powertrain worked flawlessly.”

Oldsmobile Aurora V-8

The 1990s came up with some amazing engines that were the perfect blend of old-school muscle and modern refinement. Here’s Hagerty Community member Rhodent’s take on the matter:

“I think my favorite engine in combination with the car was a ’95 Olds Aurora 4.4, all aluminum, DOHC, fuel injected. Wonderful, comfortable, stable cruiser. It would cruise from Austin to San Antonio at 90 and it was like sitting in my recliner.”

Detroit Diesel 6V71

Not all great engines come in cars, or as Joe put it:

“Detroit Diesel 6V71 2 stroke: used in many buses and other commercial vehicles back in the day. Very simple and reliable, the sound is unmistakable!”

GM 60-degree V-6

The 60-degree V-6 from General Motors had a great run, starting off as a premium motor for GM’s front-wheel drive vehicles in the 1980s (and the Pontiac Fiero!) and a mid-level upgrade for the early 3rd-gen F-bodies. Towards the end of its thirty year production run, the 60-degree mill was reborn as the “high value” V-6, with a 40 percent bump in size that gave its more advanced replacement (GM’s High Feature, 3.6-liter, V-6) a run for its money. For less money, which speaks volumes about its impressive design. Hagerty Community members far and wide came to respect this mill for what its worth:

Mike: “2.8 V-6 from my 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme International. Loved the look of the intake manifold. Really miss that car!”

Jack Burton: “The 2.8 Fieros are great, as are the 2.5 Iron Duke cars, despite what the internet would have you believe. Both tremendously reliable engines, wrapped in a vastly underrated, and fun, package.”

hyperv6: “Note too my 2.8 HO in my Fiero. While it is nothing radical, it has been fully reliable and moves the car along well but sounds like an exotic engine. Many question if it is a V8. Pontiac did well on the exhaust on that one.”

Buick 3800 V-6

Not to be outdone by its smaller sibling, the Buick 3800 V-6 really came into its element as a premium engine for all things less-than-Cadillac. Be it supercharged or naturally aspirated, it had several fans in the Hagerty Community:

ap41563: “My vote would be for the Buick 3800 Series II. It has needed nothing for 18 years other than oil changes and regular service items. It runs smooth and has nice power off the line. At 70 to 75 mph it returns over 30 mpg. It never skips or misses a beat and it’s not overly complicated. It follows the KISS principle and I think I will probably still be daily driving it 10 years from now.”

TG: “I would say #1 is the 231/3.8/3800 Buick V6. After having owned several examples, they are robust, capable of north of 200K miles, and deliver decent power for a V6.”

Ford/Yamaha “SHO” V-6

Since we are on the subject of 1980s-era V-6 engines from Detroit, perhaps the most famous mill is the monster made by Yamaha from the blueprint of Ford’s 60-degree Vulcan V-6. Comparing a mere 3.0-liter pushrod Vulcan to the one in the Taurus SHO is like measuring ground beef against sirloin steak, but Mike gave us even more reasons to love the Super High Output V-6:

“Had three Taurus SHO manuals, 90, 93 and 95. Loved the Yamaha engine–and the castings are beautiful. I was in the aluminum casting business then. MN State Patrol let me out of a 105 in a 55 in NW MN in my ’93. I was just at Arctic Cat engineering and I was let off in exchange for a bit of info about their new engine … then the following winter the same patrolman saw me in the local restaurant. “Are you being a good boy?” he asked lol.”

Big-block Chrysler V-8 (Wedge & Hemi)

Have we been spending too much time on “wimpy” V-6s for your taste? If so, can we make it up to you?

C.J: “Many years ago I installed a 426 Dodge wedge into street rod, a bulletproof engine along with the 727 torque flight, drove to all the street rod nationals from 1974 to 1982,never a problem, street raced it, lost very few races, it pissed off a lot of Chevrolet guys because my 426 was in a 1935 Chevrolet master two door sedan.”

Paul Kafer: “I am in my 70s and have had many cars and built most of them up for better performance. One of the ones I remember best, was a ’69 Roadrunner that originally came with a 383-ci engine and A833 4-speed and 3.23:1 rear gear. Of course, that wasn’t good enough. I pulled the engine and rebuilt it with 0.030″ over 12.5:1 forged pistons, polished crank, H beam rods, ported heads, adjustable rockers and HD push rods to accommodate the biggest solid lifter cam Iskenderian could fit into that engine. It was all balanced for high rpm use. I had a tunnel ram with a pair of Holley center squirters on top of it and Hooker SuperComp headers channeling the exhaust out through a set of 3.5 in pipes. I installed a set of 4.56:1 gears in the back and went hunting every Saturday night. That thing was really too radical for everyday use, but I drove it anyway. It wouldn’t hit on all cylinders until it was above 4000 rpm. The cam powerband was listed as 6500 to 8000 rpm, but it sounded so good getting there. It also fouled the plugs in short order driving on the street. I had to carry extra plugs with me in case I actually got an offer to race later. Totally impractical, but totally fun and wonderful to hear going WOT down the strip or an empty rural road. Yes, times were different then.”

Honda Motorcycles

Motorcycles make some fantastic noises and put down power like no car ever could. So what do you think of these Hondas, offered up by the Hagerty Community?

Tinge of Ginge: “The 919 4-cyl in my old CB919. Torque like a twin, but better top end. And with the right exhaust, sounded amazing. One of the only bikes I regret selling.”

Robert: “1999 Honda CBR1100XX, the engine would pull cleanly from 1500 to the 9500 redline in 6th gear. (About 35mph to 185 or so). Smooth, quiet and reliable. Able to get 50 mpg just poking along on a back road.”

Toyota 22RE four-cylinder

The Toyota R engine family has made life-long friends around the world, which is why Hagerty Community member Joseph said,:

“The Toyota 22REs I have had in both 4Runners and Hilux pickups have NEVER disappointed me!”

Chrysler Slant Six

How could we not include the Slant Six? That said, Hagerty Community member Rob mentioned its predecessor, as he knows you could “never kill” the 1946–1955 Dodge/Plymouth six-cylinder flathead. But the motor that replaced that one? Let’s say that it had big shoes to fill, and did that very well. Perhaps Luther said all that’s needed about the Slant Six:

“1972 Slant Six in a Dodge Demon: Indestructible, several times went way past the 120 mph mark, and still wish I had the little car.”

Suzuki Tl1000 twin

Let’s get back to motorcycles again, as this Suzuki clearly deserves our attention:

TalkingPie: “I haven’t personally experienced much in the way of impressive car engines, but I did enjoy a couple of stirring motorcycle powerplants. My Suzuki TL1000S was a characterful twin – the rumble of a twin at low RPM, but it also spun to over 9,000 RPM. I like stock exhausts and you didn’t need noisy mufflers for that bike to sound distinctive. 125 hp isn’t much in the bike world but it was still good enough for high 10 second quarter mile times in the hands of pros.”

Nissan QR 2.5-liter inline-four

I’d like to end this episode of According to You on a more thought-provoking note. A Nissan Versa Note, perhaps? Dad jokes aside, consider the workhorse Nissan Altima, a car that is truly the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive industry. Well, at least one member of the Hagerty Community understands:

Brian: “This may not be common, but I had a 2011 Nissan Altima 2.5L 4 cylinder with over 275,000 miles on it when it got rear ended and totaled. It was still running strong. My first experience with CVT tranny, which also amazingly lasted for 201,000 miles. I did like the smoothness of the ride without the usual shift points. It also had a manual shift gate which actually made it a rather peppy car, considering.”

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