Both the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck and its corporate cousin, the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500, are available with a variety of engines; six, to be exact. The two entry-level powerplants are the naturally-aspirated 4.3L LV3 V6 EcoTec3 and the turbocharged 2.7L L3B I4. The future of the new L3B seems assured, at least for now, but how much longer can the 4.3L V6 last?
The LV3, which is part of the same EcoTec3 family as the 5.3L V8 L83 and the 6.2L V8 L86, is not exactly old. It was introduced for the 2014 Silverado and 2014 Sierra, and featured several modern technologies, including direct injection, Variable Valve Timing (VVT) and Active Fuel Management (AFM), which shuts down cylinders to improve fuel economy when only small amounts of power are required.
But the more modern L3B, which made its debut in the 2019 Silverado 1500 and 2019 Sierra 1500, has these, too. It also has variable valve lift, and the combination of those three features has led GM to give the valvetrain system the TriPower moniker.
| Core Metrics | 21MY 2.7L I4 L3B Turbo | 21MY 4.3L LV3 V6 | +/- 2.7L I4 Turbo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 310 horsepower | 285 horsepower | +25 hp or + 9% |
| Torque | 348 pound-feet | 305 pound-feet | +43 lb-ft or +14% |
| Fuel Economy | 20/23/21 mpg | 16/21/17 mpg | +4 / +2 / +4 or 25% |
| Max Trailering | 9,600 pounds | 7,900 pounds | +1,700 pounds or +22% |
| Payload | 2,070 pounds | 2,040 pounds | +30 pounds or +1.5% |
| 0-60 mph | 6.8 seconds | 7.8 seconds | 1 second faster |
For these and other reasons, as GM Authority reported in December 2020, the four-cylinder L3B beats the 4.3L V6 on six core metrics. It has an extra 25 horsepower and 43 pound-feet of torque, it’s 25 percent more fuel efficient, it adds 1,700 pounds to the trucks’ maximum trailering weight and 30 pounds to the payload, and it improves both trucks’ 0-60 mph times by a second.
4.3L V6 LV3 engine
2.7L I4 L3B engine
Some of this may be due to the fact that the L3B is mated with GM’s eight-speed automatic transmission (MQE), while the 4.3L V6 LV3 is paired with the six-speed MYC auto. Even so, there’s no doubt that the turbo engine and high-tech valvetrian are responsible for the gains.
On the plus side, the combination of the 4.3L V6 engine and six-speed auto transmission most definitely costs less for GM to build, and for customers to purchase, than the L3B and eight-speed auto. However, this might not be enough to save the older LV3. As such, there’s reason to doubt that the motor will end up making it to the 2022 Silverado and 2022 Sierra, both of which will see a substantial refresh.
Comments
Based on a comment I read by a GM engineer he said the 4.3 was nearing the end just due to emissions.
The smaller engine with multi valves is a gain in emissions and the Turbo supplies the power with more torque. It is not a cheaper way to go but when they need gains it is about the only thing they have not used yet.
I’ve owned a 2002 GMC Sonoma 4wd with the 4.3 V6 since 2004, have 150k miles on it, and I couldn’t be happier. Never rebuilt engine or transmission, just the usual wear and tear, brakes, shocks, ball joints.
Don’t get rid of engine that’s been out for years, and is dependable.
That’s ok, what I do miss is the 4.8 with manual transmission option. GM could build that for an entry level engine and I would be very happy.
That 4.8 was awesome. I put 280,000 miles on mine and I still see the truck around town (assume same engine). My father in law has 300k + on his.
Put it in the Colorado or give us the option to get this instead of the 2.7L. More options the better.
Agreed, this would have been the right engine for the Colorado.
The same 8 speed transmission gm is getting sued over for failing at 10,000 miles. Buy a v8 stay away from 8 speed trans.
Have an 8speed tranny 20,000 miles can’t even feel it shift half the time. So far so good, only a few 8speed trannys are bad an not as many bad gm trannys as there were dodge trannys in the late 90s to early 2000s
The 8 speed only fails when customers neglect to perform the scheduled maintenance, which is 45,000 miles. You must do a drain and fill with filter!! No flush. Period. If you do the filter service and remove the pan to clean the magnet of the trans is bullet proof!!
When is gm bringing back regular cab short wheel base pickups. Silverado sierra.
Or for that matter bring back the Avalanche and put it on the full size chassis and not the Colorado/Canyon chassis as I have heard. Mary Barra needs to go.
sorry never
Back in 92 I had a full-sized ext. Cab Silverado and loved it ! 18/24 mpg. Why don’t they put some high tech into the 4.3 that they have . Instead of comparing apples and oranges ?!
Why does this matter? Everyone will be forced to drive an electric vehicle anyway. You know the vehicles that are going to save the world and never, ever have any problems.
Every auto has problems but electric vehicles will have less problems!
Gm needs to do something about their paint and rust why have a vehicle drive train that that lasts 300,000 miles with a body that lasts 100,000 and won’t pass inspection
Yeah, the trucks have serious rust issues. Starts above the rear wheel wells. the steel is double walled. Folks here think you just take a hose and rinse it out. The problem is that you cant get a hose to rinse it out. Crap gets stuck in between the two pieces of sheet metal and it rusts from the inside out. After the rear wheel wells then comes the rocker panels and cab corners. I’ve seen rear wheel wells displaying bubbling paint on trucks that are only 3 years old.
How much longer do we have to wait before the next avalanche (with he most important part) the MIDGATE, to allow a 4×8 sheet of plywood, sheet rock/drywall, 8ft 2×4 , 2×6, 4×4, 6×6. Anything in the back fully closed and secured from weather… To have back into our lives to have an all in one truck/SUV.
Then what drivetrain are they going to put in the work trucks? Do you really think fleet buyers are going to want a turbo 4 cyl? A lot of them still remember the fiasco of the turbo 6 cyl in the Buicks of the late 70’s – early 80’s. Replacing them around 60k miles. With the extra work the work trucks do fleet guys would go nuts if they had to do that so soon. And given GM doesn’t honor their warranties this will be a nightmare. They will either have to design and build another v6 or bring back the 4.8L v8 or some other smaller na v8.
Come on gm those stats are garbage if you put a turbo on the 4 .3L and recycle the exhaust gasses the same as the 2.7 what are the numbers?? Now that would be on par with the raptor dont u think??. Nobody wants a v4 on a truck lol
You are right, which is why not a single late model buyer has a V4 truck…. Now an Inline 4 there are plenty of people that want them and have them, even more so in the smaller mid size truck crowd.
Can we stop with the just slap a turbo on the other NA engine, it doesn’t at all work like that and this is a comparison of actual current production similar target demographics engines.
I own a 2017 shortbed singlecab 4×4 Silverado with the new 4.3 and 6 sp and I think it’s a great combination, well once I deactivated the AFM! It’s got plenty of power and drives very well, much better than the old 4.3. I agree with others here that offering only a turbo 4cyl as the base engine in a full size pickup is a mistake.
As much as the 4.3 sucks as a general metric it has 1 thing going for it. The long term reliability to its name.
The 6.6 duramax is the same. It puts the idea in a person’s head that if an engine has been around for so long it must be reliable.
Especially considering actions like ford ditching the 6.0 powerstroke and then only having the 6.4 for 2years because both of those engines failed notably.
I’d like to see gm throw a small turbo on the 4.3 like they did in the 90s and tweak it to perform better emissions wise.
Cylinder deactivation does very little in the real world and only adds fail points.
The little 4cylinder silverado I would never touch I would get the 3.0i6 over it considering similar tow ratings and even better fuel ratings.
I’ve run turbo motors since 2011 and haven’t had much issue. My 1.4l cruze was gone in 30k miles so no real time, my 2014 2.0 cruze had 140k on it when I traded it. And the motor was fine, emissions equipment failed constantly and the trans was failing when I let it go. My 6.6 duramax has had the fuel system replaced at 74k and the thermostats and radiator all in 140k. I plan to keep it till 300k or 2025.
Idk what my next car will be but it’s not likely to be a gm
The 4.3 V6 is one of the greatest motors ever offered by GM. Turbo and tune would probably yield better numbers and reliability than the 4 banger. Especially in a truck platform.
I’ve owned several of the 4.3’s. Very dependable. After working at a car dealership and seeing the multitude of problems with their ecoboost, I will stay away from a 4 banger turbo.
4.3, 2.7T and 2.8 turbodiesel with 10 speed automatic would be a great engine line for the Colorado/Canyon. Supercharge the 4.3 to power levels between 5.3 and 6.2 and it lives on until the electric age. A supercharged 4.3 could be a great power plant for the Blazer or another vehicle. Easier to package and still just a little bit better mileage than its bigger brothers.
Well wishful thinking anyway.
I agree. Put a Turbo on the V-6 with the 10-speed tranny and it would probably be the best seller.
It would be a best seller for everything but fleet sales. Fleet buyers like na engines. Less complexity and more longevity. That’s what they look for. GM could design a more powerful and economical na v6 engine if they wanted to but they are too immersed in electrification to even try.
Love the 4.3, still daily drive with over 300k miles. Bought new in 91. 👍
You guys realize the current 4.3 is LT1 based and not SBC based like the old one. Not a bad thing but it’s not the same engine.
It’s far from the original 4.3L, actually the only real resemblance between the two is the displacement! I really enjoy my 2017 4.3L.
Love my 4.3l 2018 Silverado. It zips around just fine, especially with E85. Turbo charged 4cyl is great but offering it as the entry motor in a full sized truck seems bizarre.
It’s no wonder sales are shoddy, and potential customers are leaning towards the competition. Where is the V8 option ? The only people that are buying these lesser powered trucks are the people that have stepped away from the 4 cylinder cars to a nice looking truck. Nice looking is all that they get. Give us what we REALLY want. A V8. Not Disappointment.
The 2.7 is still untested in the real world. My dad has a 4.3 with 750 000 miles and the engine is the only thing still running. Until I start seeing similar numbers from the 2.7 I will stick with the 4.3.
you are talking about a 2014+ 4.3?
No my dad has a 1998. I currently own a 2014 4.3. it used to be a short haul truck. I have about 140 000 miles on it at this point. The new 4.3 has way more guts than the old one and frankly mechanical maintenance has been nice. but the electronic is hell. I feel like everytime I fix something, something else trips. I’m constantly chasing sensors or error codes for air bags, abs, TPMS, PMS. It never ends. I really hope gm fixed the body issues they had with the 2014-2018 for the newer generation.
LV1, non AFM, version of the LT based 4.3 has become the most popular option on cargo versions of full size vans. A couple of large fleet service managers I know have written emails to GM fleet and commercial Management requesting an LV1 option in 2500 series pickups with GVWRs under 10,000 Lb be added. Rental, leasing, and applications with moderate towing are prime candidates for LV1. OEM powertrain sales for marine and industrial use of the LV1 are part of the user base. There is a stationary power supply manufacturer working on a kit to modify the LV1 to run on propane, adds direct injector blockers, different valves in cylinder heads, new exhaust manifolds, different intakes with PFI, etc. It will be expensive, but they feel it’s the best option for the application.
There may not be much life left for the 4.3L on the road but you are correct Homer. GM sells a boat load (pun intended) of them for Marine use.
GM could easily put together an even more modern 4.3ish V6 using soon to be off the shelf parts from the C8’s 5.5L LT6. I know, I know, it would cost more and those parts are not designed for a truck engine.
Think about it, it would lower the cost for the Z06 engine were they to use the valves (all 4 of them) and the pistons in a V6 truck tuned application. It would easily out perform the current 4.3L and pass emissions no problem.
That and we’d have a sweet little truck motor to boot!
The C8 Corvette engine is 6.2L
Sorry, I was referring to the Z06, thought I included that acronym!
I think everyone else knows what I’m referring to, are you yourself being critical or being educated?
Because my Silverado is on a 2-year lease, I’m not concerned about potential longevity issues with its 2.7 litre engine. But this much I can say: I was surprised to have found myself impressed with this engine. It is smooth, quiet, powerful, tows very well, and if you lay off the turbos it’s fuel efficient too.
Finally a comment from someone who actually has this combination.
There are a bunch of us out there with this combination. I’ve got 31K on mine, and it is a phenomenal engine and a workhorse (sadly backed by a garbage trans).
It gets old hearing people spout the same uneducated garbage day in and day out about it, without actually having any seat time in it. These are usually the same people who talk the 4.3 up not realizing that it is not the SBC based 4.3 that had been around for years…
Sorry, I’ll keep the 5.3L V8 in my 2019 Silverado LD thank you very much.
smart people keep your last gen truck till the reliability of the new gen improves
Put an electric motor in it already! Or wait for Ford to release the e 150; then do it.
Ford is going the route of Chrysler, oops… FCA, ugh… sorry, Stellantis. Buying third-party supplied components.
GM does not buy power sources, and as far as I know, the only transmissions they buy are manuals that they themselves have a hand in the design!
Fords electric truck will not be powered by their components.
I bought a 2018 Sliverado with the 4.3, V6 motor that has the ECO package. It is the most pathetic Silverado I’ve ever owned. When the ECO package kicks in and the motor drops those cylinders the whole truck shakes and shudders intensely. I’ve taken truck to dealer and contacted GM. They said it was normal! I’ve owned GM trucks all my life and this will be the last one I purchase. Not only does it shudder,but don’t try passing a truck on the highway, it has very little torch and passing speed.
spend 200 deneros on an eliminator or set the trans in M6 and before putting the pedal to the metal tap the pedal lightly to take it to all 6 cyls, firing first or you will have lifter problems
It would be nice if GM to add two cylinders to the four cylinder.
I never wanted all these freaking emails
I have a 4.3 V6 with Towing package with 4×4 on an extended cab 2018 Silverado. I always get the 5.3 an my wife picked up this truck while I was at work I was very pissed she got the 4.3 with heated seats other options could have gotten a 5.3 lease same cost less options. But it was her truck and after finding out the new model does not come with 4×4 low just a hill decent option in place on the button now? I guess you have to go up to trail boss now to even get 4×4 low? None of the 2.7 have low range ether. Anyways I used it like my other truck hauled my boat and camper and even picked up a state owned SUV at auction two states over with a 3000lb flat bed and put a Ford Explorer on it about 5500lbs and hauled it 500 miles home with zero issues. I will say my 5.3 does better on gas on the highway but that 4.3 with Towing package has the same trans and hauls very well. Only truck that hauls better with better hauling fuel economy is my 2020 Ram with a 5.7 and towing package not sure why it weighs a lot more and around town it’s about 14 and towing it’s still 14mpg on the highway the 4.3 with a heavy load is 8mpg on the highway. When we go up north my Ram gets better gas mileage towing my boat or camper than the 4.3 but the 5.3 is the sweet spot. That’s my two cents anyways It’s actually a old school 5.7 with two cylinders cut off all the old 5.7 parts would fit it so I know they could bore it out and put 6.2 cylinders in her and get way more out of it why they do not is a real mistake kind of like the undercoating is falling off and my frame has more rust than my old Ford explorer I guess they have a PSA to clean them up but it’s definitely not looking good long term on the rust front for sure.
its funny more and more comments on this website complaining about gm qaulity and long time gm owners who wont buy a gm product again
As a mechanic when doing inspections i’ve seen lots of late model GM issues.. We all know what GM has been up to.. Do I trust The GM weezer turbo motor mid term .. No.. From Auto stop /start that won’t allow overide to clunky AFM lifter destroyer-Zero real world mileage gains garbage … He is my take.. Why build what the customers want..? Just wait til GM sells en mass their Laptop/cell phone with wheels EV rides.. I’m sure moisture will ruin every seal on that elec motor 5 min after warranty is up like moisture melts Silverado/GMC brakes lines- frames
Gm has always been No1# their trucks are great started out with 1976 5.7 liter cheyne, then 1985 Silverado 5.7 ,1996 Silverado 5.7 Z71,04 Silverado 2500hd 6.0,2013silverado,an last but not least just got 2020 Silverado 5.3 4×4 so far the worst things are brakes on some of them .So far I have never been stranded by a Chevy after many trucks an years..
They could have carried over the 4.2 Atlas I6 from the trailblazer (solid frame) and it would have been a beast. But you know, coulda shoulda woulda, didn’t.
Don’t know why the don’t slap a couple turbos on the 4.3 to compete with the 3.5 ecoboost?
To reply to another user chasing electrical issues my 2018 Silverado went into limp mode at 17k miles took the dealer 2 months and both fuse boxes and miles of splicing wires to get it running I recently sold it back with 26k miles when the limp mode came back again. I looked under the hood and they used black electrical tape and at the time admitted that GM had a Chinese supplier that did not make the copper wiring correctly before sealing in it’s plastic sheathing so when they cut the wires open they are full of green corrosion on a brand new truck. I used a hand held scanner got it out of limp mode and sold it to another GM dealer this month for 29k I then drove directly to the Ram dealer and got another Ram and said good buy to this horribly in consistent truck. Worst part is the techs all drove Rams and told me they refuse to buy another Chevy so I must have come to the same conclusion. It’s a shame the older trucks and the 2500 use to be bullet proof before they started cost cutting all the reliability out of them. Keep in mind I have two trucks one 2018 Chevy and a 2018 GMC Crew cab with the frame absolutely covered in rust I HAVE PHOTOS ITS CRAZY that Ram has a fully powder coated frame now and Chevy just slaps sum sticky tar on that falls off in cold Michigan weather the very first time it can and rust soon after. I have a 2006 Ford Explorer I keep because it’s still rust free? Runs perfectly and requires nothing? What happen to our big three? Very sad told the wife I guess next I will be forced to get an older truck or buy a Toyota
I’ll be happy to take another 4.3 just give it a updated trans for goodness sakes.