A reliable engine is a turbocharged power unit of the Fiat concern.
Many car enthusiasts note the fact that modern engines for cars, the resource has sharply decreased. If earlier multi-liter engines were called "millionaires" for their huge resources, then their modern representatives now go on average 200-300 thousand kilometers. New gasoline turbo engines, which, due to the turbine, were able to reduce the displacement at the same power level, also do not shine with such engine life indicators. However, we were able to find several models of gasoline engines that seemed to us very reliable in our modern time when automakers reduce the life cycle of new cars for the sake of sales.
As you know, in the USA and Europe, the “Best Motor of the Year” awards are annually awarded. The jury of these competitions are journalists from various automotive publications. It may seem to motorists that the engine internal combustion, which received the title of "Best Motor of the Year" is reliable and has a long resource. In fact, everything looks quite different. Journalists choose the best engines according to the criteria of efficiency and environmental friendliness, specific power. None of them choose best motor years according to the criterion of reliability and motor resource. But for car owners from all over the world, it is the last criterion that we have indicated that is extremely important.
We decided to select from the total volume of gasoline engines produced by automotive manufacturers around the world the best specimens, which demonstrate not only a solid resource, but also a low cost of operation.
The best subcompact naturally aspirated engines
To small engines running on gasoline, we attributed power units with a working volume of up to 1.6 liters. In this class of gasoline engines, manufacturers offer reliable engine models with a resource of up to 300 thousand kilometers. Among reliable naturally aspirated engines, one can single out engine models from manufacturers such as Renault, Opel, Ford and Fiat. Such models can be considered reliable, as they were developed 20 years ago, and are still considered economical after a slight modern modernization. Surprisingly, global automakers supply reliable atmospheric engines with a displacement of 1.6 liters to car models sold in Russia, Eastern Europe and Africa. That is, in other words, they sort of write off car models with such engines to developing markets. Of course, such engines do not have high efficiency and environmental friendliness, like modern gasoline turbo engines, but they are unpretentious in repair and are inexpensive. This allows automakers to lower the cost of new cars in emerging markets.
A series of 1.6 and 1.4 liter engines can be attributed to reliable small engines. Such motors can now be found on models Ford Focus and Ford Ecosport.
Ecotec motors German manufacturer Opel are also reliable. At the German car manufacturer Opel, a reliable subcompact engine is the 1.6-liter A16XER engine with 116 Horse power. This atmospheric unit is still installed on Opel Astra J, which continue to be sold alongside the new generation . By the way, the new generation of Opel Astra K completely deprived of atmospheric engines.
Also reliable are the A14XE, A14XEP and A14XER engines with a displacement of 1.4 liters and power from 75 to 100 horsepower. These engines are installed in this moment on the Opel Corsa model Opel Meriva and Opel Astra J. This model naturally aspirated engines are already equipped with a timing chain. However, its resource is limited to 150 thousand kilometers.
The French automobile concern Renault offers atmospheric subcompact engine displacement of 1.2 liters and a capacity of 75 horsepower. It belongs to the D4F series. Unfortunately, Renault models with such an engine are not sold in Russia. However, it is considered quite reliable in the French lineup.
The best atmospheric small-capacity engines are naturally aspirated engines of the Italian concern Fiat from the Fire series. So 1.2- and 1.0-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engines are installed on Fiat models punto, Fiat Panda And Fiat Doblo. This series of engines is distinguished by a timing belt drive, one phase shifter on a 16-valve engine, a cast-iron cylinder block, and a simple injection system.
German automobile concern Volkswagen also remained atmospheric gasoline engines. So Czech automotive manufacturer Skoda, which is part of the VAG concern, offers car models with three-cylinder naturally aspirated MPI motors. These engines belong to the EA211 series, which also includes the 1.6 MPI engine supplied to Skoda car models assembled in Russia. This series engines are distinguished by a simple design: direct timing drive, phase shifters, an advanced electric thermostat and a cylinder head with a built-in drain manifold. True, the power of such motors is from 60 to 75 horsepower, but compact Skoda models this power is sufficient.
The best turbocharged gasoline engines
We can safely say that one of the most reliable series of turbocharged engines on the European market is the Opel A14NET / A14NEL engine series. This series of motors was built on the already known A14XER naturally aspirated engine. Opel engineers managed to put a simple but reliable turbocharging on a naturally aspirated engine, which made it possible to increase the specific power of the new engines. The engines of this series develop power from 118 to 140 horsepower. They can be found under the hood of the Opel Astra H, Opel Meriva and Opel Insignia. The resource of such gasoline turbo engines is 200-250 thousand kilometers.
Also successful and reliable turbo engines running on gasoline can be called the engines of the Fire series from the Italian concern Fiat. These power units are also built on the basis of atmospheric engines and develop power from 125 to 170 horsepower. This gasoline turbo engine is installed on Alfa Romeo Giulietta models, Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500.
At Renault, reliable gasoline engines are atmospheric engines D4F series. Surprisingly, the engine of the German automobile concern Volkswagen is also considered very reliable, despite its great criticism from domestic car owners. Since last year, Volkswagen engineers have eliminated this gasoline turbo engine all weaknesses. The resource was raised to 200-250 thousand kilometers. However, the turbine and the system are still considered to be its weak point. direct injection.
The engine is the main and most expensive unit; its reliability largely determines whether the maintenance of the car will be costly. This is especially true for buyers of used cars. If only because, usually, motors begin to require attention after the warranty period has expired - more often from second or third owners. It is to them that our rating is primarily addressed, prepared jointly with the Moscow company INOMOTOR, which has been engaged in professional repair engines.
We have planned several comparative materials in which we will consider engines of different sizes. Let's start with atmospheric two-liter gasoline engines. Since a good overhaul is not a cheap pleasure, they almost never bring units of smaller cubic capacity to minders: their restoration will cost more than the so-called contract engine with mileage, brought from abroad. Therefore, statistics on such motors are too scarce for comparative analysis.
The ranking includes well-studied and popular engines that debuted 10-15 years ago. Around this time, there was a significant drop in quality - the resource of motors and their reliability decreased significantly. For the most part, these units were installed on cars of the penultimate generation, many of which became bestsellers on secondary market. They put on solid runs, giving enough material to think about reliability.
The main criterion for the distribution of seats is the total resource of the engines. In addition, we evaluate the reliability of their individual systems and elements, as well as the quality of parts manufacturing. We considered repair technologies in detail in the material “Second Life” (ЗР, 2015, No. 1). Almost all elements of motors can be restored - the only question is economic feasibility. The approaches to the repair of engines presented in the review are identical, the difference is only in the number of parts that require treatment. Therefore, as an additional comparison criterion, we consider the cost and availability of spare parts.
In general, atmospheric gasoline engines with a volume of 2.0 liters are a fairly resourceful and not the most problematic group; many engines of the same families, but with a larger volume, for example 2.3–2.5 liters, are much more capricious. This is true for the "winners" of our rating.
8th place: BMW
Engines BMW Series N43, N45 and N46 belong to the same family, although they have structural differences. Their main carriers are the 318i, 320i (E90) and 520i (E60) models - representatives of the penultimate generations of BMW of the third and fifth series.
Average engine life for cylinder wear piston group estimate below 150,000 km - the workmanship of the parts is not outstanding. Engines are technically complex for their time - perhaps even too much. They have many systems and nodes that begin to act up even before the onset of natural wear and tear cylinders and piston rings.
Motors are structurally prone to oil consumption, and some malfunctions exacerbate the situation. Due to the failure of the rubber diaphragm of the ventilation valve crankcase gases oil begins to enter the intake manifold - the car smokes like a steam locomotive. By 100,000 km of run, due to wear of the guide bushings, increased backlash of the valves of the timing system occurs, as a result, oil through valve stem seals goes straight into the combustion chamber. In addition, incomplete closing of the valves leads to misfiring and interruptions during a cold start of the engine in winter.
Up to 150,000 km, the timing chain and variable valve timing clutches usually do not survive. Due to uneven elongation, the chain begins to make noise, even a break is possible, and then the meeting of the pistons with the valves is inevitable. But more often it only jumps a few teeth without catastrophic consequences. In addition to mechanical wear of the phase change clutches, by about 100,000 km of run, oil deposits clog the solenoid that controls them - the motor goes into emergency mode.
Capriciousness and a system for changing the height of the intake valves (Valvetronic), which works instead of the usual throttle valve. After 100,000 km oil deposits an expensive electric motor is clogged, and eventually it jams. Because of frequent driving soot builds up on the plugs on the valves, which turns into their incomplete closure. On the revs idle move the sensitive system perceives it as serious malfunction, the engine starts to work intermittently, the Check Engine warning lamp lights up.
These BMW engines, like many of their contemporaries, do not have factory overhaul dimensions. In the event of critical wear of the cylinder walls, minders bore and line the blocks, while maintaining the nominal size of the piston group. Alas, original spare parts BMW engines are the most expensive among others from our selection, and they have practically no analogues. Overhaul of these motors is the most expensive.
7th place: Volkswagen
2.0 FSI engines were installed on many models of the Volkswagen concern. The most common are Golf V, Passat B6, Octavia and second generation Audi A3.
The average resource of engines is 150,000 km. Motorists assess the quality level of their elements as average. Like BMW engines, Volkswagen 2.0 FSI units do not shine with reliability due to the technically complex design, but the scale of the disaster is smaller.
Direct injection fuel equipment is capricious. Expensive, but short-lived injectors and injection pumps die after 100,000 km of run. In addition, due to design flaw the power supply system, uneven wear of the cylinders occurs: the nozzle sprays gasoline on almost the opposite wall of the cylinder, thereby washing away the oil from it. Already by 120,000 km, the cylinder in this zone has a distinct barrel shape due to wear.
Another disadvantage of direct injection: the fuel does not clean the intake valves from carbon deposits. Sooner or later, this leads to their incomplete closure and unstable cold engine starts, especially in winter. The situation is aggravated by the rapid wear of the valve guides (like in BMW engines), which in addition leads to increased consumption oils.
FSI engines were also noted for the frequent occurrence of piston rings. A noticeable decrease in their thickness significantly affected the stiffness. By the way, this is one of the trends in modern engine building: weight reduction affects reliability. Less rigid rings lose their original geometry faster, coke up and actually stop working. One of the harbingers of this is difficult cold start motor in winter.
Repair dimensions for FSI motors are not provided. Original parts are not cheap. Fortunately, there are plenty of substitutes on the market. Overall cost overhaul FSI engines is high, only BMW units are more expensive.
6th place: Ford/Mazda
Joint brainchild Ford companies and Mazda - engines of the Duratec HE / MZR family. These identical engines are widely distributed, they were installed on such mass models as the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 of the first two generations, Focus and Mondeo of previous generations.
The resource of motors is 150,000–180,000 km. Structurally, they are quite simple, but, alas, the quality of the parts leaves much to be desired. In addition, these engines are especially sensitive to oil starvation and overheating.
With active driving, oil consumption increases significantly. If the owner did not keep track of its level, there is a high risk of turning the connecting rod and main bearings crankshaft. On these engines, the liners are made without locks and are installed under tightness - they are held in place only due to the elasticity of the metal. Unfortunately, today this is another common solution. A short oil starvation or a slight overheating of the motor is enough, and the liners lose their geometry.
When turning the liners, the crankshaft journals and its beds in the cylinder block suffer. When they are repaired, mediocre workmanship emerges. There are frequent cases when the shaft necks crack: an expensive shaft is thrown away. And when unscrewing the bolts of the main caps, threads spill out of the holes. It is obvious that during assembly it will no longer withstand the required tightening torque. We have to restore it with the help of futorok.
Engines do not have repair dimensions. However, for engines Ford models spare parts are not available individually - only as a short block (cylinder block assembly). Fortunately, there are similar Mazda parts on sale. On the market are also non-original spare parts. The cost of overhauling motors is average.
5th place: Renault-Nissan
Renault-Nissan engines of the M4R / MR20 families are more familiar from Japanese crossovers. The MR20 unit was armed with the X‑Trail of the previous generation, and Qashqai has not parted with it to this day. The French counterpart was on the third generation Megane and is still available for Fluence.
The resource of motor brothers is 180,000–200,000 km. The quality of parts is better than that of the closest competitors - engines for Ford and Mazda cars, but without weaknesses didn't work out either. Sometimes cracks appear on the necks of the crankshafts and deformation of the fourth cylinder occurs - as a rule, when servicemen overtighten the mounting bolts when installing the gearbox. The timing chain is short-lived: it stretches to 80,000 km.
As usual, repair dimensions are not provided. Original spare parts are available separately. At the cost of overhaul, these engines are comparable to a pair of Ford / Mazda.
4th place: Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi 4B11 series motor opens a subgroup of engines devoid of serious diseases. It was installed on the previous generation Outlander and Lancer X of the first years of production.
Engine resource - 180,000-200,000 km. The workmanship of its elements is good. The overall reliability of the motor is largely due to the simplicity of the design, devoid of capricious systems. As a rule, engines get to repairmen due to the natural wear of the cylinder-piston group.
The motor is oversized. Original spare parts are available separately.
At the cost of restoration, the Mitsubishi engine is comparable to Renault engines Nissan, Ford, Mazda.
3rd place: Honda
The Honda R20 series motor was installed mainly on the Accord of the seventh and eighth generations and on the CR-V of the last two generations.
The resource is about 200,000 km. The quality of workmanship is slightly better than Mitsubishi engine. The R20 engine is reliable and structurally simple. simple circuit valve adjustment "screw - nut" does not require the selection and replacement of valve lifters. Subject to the regulations of this operation (every 45,000 km), R20 will not cause trouble until the occurrence of natural wear of the cylinder-piston group.
Repair dimensions for the engine are not provided. Spare parts for Honda motors not cheap, so the overhaul is one of the most expensive in the Japanese subgroup.
2nd place: Toyota
The resource is about 200,000 km. The workmanship of the elements is very good. In our list, two clear leaders in this indicator are Toyota and Subaru. The 1‑AZ engine was ahead of the Honda R20 in another way: original parts for it are among the cheapest. The 1‑AZ engine rebuild price is the lowest in our rating.
1st place: Subaru
The minders called the most reliable and "long-playing" engine in the group boxer unit Subaru EJ20 series, familiar from the late 1990s. It is still put on some models designed for Japanese market. In Europe, the era of this opponent ended in 2011, when he was replaced by updated motor FB series with timing chain drive instead of belt drive. Among the most recent Subaru models The EJ20 engine is used to equip the Forester and the third-generation Impreza.
Resource - 250,000 km. The quality of the parts is as high as the Toyota 1‑AZ, and in addition, the EJ20 has another trump card. This is one of the few engines on our list for which at least one factory overhaul size is provided - a rarity for engines of the early 2000s.
However, also Subaru engine has its downside. Although there is an alternative to the block sleeve, original spare parts are expensive, and there are very few analogues.
Among Japan's Big Four subaru engine will require the highest cost of capital repairs. High resource and reliability cost money.
We are grateful to INOMOTOR LLC (Moscow) for their help in preparing the material
Everyone knows that once, in the distant 80s and 90s, there were "millionaire" motors that served faithfully for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. So, in fact, it is - we made their rating not so long ago. But there are worthy successors of the cause of "millionaires" even today.
For some reason, it is believed that modern cars are disposable. Ride three years, sold and went for a new one. But this is at least an exaggeration and a generalization. Indeed, there is failed engines, but this is only part of the market. People own cars for 5-7 or even 10 years and, scary to say, buy them second-hand! So, reliable motors exist. Question: how to find them?
What car and with what engine to buy, so that it not only does not break down during the warranty period, but also does not fall under recall campaigns, does not require expensive consumables and special service equipment. He ran happily ever after, albeit more slowly, consuming a little more fuel than more progressive brothers.
Renault 1.6 16v K4M
Different classes of cars have their own leaders, and, of course, more complex and expensive cars are not well suited for harsh operating conditions, but they also have their leaders and laggards in terms of the required amount of maintenance and the likelihood of failure.
small class
Let's start with class B +, since this size is one of the most common in Russia. The segment is developing rapidly, and there are a variety of cars in it: both our Kalina-Grants and foreign cars for every taste and budget. Almost all machines are extremely practical and are not burdened with special innovations. But this is only in Russia; abroad, such cars are often equipped with more advanced engines. Fortunately, there are few "imported" cars, most of the cars in this segment have long taken root on Russian soil and are produced here, or supplied in special Russian configurations.
The undisputed leader is the K7M engine from Renault. The recipe for reliability is simple: a displacement of 1.6 liters and only eight valves, no complications. Timing belt drive, no hydraulic lifters, simple cast iron block, a simple ignition module, no "newfangled" stuff at all. Such motors are installed on the "folk" Logan and Sandero and do not cause much trouble. There is simply nothing to break, and the workmanship is excellent.
The second and third places, perhaps, should be given to the VAZ-21116 and Renault K4M engines. The first engine is also 1.6 and eight-valve, simple and reliable. But sometimes build quality, wiring quality fails, and cars with manual transmission are not the most reliable, because the box is not designed for increased torque.
Renault's sixteen-valve K4M engine is just a little more complicated and a little more expensive. Not so easy to carry high loads. But they install it not only on Logan, but also on Duster, Megane, Kangoo, Fluence and other cars.
There is already one of the leaders in reliability in the C-class - this is the mentioned K4M from Renault. But cars are somewhat heavier, cars with automatic transmission are more common, which means that the power requirements are slightly higher. 1.6 engines will obviously have a smaller resource than engines with a displacement of 1.8 and 2 liters, which means that it is worth highlighting 1.6 engines in a separate group for those who do not need to drive fast.
Probably the simplest, cheapest resource engine for cars in the C-class can be called the very venerable Z18XER. The design is the most conservative, except that phase shifters and an adjustable thermostat are installed. Timing belt drive, simple injection system and a good margin of safety. The power of 140 forces is enough for comfortable movement of such difficult cars as the Opel Astra J and Chevrolet Cruse, as well as minivan Opel Zafira.
The second place in terms of reliability can be given to a series of engines from Hyundai / Kia / Mitsubushi G4KD / 4B11. These two-liter engines are the heirs of the famous Mitsubishi 4G63, including in terms of reliability. It was not without a system for adjusting the timing phases, and in its drive - quite reliable chain. simple system food and good quality assembly, but the timing chain drive is more complicated and expensive, and the motor itself is noticeably more technologically advanced, so only second place. The power of the motors, however, is noticeably higher, all 150-165 hp. This is more than enough for any C-class car with any load, on the highway and in the city, with automatic transmission and with "mechanics". Such engines were installed on a huge number of cars, here is the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Ceed, Mitsubishi Lancer and other cars and crossovers of a higher class: Mitsubishi ASX, Outlander, Hyundai Sonata, Elantra, ix35 and Kia Optima.
The Renault-Nissan MR20DE / M4R engine may well claim third place. This two-liter gasoline engine has been produced for quite a long time, since 2005, and its design also goes back to the "glorious ancestors" of the F-series from the 80s. The key to success lies precisely in the conservatism of the design and a moderate degree of forcing. Compared to the leaders, it has a less reliable cylinder head, sometimes the chain still stretches, but still it allows you to exchange all three hundred thousand kilometers with careful operation, and the price of spare parts does not go off scale.
Junior business class
In the D + segment, two-liter engines from among the C-class reliability leaders are also popular, and here they look good, because the mass of cars does not differ so much. But complex and "prestigious" high-power motors are more popular.
Motor 2AR-FE with a power of 165-180 hp and a working volume of 2.5 liters is installed on one of the bestsellers in the D + segment, on Toyota Camry, and without a doubt is the most common and reliable motor in its class. They are installed on RAV4 crossovers, and on Alphard minivans. The motor is quite simple, but the key to success is in the quality of execution and frequent maintenance Toyota cars.
The second place is deservedly received by the G4KE / 4B12 engines from Hyundai / Kia / Mitsubishi. These engines have a working volume of 2.4 liters and a power of 176-180 hp. installed on Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, many others passenger models and a galaxy Mitsubishi crossovers Outlander/Peugeot 4008/Citroen C-Crosser. The design is close to the G4KD / 4B11 motors, and in the same way they are the heirs of reliable Mitsubishi motors. Design without any special frills in the form of direct injection, timing chain drive plus phase shifters. A good margin of power and resource, not too expensive parts- that's the key to success.
But there will be no third place. Turbo engines on European cars are noticeably more difficult to operate and potentially more vulnerable. Relatively reliable turbodiesels still require more High Quality service. And the third place goes to fairly simple units, for example, the already mentioned Z18XER on Opel Insignia or Duratec Ti-VCT on Ford Mondeo, and if you have enough power and you drive calmly, then they will also be the most inexpensive to operate.
Senior business class
Prestigious sedans E-classes do not belong to machines with low operating costs, and motors in this class are complex and powerful. And often they cannot boast of special reliability. But even among them there are leaders and units with high reliability.
Again, Toyota is in the lead, or rather Lexus, but you know that the company is essentially one? Motors 3.5 of the 2GR-FE and 2GR-FSE series are installed on Lexus models ES and GS and luxury Lexus SUVs RX. Despite high power and low weight, this is a very successful gasoline engine, in the version without direct injection, it is considered one of the most trouble-free in its class.
Second place is deservedly occupied by Volvo with its inline "six" B6304T2 with a volume of 3 liters. The first turbo engine in our rating turns out to be even simpler and cheaper than diesel engines in operation. Largely due to the venerable age of the design with a good margin of safety and relatively low prices for service.
Unfortunately, the naturally aspirated 3.2 is no longer available, it is undoubtedly even more reliable and could claim first place in this category. The secret of success lies in the modular design of the engines. This family has been produced since 1990 to the present day in four, five and six cylinder versions. Continuous improvement of the design and rich experience in the operation of motors has a good effect on the reliability and cost of operation.
For Infiniti, which is in third place, in this class, the Q70 model plays with the legendary “six” of the VQVQ37VHR series with a volume of 3.7 liters and a power of 330 hp. The key to success in this case, too, is the quality of execution, the glorious and long history of the series of motors and prevalence. Such motors were put on sports nissan 370Z, and the QX50 and QX70 SUVs, and the smaller Q50 sedan.
Don't expect a rating here. An F-class car is never cheap to operate, in modern car of this level, all the achievements of technology are collected recent years, all the most complex and expensive equipment. They have, of course, their leaders and their outsiders, especially since German executive sedans are produced with very reliable diesel engines, while Korean and Japanese premium brands focus on the reliability of gasoline engines and warranty. But it is difficult to make a choice between them, and it does not make sense, in this class there are other rules of the game.
Everyone knows that once, in the distant 80s and 90s, there were "millionaire" motors that served faithfully for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. So, in fact, it is - we compiled them not so long ago. But there are worthy successors of the cause of "millionaires" even today.
For some reason, it is believed that modern cars are disposable. Ride three years, sold and went for a new one. But this is at least an exaggeration and a generalization. Indeed, there is, but this is only part of the market. People own cars for 5-7 or even 10 years and, scary to say, buy them second-hand! So, reliable motors exist. Question: how to find them?
What car and with what engine to buy, so that it not only does not break down during the warranty period, but also does not fall under recall campaigns, does not require expensive consumables and special service equipment. He ran happily ever after, albeit more slowly, consuming a little more fuel than more progressive brothers.
There are leaders in different classes of machines, and, of course, more complex and expensive machines are not well suited for harsh operating conditions, but they also have their leaders and laggards in terms of the required amount of maintenance and the likelihood of failure.
Renault 1.6 16v K4M
small class
Renault's sixteen-valve K4M engine is just a little more complicated and a little more expensive. Not so easy to carry high loads. But they install it not only on Logan, but also on Duster, Megane, Kangoo, Fluence and other cars.
Middle class
There is already one of the leaders in reliability in the C-class - this is the mentioned K4M from Renault. But cars are somewhat heavier, cars with automatic transmission are more common, which means that the power requirements are slightly higher. 1.6 engines will obviously have a smaller resource than engines with a displacement of 1.8 and 2 liters, which means that it is worth highlighting 1.6 engines in a separate group for those who do not need to drive fast.
Probably the simplest, cheapest resource engine for cars in the C-class can be called the very venerable Z18XER. The design is the most conservative, except that phase shifters and an adjustable thermostat are installed. Timing belt drive, simple injection system and a good margin of safety. The power of 140 forces is enough for comfortable movement of such difficult cars as the Opel Astra J and Chevrolet Cruse, as well as the Opel Zafira minivan.
In the photo: engine from Opel Astra J
The second place in terms of reliability can be given to a series of engines from Hyundai / Kia / Mitsubushi G4KD / 4B11. These two-liter engines are the heirs of the famous Mitsubishi 4G63, including in terms of reliability. Not without a timing system for adjusting the timing phases, and in its drive there is a completely reliable chain. A simple power system and good build quality, but the timing chain drive is more complicated and expensive, and the motor itself is noticeably more technologically advanced, so only second place. The power of the motors, however, is noticeably higher, all 150-165 hp. This is more than enough for any C-class car with any load, on the highway and in the city, with automatic transmission and with "mechanics". Such engines were installed on a huge number of cars, including Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Ceed, Mitsubishi Lancer and other cars and crossovers of a higher class: Mitsubishi ASX, Outlander, Hyundai Sonata, Elantra, ix35 and Kia Optima.
The Renault-Nissan MR20DE / M4R engine may well claim third place. This two-liter gasoline engine has been produced for quite a long time, since 2005, and in design it also goes back to the “glorious ancestors” of the F-series from the 80s. The key to success lies precisely in the conservatism of the design and a moderate degree of forcing. Compared to the leaders, it has a less reliable cylinder head, sometimes the chain still stretches, but still it allows you to exchange all three hundred thousand kilometers with careful operation, and the price of spare parts does not go off scale.
Junior business class
In the D + segment, two-liter engines from among the C-class reliability leaders are also popular, and here they look good, because the mass of cars does not differ so much. But complex and “prestigious” high-power motors are more popular.
Motor 2AR-FE with a power of 165-180 hp and a working volume of 2.5 liters is installed on one of the bestsellers in the D + segment, on the Toyota Camry, and without a doubt is the most common and reliable engine in its class. They are installed on both RAV4 crossovers and Alphard minivans. The motor is quite simple, but the key to success is the quality of performance and frequent maintenance of Toyota cars.
In the photo: engine from Toyota Camry
The second place is deservedly received by the G4KE / 4B12 engines from Hyundai / Kia / Mitsubishi. These engines have a working volume of 2.4 liters and a power of 176-180 hp. installed on Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, many other passenger models and a galaxy of Mitsubishi Outlander/Peugeot 4008/Citroen C-Crosser crossovers. The design is close to the G4KD / 4B11 motors, and in the same way they are the heirs of reliable Mitsubishi motors. Design without any special frills in the form of direct injection, timing chain drive plus phase shifters. A good supply of power and resource, not too expensive spare parts - that's the key to success.
But there will be no third place. Turbo engines on European cars are noticeably more difficult to operate and potentially more vulnerable. Relatively reliable turbodiesels still require a higher quality of service. And the third place goes to fairly simple units, for example, the already mentioned Z18XER on Opel Insignia or Duratec Ti-VCT on Ford Mondeo, and if you have enough power and you drive calmly, then they will also be the most inexpensive to operate.
Senior business class
Prestigious E-class sedans are not low cost cars, and the engines in this class are complex and powerful. And often they cannot boast of special reliability. But even among them there are leaders and units with high reliability.
Again, Toyota is in the lead, or rather Lexus, but you know what the company is? Motors 3.5 of the 2GR-FE and 2GR-FSE series are installed on the Lexus ES and GS models and on the Lexus RX luxury SUVs. Despite the high power and low weight, this is a very successful gasoline engine; in the version without direct injection, it is considered one of the most trouble-free in its class.
The second place is deservedly taken by Volvo with its B6304T2 in-line "six" with a volume of 3 liters. The first turbo engine in our rating turns out to be even simpler and cheaper than diesel engines in operation. Largely due to the venerable age of the design with a good margin of safety and relatively low maintenance costs.
Unfortunately, the naturally aspirated 3.2 is no longer available, it is undoubtedly even more reliable and could claim first place in this category. The secret of success lies in the modular design of the engines. This family has been produced since 1990 to the present day in four, five and six cylinder versions. Continuous improvement of the design and rich experience in the operation of motors has a good effect on the reliability and cost of operation.
For Infiniti, which is in third place, in this class, the Q70 model plays with the legendary “six” of the VQVQ37VHR series with a volume of 3.7 liters and a power of 330 hp. The key to success in this case, too, is the quality of execution, the glorious and long history of the series of motors and prevalence. Such motors were installed on the sports Nissan 370Z, and on the QX50 and QX70 SUVs, and on the smaller Q50 sedan.
In the photo: the engine from the Infiniti Q70
The list of E-class cars will be incomplete if we do not mention an indispensable attribute of European cities - diesel Mercedes E class in the back of the W212 and with the OM651 engine. Yes, this is a turbodiesel, but in its weakest version, with conventional electromagnetic injectors, it is able to deliver a minimum of hassle in operation. Yes, it is impossible to fully service such a car without a dealer service, but, as practice shows, simple configurations, and even with manual transmission surprisingly reliable, no wonder a European taxi for many is a diesel “yeshka”.
executive class
Don't expect a rating here. An F-class car is never cheap to operate, a modern car of this level contains all the achievements of recent years, all the most complex and expensive equipment. Of course, they have their leaders and their outsiders, especially since German executive sedans are produced with very reliable diesel engines, while Korean and Japanese premium brands focus on the reliability of gasoline engines and warranty. But it is difficult to make a choice between them, and it does not make sense, in this class there are other rules of the game.
Almost all modern gasoline engines have a very complex design, thanks to which the engineers who worked on them manage to achieve excellent environmental and power performance. But if many power units, despite this, can withstand a run of 200-250 thousand kilometers without any problems, then individual instances begin to present unpleasant surprises much earlier. So what modern gasoline engines deserve to be called the worst in terms of reliability today?
Engines 2.0 JTS and 2.2 JTS Alfa Romeo
Without a doubt, this list includes 2.0 JTS and 2.2 JTS engines installed on Alfa Romeo cars. These power units can be found under the hood of the 156, 159, GT and Brera models. Both engines have one common problem - carbon deposits on intake valves. In the case of a power unit of a smaller volume, it can even come to damage to the valves. And 2.2 JTS is characterized by accelerated wear camshafts. In addition, both power units are prone to excessive oil consumption. Periodic failures in the operation of control electronics are not uncommon.
Toyota ZZ series (1.4 - 1.8 liters)
Excessive consumption of oil affects and ZZ series engines (1.4 - 1.8 liters) from Toyota, which were born in 2000 and were installed, for example, on the Corolla Verso and Avensis models. Due to a design miscalculation, not all engine parts of the ZZ family receive required amount lubrication, which often ends up very rapid wear piston rings. Fortunately, the Japanese still tried to solve this problem and used an additional oil channel in modified engines.
Petrol engine 1.6 THP Peugeot and Citroen
It didn't turn out too well and Gas engine 1.6 THP, which the French from Peugeot and Citroen designed in collaboration with specialists from German BMW. Initially, this power unit, and it was installed on the BMW of the first series, Mini Cooper S and almost everything modern models PSA concern has earned a lot of rave reviews. However, it later became clear that this engine prone to premature wear camshaft bearings, which can also accelerate even more when long drive with reduced level engine oil. Add here the malfunctions of the electronics and the valve timing system. But that's not all. Quite often, damage to the turbocharger rotor occurs in 1.6 THP engines. And the worst thing is that all this happens at a very low mileage. Against this background, the problems with the stretching chain of the timing mechanism no longer seem so significant.
Engines of the TSI family (1.2 and 1.4 liters) Volkswagen
The chain is also stretched in the engines of the TSI family (1.2 and 1.4 liters) from Volkswagen. And if you do not rush to replace it, then it is quite possible to get to the overhaul of the engine. In addition, in TSI engines due to a defective valve, problems with the turbine are often observed. And on some cars, cases of piston burnout were recorded at all. Volkswagen, however, responded very quickly to the problems that arose and already in 2012 presented new version motor (EA211 series). In it to replace chain drive The timing belt came with a much less problematic belt.
Three-cylinder gasoline engine 1.0 R3 Opel
Well, the most unfortunate at the moment can be recognized three-cylinder petrol engine 1.0 R3 from Opel, which was installed on the Opel Corsa C and Agila models. Not only is this power unit notable for its rather rough operation and low power, it is also one of the worst in terms of reliability. Failed ignition coils and an engine control unit, oil and coolant leaks are far from all that owners of cars with this power unit under the hood have to deal with. For some of them, it all ended with twisted liners and a broken timing chain. A certain minus of the 1.0 R engine can also be called the fact that it was installed exclusively on available small cars. As a result, now the cost of a major overhaul of such power unit may well exceed the value of the car itself. There is something to think about!
