German Automakers Dominate in Excessive Oil Consumption

German engines are some of the thirstiest in the market, according to a recent report.

Consumer Reports has released a list of 30 vehicles that consume more oil overall than the average for their model years, based on the publication’s 2014 Annual Auto Survey. By surveying 498,900 vehicle owners from the 2010 to 2014 model years, Consumer Reports noted the engines that burned excessive oil despite being so new. Some of the engines may not come as a surprise considering the majority on the “Thirsty 30” list are turbocharged, but the main offenders include Audi’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as well as its 3.0-liter V6 and BMW’s 4.4- and 4.8-liter V8 engines.

The V8 found in the BMW 5 Series topped the chart, with 43 percent of the 2011 model year vehicles needing at least a quart of oil between changes. That number tapers off to 15 percent for the 2014 model year, but that’s still a great bit more compared to the second place finisher, the BMW 7 Series at 11 percent. According to the survey, 38 percent of 2010 BMW 7 Series owners had to top off their oil between changes. Rounding out the top three was the BMW 6 Series with the greatest percentage of owners coming in at 38 percent for the 2013 model year.

SEE ALSO: Do You Have to Change Your Oil Every 3,000 Miles?

The rest of the list includes: Porsche Panamera, BMW X5, Audi A4, Audi A5, Audi Q5, Porsche Cayenne, Audi A6, Audi S4, Audi A3, Subaru Outback (six-cylinder), Audi S5, Audi Q7, BMW X1, Subaru Legacy, BMW 335i, Audi A7, BMW 5 Series (six-cylinder), BMW 335Ci, Porsche Boxster, Audi Q5 (V6), Audi A6, Subaru Forester, Subaru Impreza, Mercedes-Benz E-Class (V8), Volvo XC60, Volvo XC70 and Chevrolet Spark.

The average vehicle according to the report found 2 percent of its owners needing to add at least one quart of oil between changes for the 2010-2011 model years, dropping to one percent for 2012-2014.

Discuss this story at our BMW M5 Forum