The A320 has a really versatile airframe, and hassle free Avionics which have made it commercially so successful. Its been flying for the past 25 years almost and is here to stay for a long time. The best airframe engine combination of A320 is with CFM 56–5B. I say it because its the most reliable and maintenance friendly option. However running costs may be a bit high than the IAE.
Other combinations include IAE V2500 series which ran into serious issues of Rotor drum corrosion, however it is commercially quite successful.
Recently two more options, known as the NEO(New engine option) are available. They include PW1100GJM and the CFM leap. Both of them are Ultra High By- Pass ratio gs turbine engines and claim to be more fuel efficient and envirnment friendly, however these claims are yet to be proven.
So until the time that these engines prove their worthiness, my favoured combination would be A320 with CFM 56-B engines and Honeywell 131–9 APU.
Source – Gautam Choudhary
