It's a balance issue.

Engineers are always looking for better configurations to help cars run better, smoother, quieter. The optimal place to have the engine is in the center. Now, this does not mean the engine would be in the middle of the passenger compartment. It means that the engine is mounted so that it's weight is evenly distributed with the other parts of the car. While it may be forward of the passenger compartment, or located just behind, the weight of the entire car is balanced.

As for cars that are not mid-engine mounted, it is power dependent. A heavier engine producing more power is mounted in the front of the car, because if you loaded it into the back of the car, the front end of the vehicle would float up at speed. A lighter engine in a smaller car, you want the engine weight on the main drive axle. To afford the tires better traction.

In newer cars, with the way they are balanced and engineered, they can place the engine wherever they like, simply adjusting the configuration within the limits of the frame and model design. However, the best vehicles are designed from the ground up to take all of this into account.

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