It's easy to spot those who don't build great engines but it's harder to pick the very best
Now more than at any time in history, engines are incredibly complex and complicated. At the same time, modern engineering has enabled them to become more reliable too. But which automotive manufacturer builds the most reliable engines?
First, let’s talk about anecdotal evidence because for all of the off-hand talk we enthusiasts tend to do about how some high-strung or rarified engines can be reliable, that doesn’t really mean that they are in reality. As a group, it seems reasonable to think that we’d all pick a manufacturer from Japan as the big three there, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have the reputations that they do for good reason.
That brings us to the hard data then and it says that at least one of those three deserves much of the praise it gets. According to both J.D. Power and Consumer Reports, Toyota constantly figures in the top places as the most dependable brand in the automotive world. Granted, those data pools include far more than simple engine reliability but that feels like a point for Toyota rather than one against it.
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Interestingly, neither Honda nor Nissan make an appearance in the top spots on either organization’s list. In fact, according to Consumer Reports, Honda is fifth in terms of reliability while Nissan is all the way down at 15th. Another surprise might be that BMW is third according to CR and ranks as fourth on J.D. Power’s report.
Could it be that BMW, a brand almost synonymous with extremely expensive repair bills, might be one of the most reliable engine builders? It did just snatch the top spot in CR’s Auto Brand Report Card Rankings but that takes into account other factors like safety, owner satisfaction, and road-test scores.
All-out engine reliability could ultimately go to another brand we haven’t mentioned here at all. Perhaps there’s an automaker that’s not really great at building every aspect of a car but still builds bulletproof engines. Let us know which brand deserves the crown in the comments below!
