How important is a great engine?

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There are some engines that are legendary for whatever reason, a few duds out there and some that don't get talked about much.

If you are buying a used car to keep for a while, how important do you think it is to have one of those "legendary" motors? I look back on the cars I've owned over many, many miles of motoring, and I really haven't had a ton of engine problems. Maybe that means I've owned more than my share of these supposedly excellent engines. Or maybe having a great engine vs. just an ordinary one doesn't really affect the ownership experience vs. all the other little stuff that goes bad on a car.

I'm thinking about this in the context of people who say that an old Buick 3800 will make for a great car, but you will still be dealing with 90s GM "quality" in the other parts of the car...
 
No car is perfect. Some are just less bad than others. For example the 240 Volvo with the red block engine is one of the most durable cars ever made. Why did they build the entire car around the blower motor which will eventually start screaming like a banshee? Buy the best and then just live with the 'quirks and features' less than desirable.

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What do you class as a 'great' engine?

One of my favourite engines of all time is the BMW S85. Back when I was 24, a site manager I worked with let me take his E60 M5 out for a drive. An experience I will never forget! However, reliable and efficient they are not. But to me? A great engine!

The 300TDi in our Land Rover Defender is considered bulletproof. In fact, when Land Rover started producing Defenders with the TD5, the British Army insisted they only got Defenders with the old 300TDi. It's noisy and slow but will pull a house in low range if you need it to. Again, a great engine! But for totally different reasons.

My Wife and I both have Dacia's with a 1.5 4 cylinder diesel engine known as the K9K. They're considered very reliable and they go about their business well. Are they great? Doubtful. They have no history and no real soul. They just do the job their intended to do.

My Wife used to drive a Mondeo ST220 with the Duratec V6. I used to love people asking about it and telling them how the engine was original a Porsche design that was finalised by Yamaha and Ford etc. Made a good noise, consumed a lot of fuel and was rather reliable. Another great engine!

It would seem that to me, a great engine is one that has a history, character and a personality.
 
I guess it really depends. I have had 5 3800 cars and they have been solid. No large issues to speak of. Some window switches in the Buick Regal GS and one transmission the modified 01 GTP at 190,000 miles. I sometimes have to ask people who say that, "How many 90's GM cars have you actually owned?" I have owned 6. Very few problems. 97 Silverado, 98 Z28, 94 Z28, 97 Z28, 98 Bonneville, 98 Regal GS. It think my biggest issue has been Wheel bearings on the later W-bodies. Like 04 and up as they got heavier and they didn't update them. I just did one on the Lacrosse at 135,000 miles and 17 years old.

Having said that. My GM drivetrains has always been solid. (LS stuff, 3800 stuff, Vortec 350 and few TBI trucks 454, 350, and 4.3) I can't say the same for my 96 Honda and 02 Jetta (both needed automatic transmissions at less than 70,000 miles).

There are TONS of good drivetrains out there, certainly more than bad ones.
 
All vehicles regardless of model year will be "dealing" with issues from production, some just have more than others. Time doesn't stand still & no issues fix themselves.

That said, 2nd gen Lexus GS are extremely solid vehicles
 
Depends on how long you plan on owning the vehicle and how well the vehicle was maintained before you bought it.

All cars have weak spots whether it is the engine, trans, AC, interior, rust, etc. It's a bit of a gamble buying used and yiu kind of just pick your poison.
 
Of the cars I have owned, my favourite engine would have to be the supercharged 3800 in our 1996 Olds 98 Regency. Reliable, great power for passing, smooth, quiet, and not bad on fuel. The car was pretty nice too, great for trips. Only issues I had in 350k kms was climate system blend doors acting up, and failing power windows.

I like the k24 in our Honda, it's reliable, refined for a 4 cylinder, and fuel economy is pretty good. This car has been completely reliable so far. Great car around town, bit of a chore on the highway.

The 3.6 LFX in the Impala really goes (305 hp) and is good on fuel. Reliability is supposed to be good on the LFX if oil OCI's are not neglected. I need to own this car another ten years to really know its' long term reliability.
 
I own nothing but duds, and work around learned and known issues.

IMO, there is no such thing as a great or legendary engine. Although there is plenty of hype out there.
 
This is no different than "what's the best oil" or "which is the best filter?
Unless you define what "great" means in context, this is a unbounded and pretty much a silly topic.

Does "Great" mean:
Most reliable?
Most fuel efficient? (if so, are you including hybrids in this consideration of "great"?)
Most powerful?
Most torquey?
What application? family sedan / sports car / truck for RV towing?
How long does this "great" engine need to be in use? A year, A decade, Forever?

Or, you could say it's some blend of those traits above, but then you'd have to "weight" each category to come up with some manner of aggregate score ... then rank the engines considered.

Did I mention this was essentially a useless topic?

:unsure:
 
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This is no different than "what's the best oil" or "which is the best filter?
Unless you define what "great" means in context, this is a unbounded and pretty much a silly topic.

Does "Great" mean:
Most reliable?
Most fuel efficient? (if so, are you including hybrids in this consideration of "great"?)
Most powerful?
Most torquey?
What application? family sedan / sports car / truck for RV towing?
How long does this "great" engine need to be in use? A year, A decade, Forever?

Or, you could say it's some blend of those traits above, but then you'd have to "weight" each category to come up with some manner of aggregate score ... then rank the engines considered.

Did I mention this was essentially a useless topic?

:unsure:
Drivetrains do develop good or bad reputations over time, but yes, the original question was very broad.
 
Just as important to the definition of a great engine is what does keep it for a while mean. My while is often much longer than others while.
 
All I can say is that the 2.0 Volkswagen engine that is naturally aspirated and accelerates like a tractor has been the most reliable for me, the same with the 2.5 5 cylinder.
 
Doesn't matter here in NY.

It'll rust out before it wears out

Same thing around here, especially since they switched to a liquid pre-treat. That stuff is turning out to be pretty brutal!

Most notable rusty vehicles around here are GM products, Subaru's, and then the infamous Tacoma frames. Hmm, *looks at vehicle list* well crap...
 
No car is perfect. Some are just less bad than others. For example the 240 Volvo with the red block engine is one of the most durable cars ever made. Why did they build the entire car around the blower motor which will eventually start screaming like a banshee? Buy the best and then just live with the 'quirks and features' less than desirable.

View attachment 131701
Looks like Nissan Rogue blower...
 
I had a Jeep GC with the 4.7V8 - the last American motors designed engine even though it was Chrysler by then. It was awesome - but the vehicle fell apart around it. No salt just crappy parts

Same thing with a GM 3.1 in a oldsmobile. I had worked in a GM dealer while in college, and all the GM mechanics there said it was the most reliable engine GM made - even better than the 3.8 according to them. Again, I had zero problems, but the car fell apart around it - again no salt.

Flip side is I have a Nissan with a VQ40 that has had a couple issues. That vintage was known for bad timing chain guides and I had to fix that, along with some other small problems. However the body, seats and trim have held up great, so I still have it - with 385K on it.

I would much rather work on an engine than a transmission, or have trim and interior parts literally falling off at a certain age.

All but the worst engines these days should make it to 200K with proper care and maybe some small problems - except the "dud" engines everyone knows about.
 
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