I'm a Ford mechanic, and I have friends and family who drives Cossies.
So i get to work on them quite a bit.
And the big thing about the cossie engine is the avalibility of parts and knowledge gained from all its racing history in Europe (and Australia). It isn't nesseceraly the best engine in the world (not saying it isnt good though).
Actually the old redtops from 2WD cossies, the 205 block is more or less, crap. Its an old block from a Pinto motor, like a Sierra 2.0l OHC.
All Cosworth did was x-ray the blocks and pick the best off the production line.
The later 200 block is much better. But still, there is no magic here either.
My point being that, if I lived i the states I would never consider a cossie engine over, lets say a 4G63 or a SR20, I'd have no reason to.
Being in europe, people put cossie engines in everything. And I could see the point, but personally I would never put a small Ford engine in a classic Datsun
(A Cosworth V8 turbo on the other hand... )