The people at Ward’s Auto have issued their list of the 10
Best Engines for 2013 and for the 3rd straight year, the Chrysler
3.6L Pentastar V6 is honored as one of the best engines available in the US
market.This is great news for the
Chrysler Group, considering that nearly every model under in the company lineup
is available with this powerful, efficient V6 engine.
Within the Dodge brand, the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is the
standard base model engine in the Challenger, Charger and Durango while serving
as the premium engine in the Avenger, Journey and Caravan.The Dodge Dart is the only current Dodge
model not to come with the Pentastar V6. Over in the Ram brand, the Pentastar V6 has become the base engine for
the 2013 Ram 1500 with over 300 horsepower and 25 miles per gallon on the
highway – making the Ram 1500 the most efficient half ton truck available in
the US market.This award winning 3.6L
V6 is also the only engine option in the Ram C/V, a work themed minivan based
on the Dodge Caravan.The Pentastar is
used in all three of the current Chrysler brand models while serving as the
base engine for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the only engine for the 2013 Jeep
Wrangler.
In the US market, there is no engine that is used in more
vehicles with different drivetrains as the Pentastar V6.From muscle cars to sport sedans to compact
sedans to minivans to work trucks to the legendary Wrangler – the Pentastar
packs plenty of power to spin two wheels or four.
Overall, 2013 marks the 4th time in 5 years where a
Chrysler engine has been on the list with the 5.7L Hemi V8 joining the Pentastar with a win of its own in 2009.The Hemi was not on the 2008 list but it was
on the list every year from 2003 to 2007. The complete list for the 2013 Ward’s
10 Best Engines honors is below.
Audi 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6
BMW 2.0L N20 Turbocharged DOHC I-4
BMW 3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6
Chrysler 3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6
Ford 2.0L EcoBoost DOHC I-4
Ford 5.8L Supercharged DOHC V-8
Cadillac 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4
Honda 2.4L DOHC I-4
Honda 3.5L SOHC V-6
Subaru 2.0L FA DOHC H-4 Boxer
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
