Skyactiv-G vs Drive-E gasolina: which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the Skyactiv-G carries less risk than the Drive-E gasolina: 25/100 versus 43/100 (both moderate risk). The Skyactiv-G has no documented serious faults; the Drive-E gasolina has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «High oil consumption that can damage the turbo».

Risk index

Skyactiv-G

Moderate risk · 0 serious faults

Lower risk

Risk index

Drive-E gasolina

Moderate risk · 1 serious fault

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

Reviewed on 27 September 202614 sources How we work

Is the Skyactiv-G reliable?

The Skyactiv-G is a naturally aspirated petrol engine that the German specialist press consistently describes as reliable, with no documented pattern of serious engine faults in any Mazda model reviewed. Its weak point, shared with almost any direct-injection petrol engine, is carbon build-up in the intake; in addition, 2017-2020 units had recalls for software and for the fuel pump, since fixed by the manufacturer.^[1][2][3][4]

See the 5 of the Skyactiv-G faults

Is the Drive-E gasolina reliable?

The Volvo Drive-E petrol engine (2.0-litre 4-cylinder T2-T6/B4-B5 and, since 2018, 1.5-litre 3-cylinder T2-T3/B3) powers almost the entire Volvo range since 2013. Owners mainly document high oil consumption that can damage the turbo, carbon build-up on the intake valves caused by direct injection, and the odd coolant reservoir leak; we have not found Volvo acknowledging these faults with a campaign of its own for the petrol engine.^[5][6][7]

See the 4 of the Drive-E gasolina faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of Skyactiv-G and Drive-E gasolina
Item	Skyactiv-G	Drive-E gasolina
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Displacement	—	—
Timing	Chain	Chain
Power	75–187 hp	122–320 hp
Production	since 2011^[1][8]	since 2013^{[5][6][7][9][10][11]}
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	25Moderate risk	43Moderate risk
Documented faults	5	4
Of high or critical severity	0	1
Worst severity	Medium severity	High severity
Main faults	Medium severity: Intake shut-off valve software issue and engine stalling Medium severity: Micro-cracks in the fuel pump impeller Medium severity: ECU programming and loss of power (CX-5 II and Mazda3 IV)	High severity: High oil consumption that can damage the turbo Medium severity: Carbon build-up on injectors and intake valves due to direct injection Medium severity: Leak from the expansion tank or faulty cap in the cooling system
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	1.5 Skyactiv-G (P5-VPS)^[2][12] 2.0 Skyactiv-G (PE-VPS)^[3][4][13] 2.5 Skyactiv-G (PY-VPS)^[3]	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	None	2.0 T2/T3/T4/T5/T6 and B4/B5 mild hybrid 4-cylinder (B4204T, Drive-E, 2013-present)^[5][6][7] 1.5 T2/T3 and B3 mild hybrid 3-cylinder (B3154T, Drive-E, since 2018)^[10][11][14]
AvoidVersions to avoid	None	None

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

Skyactiv-G

See the 9 models with the Skyactiv-G

Drive-E gasolina

See the 10 models with the Drive-E gasolina

Other comparisons

With the Skyactiv-G

With the Drive-E gasolina

Compare other engines

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

SkyactivWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Mazda 3 (BM/BN, 2013-2019) – Erfahrungen & ProblemeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Mazda 6 (GJ, III) – Erfahrungen & ProblemeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Mazda CX-5 II (KF) – Erfahrungen & ProblemeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo XC60 (2008-2017)Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Volvo XC60 II (ab 2017) – Bekannte Probleme & KrankheitenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Other source · published November 2022 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Volvo V90 – Bekannte Probleme & KrankheitenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Other source · published January 2024 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
List of Mazda enginesWikipedia (inglés) · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Volvo Engine ArchitectureWikipedia · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo V40Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Volvo XC40 (seit 2017) – Typische Probleme & KrankheitenGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Other source · published March 2023 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Mazda 2 (DJ) – Erfahrungen & ProblemeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Mazda 3 IV (BP) – Erfahrungen & ProblemeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Fiabilité et pannes Volvo V60Fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French