Compare GM's V6, e.g. 3.4, 3.5, 3,8

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06RANGER

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Why some many offerings?

Is the 3.5V6 in the Malibu the same as the 3.5l Impala?

Why does the Equinox SUV have a 3.4l?

Is the 3.8l in the LaCrosse CX the same as the legendary 3.8 in the former LeSabre?

Which is the best engine in terms of efficiency and reliabiltiy?
 
The 3.8 is a 90 degree engine of ancient lineage. It is very well regarded, and may be the best American made engine.
The rest have issues. Most of these were developed from the twenty year newer 60 degree Citation engine, always a bit of a sow's ear.
I owned an '80 Citation 2.8, and it was not a bad machine. Perhaps not as well developed at intro as it should have been. Had the X-cars been a bit better than they were, the future would have been so much different. Toyota would have remained a bit player, and GM would now be where it was thirty years back, instead of having to fight for its very survival.
 
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Is the 3.5V6 in the Malibu the same as the 3.5l Impala?

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Beginning in the 2007MY, yes. Both the Malibu and Impala have the 3.5L LZ4 VVT-equipped V6 engine. Previously, the Malibu had the LX9 version of the 3.5L V6 that did not feature VVT.

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Why does the Equinox SUV have a 3.4l?

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Don't know, cost?

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Is the 3.8l in the LaCrosse CX the same as the legendary 3.8 in the former LeSabre?

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Don't know for sure, but I think minor changes may have been made to it over the years for improved durability (i.e. intake gaskets) and efficiency.

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Which is the best engine in terms of efficiency and reliability?

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I think any of those three engines should be reliable given the updated intake manifold gasket designs. As far as efficiency, it is hard to beat the 3.5L LZ4, VVT-equipped V6 considering its output and the fuel efficiency that it attains.
 
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Is the 3.5V6 in the Malibu the same as the 3.5l Impala?

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What The Critic said; they're both good engines but if you're buying a Malibu you really want the LZ4.

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Why does the Equinox SUV have a 3.4l?

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The Equinox is made entirely in China, engine included. GM decided it was cheaper to build an engine plant in China than it was it build it and ship it from Tonawanda, NY to China and then ship the whole car back. I suppose they chose to set the plant up for the 3400 because at the time it was their most modern engine. I'm sure they use the same engine plant for similar engines intended for the Chinese Buicks; makes sense to me. Thankfully they still build most of the 60*V6 engines in Tonawanda.

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Is the 3.8l in the LaCrosse CX the same as the legendary 3.8 in the former LeSabre?

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It's essentially the same lineage. There were quite a few different variations of the FWD 3800, but they're all basically the same engine, with power bumps and reliability improvements throughout the years.

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Which is the best engine in terms of efficiency and reliability?

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The newest VVT engines, the 3.5L and the 3.9L are, IMO, the best FWD pushrod engines GM has built to date, especially considering the disaster that was the 3rd generation 3100 and 3400 engine. You can't go wrong with either one, choose the 3.5L for a bit more economy and ample power; choose the 3.9L for more power (especially down low) and a slight economy hit. I have a 3.9L powered Monte Carlo and if I watch myself I can get 30 mpg on the highway, I usually average 22-25 with my typical driving pattern.
 
It's next to impossible to find a 2007 3.5l LT Malibu in these parts right now.

It's also unclear if Chevy will offer a 2008 Malibu "Classic" (current body style) before they release the new body style later this fall.
 
If I had to bet, there will be a Malibu Classic, but who knows. The LX9 is by no means a bad engine, it will provide power and economy very similar to the LZ4, and supposedly, GM has fixed the intake gaskets in this engine and they should not fail in the way they did in the older engines. Additionally, I'm sure you can get a much better deal on an '06 Malibu than you can on an '07, and that alone would be a good enough reason for me to buy one if I were in the market.

The LZ4 is desirable in that the VVT system reduces emissions system complexity, provides some additional low end power and boosts economy. The really nice part of the LZ4/LZ9 is that GM has completely eliminated the flow of coolant through the LIM altogether, thus assuring there can be no leak.
 
Since there's a better selection of the LZ4 in the Pontiac G6 should I consider it?

Guess what I'm asking is "is Pontiac as good (from a quality standpoint) as Chevrolet?
 
I love the 3.8L Buick V6, but then, I'm an old phart.

fruit.gif
 
THe Buick 3.8 it as good as it gets from GM in terms of durability and reliability especialy since they did away with that stupid plastic intake. THe new 3.5 is supposed top be a lot better then past 60V6's that GM has offered but I am going to reserve judgment for a few years to see what I see. The older 3.5,3.4,3.1,2.8 60° V's have been horrable by international standards interms of NVH,Power Density, and reliability.
 
As far as NVH, the 60*V6's have long been ahead of the Buick 3800, IMO, the 60's run much quieter and more smoothly; the new 3500 is ahead of any of the NA 3800's that GM ever put out in terms of power density (which, incidentally, is a meaningless benchmark anyway), and while the 60*V6's did suffer some reliability problems during the Series III years, those issues have since been fixed. The new LZ4/LZ9/LZE family of engines simply DO NOT have coolant flowing through the LIM, and thus it CANNOT leak out, it is not there.

The 3800 was (and still is) an excellent engine; and it's major claim to fame has always been the ease with which it is modified for power and how well it works in boosted applications. IMO, the new LZ4/LZ9 is a more than suitable replacement for the aging 3800.

06RANGER, I'd choose a Pontiac G6 before a current-generation Malibu any day of the week. The G6 is, IMO a much nicer car. Also check out the Impala, you can get phenomenal deals on lightly used Impalas. I bought my Monte Carlo with 9,400 miles on it for $10K off the sticker price.
 
mstrjon32

Thanks for the advice. I don't really need a car the size of an Impala although I know you can get a pretty good deal on them.

I was thinking if I could get the same drivetrain, and still save the weight of the Malibu/G6 vs Impala, that's the way to go.
smile.gif
 
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The Equinox is made entirely in China, engine included. GM decided it was cheaper to build an engine plant in China than it was it build it and ship it from Tonawanda, NY to China and then ship the whole car back. I suppose they chose to set the plant up for the 3400 because at the time it was their most modern engine. I'm sure they use the same engine plant for similar engines intended for the Chinese Buicks; makes sense to me. Thankfully they still build most of the 60*V6 engines in Tonawanda.

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The Equinox isn't made entirely in China. It is assembled in Canada but with a Chinese made engine and a Japanese made transmission.
 
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The Equinox isn't made entirely in China. It is assembled in Canada but with a Chinese made engine and a Japanese made transmission.

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Right you are. I'm talking out of my ----. It's been a while since I've looked at anything Equinox-related and I must have gotten my facts backwards.
 
The 3.4 will get over 30 mpg on a highway trip and decent mileage around town. Not bad considering the age of the design. The intake gasket problem was resolved by the 2004 model year. Other than that they were very dependable engines (though prone to piston slap).
 
My question for GM is...why have so MANY? 3.4, 3.5, 3.8, 3.9. While Toyota and especially Nissan are using the same engines across a wide selection of their models, GM is spending the resources to make 4 V6 engines. Despite the China situation with the Equinox, that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. The 3800, while not a technological marvel, is probably GMs best V6. Have they developed a VVT system for it? (I'm not that well read on GMs latest ventures) If not, they should have, and then put it in all their V6 models with varying hp.
 
The 3800 is slowly being phased out.
Only the Pontiac Grand Prix and one model of Buick still use it; and the Pontiac will stop production in late October.
I suspect that 2008 will be the last year for the 3800 period.
the 90º design is wider than the other V-6 designs, and dispite its excellent reputation, 'compact' is the watch word these days.
 
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