Nissan 3.5-L V6 Chosen for "Wards Ten Best Engines" List for 10th Consecutive Year

Dodge Only Brand to Win Two Awards in Wards Top Ten

Nissans 3.5-L V6 engine, dubbed VQ by the Japanese automaker, is once again a "Wards Ten Best Engines" winner. This has become a regular occurrence, being the tenth consecutive year it has been chosen, which makes it the only engine featured on the list every year since the awards inception.

Sedan, sports car, minivan, pickup truck or SUV, the VQ shows up most often as a specific models top engine choice, with the exception being Infinitis FX35 where its featured in an entry model to the V8 powered FX45.

Together with the FX35 SUV, the list of models includes the I35 and G35 sedans and G35 Coupe for Infiniti, and Nissan Altima and Maxima sedans, 350Z and 350Z Roadster sports cars, Quest minivan, Xterra, Murano and Pathfinder sport utilities, and Frontier pickup truck.

The engine, as tested for the award in the Infiniti G35, features 260-hp available at 6,000 rpm and 260 lb-ft of torque at a maximum of 4,800 rpm. Its output ratings vary depending on application, with a total of 280-hp at 6,200 rpm and 270 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm available in the G35 Coupe. In top tuning, as applied to the 350Z, it produces 287-hp.

Other engines to make this years list (in no specific order) include Audis 340-hp 4.2-L 40-valve DOHC V8 with 302 lb-ft of torque as tested in the S4; BMWs 333-hp 3.2-L 24-valve I-6 with 274 lb-ft of torque as tested in the M3; DaimlerChryslers 345-hp 5.7-L HEMI Magnum OHV V8 with 375 lb-ft of torque as tested in the Dodge Ram; DaimlerChryslers 305-hp 5.9-L Cummins 600 OHV I-6 turbodiesel with 555 lb-ft of torque as tested in the Dodge Ram Heavy Duty; GMs 275-hp Vortec 4.2-L DOHC I-6 with 275 lb-ft of torque as tested in the GMC Envoy; Hondas 240-hp 3.0-L V6 with 212 lb-ft of torque as tested in the Accord Coupe; Mazdas 238-hp 1.3-L Renesis rotary with 159 lb-ft of torque as tested in the RX-8 6-speed; Subarus 300-hp 2.5-L 16-valve DOHC turbocharged H-4 with 300 lb-ft of torque as tested in the Impreza WRX STi; and Toyotas 106 (estimated) horsepower 1.5-L DOHC I-4 gas-electric Hybrid as tested in the Prius.

Altogether six Wards Communications editors and writers voted, judging a variety of engines priced less than $52,500.