Most Reliable Engines

3.0L NA Diesel I6

300D, E 300D

Legendary. 500k+ miles documented. Tunable to 500hp. One of most reliable engines ever.

2.0-2.8L NA I6

3 Series, 5 Series, Z3

Smooth, linear, bulletproof. Classic BMW feel. Simple maintenance. Cheap parts.

3.0L Turbo I6

1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 4 Series, 2 Series, 7 Series, GR Supra, X5, X4, X6, X7, 8 Series, X3, Z4, 340i

Possibly BMWs best engine ever. Forged internals, insane tuning (600hp+). 300k+ km.

2.2-3.0L NA I6

5 Series, 3 Series, Z4, X5, Z3

Peak old-school BMW. Raspy, high-revving, raw. The benchmark. 300k+ km routine.

V6/V8 NA

E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, CLK, SL, G-Class, ML 320, ML 350

Last simple MB V6/V8. Over-engineered. Cheap to maintain. 250k+ km.

1.9L TDI I4

Golf, Ibiza, Felicia, Polo, A4, Octavia, Leon, Toledo, A3, Arosa, Fabia, Cordoba, Alhambra, Passat, Superb, A6, Transporter, Altea, Touran, Roomster

Legendary diesel. 500k+ miles documented. Simple, efficient, nearly unkillable. Belt-driven.

1.5L I4 / Hybrid

Yaris, Corolla/Auris, Yaris Cross

Yaris + Prius engine. Nearly unkillable. Hybrid version (FXE) powers millions of taxis worldwide.

1.9L TDI I4

Golf 1.9 TDI, Polo 1.9 TDI

The legendary ALH. 500k+ miles documented. Simple mechanical injection. Nearly unkillable. Belt-driv...

1.5L Hybrid I4

C-HR 1.8 Hybrid, Yaris 1.5 Hybrid

Original Prius/Aqua/Yaris Hybrid. Atkinson cycle + electric motor. Millions of taxis prove 500k+ km ...

3.2L CDI Diesel I6

E-Class, C-Class, S-Class, E 320 CDI

Modern OM606 successor. Excellent highway cruiser. Strong torque.

3.5L V6

RX, RC, ES, IS, LC, LS, RX 450h

Camry/RAV4/Highlander V6. Bulletproof. Smooth, powerful. Used in Lotus Evora too.

2.5-3.0L NA I6

5 Series, 3 Series, Z4, X5, 1 Series

Last great NA six. Lighter (magnesium block), smoother, higher-revving than M54. 250k+ km.

1.5L VTEC I4

Civic, HR-V, Jazz

Jazz/City/Civic engine. Classic Honda reliability. VTEC smooth. 300k+ km documented.

2.0L NA I4

626, 2, 3, CX-3 2.0 Skyactiv-G, CX-30 2.0 Skyactiv-G, CX-5 2.0 Skyactiv-G, MX-5 1.5 Skyactiv-G, MX-5 2.0 Skyactiv-G, Mazda3 2.0 Skyactiv-G, Mazda3 Fastback 2.0 Skyactiv-G, Mazda6 2.0 Skyactiv-G

Mazda3/CX-30/CX-5. High compression (13:1). No turbo = no turbo problems. Smooth, efficient, extreme...

1.8L I4

Avensis, Corolla/Auris, C-HR, Prius, Corolla Cross, Swace, CT, Corolla, Corolla 1.6 VVT-i, Prius 1.8 Hybrid, RAV4 2.0 VVT-i

Current Corolla/Auris engine. Also hybrid (FXE). Incredibly reliable. Zero drama. 300k+ km.

2.5L Dynamic Force I4

RC, IS, RAV4, NX, Highlander, LM, Camry, ES, RX, Across, ES 300h, Lexus NX 300h, Lexus RX 450h

Camry/RAV4 2.5. Hybrid version gets 50+ mpg. Extremely reliable early data. Toyotas best modern engi...

M50 2.0/2.5 NA I6

Cast iron block legend. One of BMW's most reliable ever. M50TU added single VANOS. Strong internals ...

B16A/B18C VTEC

Accord, Civic

Civic VTi/Integra Type R. High-revving VTEC legends. Forged internals on Type R variants. 8,500+ rpm...

2.0L NA I4

Mondeo, Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo 2.0 Duratec

Focus/Mondeo/Mazda3 shared. Mazda MZR co-developed. Simple, proven, nearly bulletproof. 300k+ km. Th...

1.6L NA I4

2, Mazda3 1.6

Japanese engineering at its simplest. Timing chain, zero drama, 300k+ km documented. The invisible r...

1.5L NA I4

Yaris 1.0 VVT-i, Yaris 1.3 VVT-i

Yaris/Vitz workhorse. Chain-driven. Simple, efficient. Nearly unkillable. Oil changes and go.

2.5L NA I4

3, CX-7, 6, CX-5, CX-60, Mazda6 2.5 Skyactiv-G, Mazda6 Wagon 2.5 Skyactiv-G

CX-5/CX-9/Mazda6. Same philosophy as 2.0 but more torque. Excellent reliability record.

2NZ-FE 1.3

Yaris

Yaris. Chain driven. VVT-i. Toyota reliability standard. Oil consumption at extreme mileage only. Ze...

D14/D15/D16

Civic workhorse. SOHC/DOHC variants. D16 VTEC models are peppy. Simple, cheap, nearly indestructible...

1.0L I3

108, Aygo, 107, Yaris, C1, Aygo X, Aygo 1.0

Aygo/Yaris city engine. Simple, light, cheap to run. Timing chain. 200k+ km easy.

2.0L Diesel I4

B-Class, A-Class, GLA, C-Class, GLC, E-Class, GLE, CLA, S-Class, G-Class, C 220d Wagon, E 220d Wagon, GLC 220d Coupe

Best modern MB diesel. Aluminium block, low friction. Long-distance champion.

2.0L Hybrid I4

Accord 2.0 e:HEV, CR-V 2.0 e:HEV, Civic 2.0 e:HEV, HR-V 1.5 e:HEV, Jazz 1.5 e:HEV

CR-V/Civic/HR-V hybrid. Dual-motor system. Atkinson cycle = excellent efficiency. Honda hybrid relia...

2.0L i-VTEC I4

Civic, CR-V, Accord, FR-V, Accord 2.0 i-VTEC, City 1.5 i-VTEC, HR-V 1.5 VVT-i, Jazz 1.3 i-VTEC

Civic/CR-V/Accord engine. Proven, smooth. No major issues. Good all-rounder.

2.0L NA I4

RX-8, MX-5, 626, 5, 6, 3, CX-5, CX-3, CX-30, 2

Pre-Skyactiv-X Mazda3/CX-5. Simple, proven. No issues. Good baseline Mazda engine.

1.5L Hybrid I4

Jazz, CR-Z, HR-V

Jazz/HR-V/Civic hybrid. Extremely efficient. Dual-motor system. Battery proven to last.

1.2L NA I4

Splash, Swift, Jimny, Alto, Celerio, S-Cross, Vitara, SX4 S-Cross, Baleno, Ignis, Liana

Swift/Baleno/Ignis. Simple, light, efficient. Mild hybrid available. Very reliable.

2.0L Dynamic Force I4

RAV4, UX, Corolla, C-HR, Prius, Corolla Cross, C-HR 1.2T, C-HR 2.0 Hybrid, Lexus UX 250h, Yaris 1.5 Hybrid

Latest Corolla/RAV4 engine. Thermal efficiency 40%+. Hybrid version outstanding. Early data strong.

2.8L Turbo Diesel I4

Land Cruiser, Hilux, Avensis 2.0 D-4D, HiLux 2.8 D-4D, Land Cruiser 3.0 D-4D

Hilux/Land Cruiser Prado diesel. Replaced 1KD. 25% more torque, 15% less fuel. Workhorse.

F20C/F22C S2000

S2000

S2000. 9,000 rpm redline. Highest specific output NA production engine of its time. VTEC. Dry sump o...

M104 2.8/3.2 I6

W124/R129/W140 inline-6. One of Mercedes' most reliable engines. Bulletproof bottom end. Wiring harn...

P5-VPS 1.5 SkyActiv-G

2, 3, MX-5, CX-3

Mazda2/3/CX-3. High compression (14:1). Chain driven. Excellent fuel economy. No known major issues....

L12A/L12B 1.2

Jazz

Jazz/Fit. i-DSI dual-spark. Timing chain. Nearly zero issues. Perfect city car engine. Incredibly sp...

M13A 1.3 I4

Swift/Jimny/Ignis. Simple, bulletproof. Chain driven. No known significant issues. Light on power bu...

3.0L Turbo Diesel I6

5 Series, X5, 3 Series, 7 Series

Legendary diesel six. Powered E46 330d to E90 335d. Smooth, torquey, reliable. Swirl flaps and turbo...

2TR-FE 2.7

Land Cruiser

HiLux/Land Cruiser Prado. Chain driven. Dual VVT-i. Truck-grade durability. Oil consumption minimal....

1.2L NA I4

Baleno 1.2 DualJet, Ignis 1.2 DualJet, Jimny 1.3 VVT, Swift 1.2, Swift 1.2 DualJet

Swift/Ignis/Baleno. Simple, light, efficient. Mild hybrid available. Very reliable. Suzuki at its be...

1ZR 1.6 Valvematic

Auris/Corolla E150/E160. Dual VVT-i/Valvematic. Chain driven. Oil consumption TSB exists for early V...

2.5L Turbo I5

Ducato, TT, Q3, A3, TT RS 2.5 TFSI

Legendary 5-cyl. 9x Engine of the Year. Forged internals. Surprisingly reliable.

1.5L Diesel I4

Kangoo, Modus, Note, Megane, Scenic, Townstar, Clio, Logan, Duster, Captur, NV200, Logan MCV, Talisman, Dokker, Fluence, Micra, Lodgy, Qashqai, Twingo, Sandero, Kadjar, Latitude, Pulsar, Laguna, Juke, Jimny, Trafic, Espace, Koleos, X-Trail

One of Europes most common diesels. Simple, efficient, proven. Turbo can wear. DPF care needed.

1.6L NA I4

A4, Felicia, Polo, Ibiza, Octavia, Toledo, Golf, Leon, A3, Passat, Cordoba, Altea, Exeo, Caddy, Fabia

Simple, slow, reliable. No turbo = no turbo problems. Basic transport. Polo/Golf/Caddy.

1.8L I4

RAV4, Avensis, Corolla

Corolla/Avensis workhorse. Oil consumption on early 1ZZ fixed mid-production. 2ZZ is high-rev gem.

2.0L Turbo I4

Cooper, Countryman, Clubman, Mini, Convertible

Same BMW B48. Cooper S/JCW. Reliable and fast. Best modern MINI engine.

2.4L Turbo Diesel I4

Hilux, HiLux 2.4 D-4D, RAV4 2.0 D-4D

Hilux/Fortuner/Innova diesel. Smaller sibling of 1GD. Excellent reliability in commercial use.

3.0L Diesel I6

E 400d, GLE 350d, S 350d

Flagship modern MB diesel. Inline-6 smoothness returns. MHEV. GLE/GLS/S-Class. Excellent highway. Ea...

2.0L Turbo I4

X3, 4 Series, Z4, 2 Series Active Tourer, 3 Series, GR Supra, 1 Series, 5 Series, X2, X1, 2 Series, X4, 320i, 320i GT, 320i Touring, 330i GT, 330i Touring, 420i Gran Coupe

B58s little brother. Efficient, smooth. Remap to 260hp safe. Best modern 4-cyl BMW.

Coyote 5.0 V8 (Gen 1-4)

Mustang

Mustang GT. Modern pushrod-free DOHC V8. Ti-VCT dual variable timing. Exceptionally reliable for a p...

MA3 4.0 Flat-6 GT3

718 Cayman, 718 Boxster

992 GT3/GT3 RS. 9,000 rpm redline. Derived from RSR race engine. No IMS. No bore scoring. Individual...

1.6L NA I4

S-Cross, Vitara, SX4, SX4 S-Cross, Grand Vitara, Kizashi, Swift, Ignis, Liana, Swift 1.6 Sport

SX4/Vitara/Swift. Classic Suzuki simplicity. Chain-driven. 200k+ km.

3.0L SC V6

A5, A4, Q5, A8, A6, A7

Most reliable S-model Audi ever. Supercharged = instant. Known issues cheap. 200k+ km.

1.6L NA I4

Getz, Rio, Cerato, i30, i20, Soul, Ceed, Venga, i40, Sportage, Carens, Tucson, Picanto 1.2 MPI, Rio 1.4 MPI, i10 1.2 MPI, i20 1.2 MPI

Same as 1.4 but more power. Globally deployed. Excellent parts availability. Reliable daily.

2.0L Turbo I4

A1 35 TFSI, A3 35 TFSI, A4 2.0 TFSI, A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI, A5 2.0 TFSI, A5 Sportback 2.0 TFSI, A6 2.0 TFSI, Q3 35 TFSI, Q5 2.0 TFSI

Gen 3 refined. Higher compression, better cooling. Strong long-term outlook.

2.0L TSI I4

Kodiaq, Golf, Leon, Q5, A4, A3, Polo, Octavia, Q3, Tarraco, T-Roc, A6, Tiguan, Ateca, Karoq, Arteon, Formentor, Getz, Picanto, i10, Santa Fe, Sorento, Niro, Ioniq, XCeed, Pro Ceed, i30, Ceed, Optima, Optima/K5, i20, Golf GTI 2.0 TSI, Golf R 2.0 TSI, Passat 2.0 TSI

Latest evolution. Golf 8 GTI/R. Improved over Gen 3 in most areas.

2.0L Turbo VTEC I4

NSX, Civic, CR-V, Accord, FR-V, Civic Type R 2.0T, NSX 3.5T Hybrid

Civic Type R engine. 300+hp. Remarkably reliable for its output. Honda quality through and through.

2.5L NA I5

Mondeo, Focus, Kuga

Focus ST (pre-EB)/Mondeo/S-Max. Volvo-derived 5-cyl. Smooth, adequate torque. Timing belt service ne...

K7J/K7M 1.4/1.6 8V

Kangoo, Logan, Sandero, Lodgy, Dokker, Logan MCV

Clio/Logan/Sandero. Simplest Renault engine. 8-valve, timing belt. Nearly unbreakable with basic mai...

3ZZ-FE/4ZZ-FE 1.4/1.6

Corolla

Corolla E120. VVT-i. Chain driven. Typical Toyota reliability. Oil consumption at very high mileage....

M43 1.6/1.8/1.9 NA I4

3 Series

Cast iron block workhorse. Timing chain not belt (unlike M40). Simple, cheap to maintain. 300k+ km c...

3.7L NA V6

370Z 3.7 V6

370Z/G37/Q60. VVEL variable valve. Smooth, rev-happy. Oil gallery gasket is known issue. Otherwise s...

3.0L V6 Diesel

E-Class, S-Class, GLE, C-Class, CLK, G-Class, ML 350 CDI

Legendary V6 diesel. 250k+ km. Fix swirl flaps and enjoy.

9A1 DFI Flat-6

991 Carrera NA and 997.2. Direct fuel injection. No IMS bearing. No bore scoring concern. Porsche's ...

K20Z4 2.0 i-VTEC (Civic Type R FN2)

Civic

Civic FN2 Type R. High-revving NA VTEC. 8,100 rpm. Same K-series family as K20C turbo. Incredibly re...

2.4L Turbo Diesel I5

V70, S60, S80, XC90, V60, XC60, V50, S40

Iconic Volvo 5-cyl diesel. XC60/V70/S80. Strong torque. Injector issues at 150k+. Good with care.

Flat-6 Twin-Turbo

Panamera, 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera S, 911 Targa 4

Modern 911 heart. No IMS drama (thats 996/997). Reliable, powerful, expensive to service. Porsche at...

2.0L Turbo Diesel I4

1 Series, X1, 3 Series, 2 Series, X3, X4, 5 Series, 4 Series, 2 Series Active Tourer, X5, X2, X6, 7 Series, X7, 8 Series, 320d, 320d GT, 320d Touring, 420d Gran Coupe

Torque monster, sips fuel. Fixed N47 flaws. Chain front-mounted. Avoid city-only.

1.5L NA I4

Jimny 1.5 VVT

Jimny/Vitara/S-Cross. Replaced M15A. SHVS mild hybrid available. Reliable, simple. Classic Suzuki.

3.0L Quad-Turbo Diesel I6

530d, X5 30d

B47 big brother. Inline-6 diesel smoothness. Single to quad-turbo variants. Excellent highway torque...

1.4L Mild-Hybrid I4

S-Cross, Vitara, Swift Sport 1.4 SHVS

Vitara/S-Cross mild hybrid. Belt-integrated starter-generator. Efficient, smooth. Too new for long-t...

3.0L Turbo 48V I6

E-Class, GLE, AMG GT, S-Class, G-Class, GLE 450, S 450

MB returns to I6. EQ Boost. Smooth, powerful. Still proving itself.

2.0L Turbo I4

A4, A3, TT, Q7, A5, R8, A6 2.0 TFSI, Q3 2.0 TFSI, Q5 2.0 TFSI

Game changer. Dual injection solved carbon. Metal tensioner. 200k+ mi. Best VW Group 4-cyl.

2.0L TSI I4

Golf, Passat, Superb, Octavia, Kodiaq, Transporter, Leon, A3, Tiguan, Q3, Arteon, Ateca, Ateca 2.0 TSI, Golf GTI 2.0 TSI, Golf R 2.0 TSI, Passat 2.0 TSI, Polo GTI 2.0 TSI, Scirocco 2.0 TSI, T-Roc R 2.0 TSI

Same as Audi EA888 Gen 3. Dual injection, metal tensioner. Golf GTI/R engine. Proven.

3.0L V6 Diesel

A4, Touareg, A8, A6, Q7, A5, Q5, A7, Q7 3.0 TDI

Torque monster. Amazing highway economy. BiTDI = 313hp. Avoid city-only.

1.4L NA I4

Rio, Picanto, i10, Bayon, i20, i30, Kona, ASX, Stonic, Ceed, Seltos, Pro Ceed, XCeed, Getz, Venga

Simple MPI = reliable. No DI carbon problems. i20/i30/Ceed workhorse. 200k+ km easy.

1.6L Diesel I4

Getz, i20, Rio, Picanto, i30, Ceed, Sportage, Santa Fe, Tucson, Cerato, Venga, Soul, XCeed, Stonic, Kona 1.6 CRDi, Sportage 1.6 CRDi, Tucson 1.6 CRDi

Proven diesel. 300k+ km possible. EGR/DPF need highway use. Good for commuters.

1.6L NA I4

Micra, Note, Almera, Juke, Qashqai, NV200, Primera, Almera Tino

Juke/Qashqai/Note engine. Simple chain-driven. Reliable daily. Adequate performance.

1.6 8V (AEH/AKL)

Golf IV/Bora workhorse. Cast iron block. Simple 8-valve. Oil leaks at high mileage. Thermostat. One ...

1.8 NA (ABS/ACC/ADZ)

Golf

Golf III/IV, Passat B4. Simple 8V NA. Hydraulic lifters. Timing belt (interference). Oil leaks. Near...

Zetec-SE 1.25/1.4/1.6

Focus, Fiesta

Fiesta/Focus base engine. Simple, reliable. Thermostat housing. Coil pack. Head gasket failure rare ...

LF 2.0 MZR

CR-V, Civic, ZR-V

Mazda3/6. Ford co-developed (Duratec basis). VVT. Timing chain. Reliable and smooth. Coil pack failu...

E7J 1.4 8V

Clio, Megane

Clio I/II, Kangoo. Simple 8V. Timing belt. Old-school reliability. Cheap parts. Nearly unbreakable w...

D4F/D7F 1.2 NA

Rio, Twingo, Kangoo, Clio

Clio/Twingo/Modus. Tiny but tough. Timing chain on D4F (good). Throttle body failure. Idle issues. S...

2.4L Turbo Diesel I5

V60 D4

Iconic Volvo five-cylinder diesel. XC60/V70/S80. Strong torque. Injector issues at 150k+. Proven.