Generally, you should be able to get at least 150,000 miles out of any engine. The number of cylinders or how those cylinders are configured doesn't necessarily impact the lifespan. Now that we know that a V6 engine will last at least 150,000 miles, we'll share some tips on how to get the most out of it. You might also be curious if Toyota's V6
The other thing that effects how quickly an engine wears out is how much "slop" there is between the moving parts. This determines how long it takes the engine to rattle itself into oblivion. Today's engines are built to much stricter tolerances, and have much less "slop" than engines built in 1978. Two other factors favor today's engines. Diesel engines are 15 – 25% more fuel-efficient than gasoline engines. Diesel engines reach such high efficiencies for a couple of reasons, the main two being the high compression ratio and 15% more energy-dense fuel. The average gasoline car has an 8:1 compression ratio, while compression ratios in diesel engines range from 14:1 all the way Car engines don't really last that long. If you assume that a car travels at an average speed of 25mph (probably about right these days.) then 25000 miles equates to 1000 hours of running. 100,000 miles equates to about 4000 hours. There are about 9000 hours in a year, so 100k is less than 6 months continuous running.