This video confirmed what I felt all along about the revised 2.7 with 430 ft lbs of torque. I was intrigued enough where I found myself trading my Chevy Colorado 3.6 towards purchasing a Chevy Silverado Custom Double Cab 2.7. I purchased this truck for my Hot Shot business where I do light towing and hauling on demand. Everything mentioned in this video, I can confirm. I have driven (rented) the 5.3 several times and comparing the two drivetrains, I find the 2.7 much more relaxing to operate. The 5.3 is slightly faster as shown but the 2.7 is a more relaxed cruiser. Some might say the mileage between these two drivetrains is negligible, but the 1 to 3 extra MPG highway in favor of the 2.7 is money in my pocket. Like many thoughts, reliability remains the big gamble.

When the 2.7L 4-Cyl Turbo first came out, I read the specs. The GM came out with a video of the spec, and basically this is a 4-cyl diesel that has spark plugs, and runs on gas! From the very design of the block up it is built like a diesel engine. So it makes perfect sense for this engine to perform like it does, it is not a typical 4-cyl.

1 month into owning my 23 LT w/ 2.7L and I love it. it is a really nice daily driver! so comfortable and responsive. A couple of weeks back we made our first trip with it half way up Mt Hood here in Oregon with our #6000 TT for a camping trip. From where I live to where we camped on Hood, there was a number of 6%+/- grades that normally tasked the heck out of my 08 Tahoe LT 5.3L when towing this same trailer. My 23 LT hit these same grades so much easier, 2500-3000 rpm ripping along at 60mph comfortably. My 08 Tahoe would be about 3800+ rpm at about 45 mph, and really working hard. The Tahoe is NOT meant to tow like this. Thanks for the video comparison! Interesting.

Ill trade the towing acceleration for an engine that can hold a gear all day long. I actually did. Traded my 2020 5.3 in for a 23 2.7. I had a 19 2.7 thay i missed.

I am from switzerland and used to mountain roads. I do prefer manual transmissions over 6, 8 or even 10 speed transmissions. I dare say a good old 6 speed manual is still the best and most efficient option to drive. Love watching your videos, thanks for your effort to creat such interesting content.

I have both a 5.3 and a couple of 2.7 in GMC pickups. I would take the 2.7 over the 5.3 for everyday driving and also for towing. My 2.7 is faster than my 5.3 but then again I am at 5300 feet. The 2.7 never shifts out of top gear in the mountains.

I’ve had a 2009, 2012, 2014 & 2015 all with the 5.3. Never experienced a lifter failure, but I was always worried about it. Stepped up to a 2021 with the 3.0. Favorite no doubt. Now have a 2022 with the 2.7, I have towed several times with it probably around 7k lbs. I prefer the 2.7 towing and daily driving over the 5.3. Hwy mpg I average 21, the 5.3 best I ever got was 19. Not a big difference. If diesel $$ never shot up, I’d still own that duramax though. I’d worry more about the 8spd transmission than the 2.7 engine. Transmission is very finicky. Put the 10spd with the 2.7 and I think they can drop the old 5.3 from the lineup. Just my .02

I own the 2.7L and absolutely love it. Will be getting another this winter.

Gotta say very impressive for the little turbo 4 & i actually thought it would get out muscled big time because of its size! But wow what an incredible little engine! I guess size doesn't really matter unless its your bank account!👍✌️

Nice video. So my take is it’s all about the horsepower. Truck people (I’m a truck person too) tend to want to make it about torque but horsepower determines your speed and with essentially identical trucks with the one exception being 40 some more hp then there should be no surprise about which one feels better driving. The turbo so making the difference out on the Highway with the grades especially because like you said it’s just pushing more boost. I would also say the 2.7 has a gearing advantage in-spite of having two less transmission gears. The 8L90 and 10L80 have very similar gear ratios. The 10 speed has an extra OD gear but essentially they are very similar. And having the 3.42 rear gear no doubt was helping on the grades. The 3.42 is available with the 5.3 and 10 speed but you have to get the max tow option.

I have owned two Silverado pickups. The 5.3 has provided me with exceptional service.

The 2.7 has the low end torque which I enjoy when towing our travel trailer. I love the V8 more so the 5.0 Ford and a fan of the 5.7 Ram. But once I was given a 2019 3.5 F150 it was a game changer. And my own truck today is a F150 2.7.

The 10 speed transmission ratios in the 5.3 probably helped more around town. Would be interesting to know what the first couple of gears in each transmission are to make a comparison.

You'd have to compare gear ratios in the 8 and 10 speeds, I suspect some of the better towing in town is the 10 speed having lower ratio first gear as well as closer ratios with more gears to choose from.

I had a 23 with the 2.7 for 6 months and was okay until the weather warned up and I had to use the a/c all the time. That's when the milage went south and I realized that this engine was going to be a gas hog even under a light load so I traded it in for an LT with a 5.3 and it's getting better milage and more smiled per mile than that 2.7 did.

Need to do a 2.7 ecoboost next

The 90s and 99-06 gm vehicles were pretty good I had one it lasted to 320,000 miles before the original transmission started going out

I have a 5.3 yukon xl with the max tow package. My wife tows her 8k horse trailer daily and has no complaints.

You can make a smaller displacement engine make more power but long term durability will be the determining factor to me. What happens at 100, 200 or 300,000 km of working, how do the the bearings and rings stand up over the long term, only time will tell.

The 2.7 is one of the best engines GM has now , the 5.3 is nowhere near as reliable. This isn’t the old bulletproof 5.3 from pre 2007.

I have a 2019 5.3 with the 8 speed transmission. So far my experience with it has been underwhelming for a v8 truck. It does feel zippy around town and gets decent highway mpg, but I had to tow a U haul trailer not that long ago that probably came in around 3-4,000 pounds and the truck just didn’t feel like pulling it at all. Maybe it’s because I have a 5500 Cummins for a work truck and I’m used to the insane amount of torque that thing puts down, but you’d also figure the 5.3 is capable of handling less than half of its max tow capacity at the same time

Some information on transmission temperature would be helpful!!!

Amazing information and review as always! Thanks for your thorough informative reviews and test!

Why the V8 felt better than l4 in the city: No turbo lag. Instantaneous throttle response.

Great video. If you had a 3.73 or at least a 3.42 on the 5.3 it may have pulled a little better on the grades but not sure how the 10 speed trans is as my 15' Sierra 5.3 with Max Trailering has a 6 speed and 3.73 and I tow 7600 pounds but I'm on my second 5.3 and I am happy with the performance and reliability of the truck and engine.

Turbo stays spooled up on the highway, not when its in stop and go city driving is why it then feels sluggish. The longevity issue on the 5.3 V8 is with the special lifters used for active fuel management (they have had lots of issues) with failing lifters.

A helpful and entertaining comparison :) thanks!

Just to round it out, let’s see how a Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi does.

Like to see a direct comparison with the 3.0 Duramax diesel. To me that engine the only way to go.

I have a 2024 1500 with the 2.7 and it has the worst turbo lag of any of the turbo engines I have driven. It cruises great on the interstate, but it is a handful to drive in bumper to bumper traffic or city driving. Also, my Turbomax has no engine braking whatsoever. No one is talking about this, but where I live in the mountains, this is a big deal. Once the turbo kicks in, it's quick and will spin the tires with ease. But there is a full 1 or 2 seconds before the truck takes off after pressing the gas pedal. I would not recommend this engine over the v-8.

What people are not realizing, you can lug the 2.7 around town easily while being effective in accelerating and not killing the engine doing so. You dont need rpm even when not in boost

I expected the V8 to do better than the 4cyl Turbo on fuel economy. I do know some that get outstanding economy from the 4cyl.

With the AFM on the V8, I would rather have the 4

You also have to consider that the 2.7 is the no cost base engine

I've got a 2004 5.3 4wd long bed. Truck has 724,000 miles. I'm on my 3rd 5.3 motor. 1st went 365,000. 2nd used had 135,000 when I put it in. I added about 160,000 before pulling it for 3rd motor. It had 102, 000 miles when we dropped it in. So far it's a win win 5.3 I have no complaints.. Trump 2024💯🇺🇸

What about the AFM fiasco? Does the 2.7 skirt the issue entirely, or does it replace it with "turbo" issues that aren't any better?

Also longer stroke at the same RPM= higher piston speeds. Hopefully GM accounted for that with their piston rings and liners between the 2.7 and 5.3. If they didn’t than the 2.7 won’t have the same longevity.

I am probably wrong. However, I have always assumed that if you are wanting a vehicle that lasts it is better to stay away from a smaller super/turbocharged engine. I always thought that pushing a smaller engine would cause more wear and tear vs. just letting a larger engine do it's thing.

Had a 2019 RST with the max trailering and the 5.3. Never suffered from lack of power pulling a 7500lb travel trailer, but my god the suspension was lacking, even after the addition of super springs. The sag and sway, even with an equalizer was terrible. Upgraded to a 1 ton.

The GLARING issue is not whether or which engine has better towing characteristics. The question everyone should be asking is when has GM ever produced a small displacement forced induction motor that wasnt a completed turd when it came to reliability.

2022 sierra 2.7, the only bummer on the 1500 (crew cab) is the lack of suspension support. Over 6k she squats bad, although still manages to stay off the bumpstops

I liked the 5.3 back in the early 2000’s when it was the “vortec” I had an 02 with 5.3 and it was a beast, and super reliable for me. Now days the 5.3 is a grocery grabber / mom engine. My company vehicle is a tahoe with 5.3 and it sucks to daily drive. I absolutely hate the cylinder deactivation, which translates into alot of hesitation and poor performance. The 5.3 imo is now obsolete.

I would be interested to see transmission temperatures at the top of those long hills. I can confirm that fuel economy while towing is similar to my 2019 ram 1500 5.7, but everyday driving unloaded fuel economy is definitely better

Can't beat a V8. You can wind up a 4banger to impressive amounts of power, but you are still asking each cylinder to bear the strain and stress of 2 cylinders. Add to that the increased complexity of a turbo and ancillary components and the number of failure points increases dramatically.

The 2.7 smokes the 5.3 at towing. It's just the way it's setup. Diesel like low end grunt.

Would the 2.7 turbo wear the main bearings faster though. Seems like a lotta stress on the lower end of that engine at lower RPM pulling 8 thousand pounds.

I saw the 2.7L Turbo 4 cyl. review and pull test and this Chevy 5.3L. A few words to the longevity would have been nice. I remain biased against the carbon buildup from direct injection. When the pull ability on the 200 km loop test between the 2 is such a toss off minor difference, I'm still in the 5.3L camp. BUT!!!, when you say it is natural aspirated my question remains ( exposing my ignorance here), is the 5.3 fuel injected just NOT direct injected? Longevity/reliability remains very important over 1 or 2 miles per gallon less on the 5.3. Thanks for what I consider very thorough reviews!

It’s a damn shame GM has had the same HP/TQ output for 10 years now. The 5.3 is a dog in need of some food dog food. It’s weak

So if the 5.3 with the 10 speed had to really "work" to maintain speed. Then it's safe to say the 5.3 with an 8 speed will have to work harder.

While the performance of the two engine packages is fairly equal, IMHO the long term reliability has to be w/the 5.3. Smaller displacement turbo engines are more stressed to achieve the same power & that shows up later in engine life.

Just traded my gladiator for a 2.7 silvarado the hwy mpg is amazing im getting 25-27 no load

I was really hoping to see this

Hey Alex, I've been super curious to see what you think of the 2023 Nissan Titan XD Pro-4X and your thoughts!! Please do a video of the Nissan soon!!

I have a g2022 with the 4cyl I tow a 6900 pound camper and i am pleased with the towing the ,pg towing is a little disapointing but its tall so lots of wind resistiance but I do like the engin

You got to try sport mode

how did it compare rpms wise to the 5.0 coyote? i know the coyote was a little higher than the 3.5eb but i thought they were plenty low. but i do live in a flat area also so...

Greetings Alex. I do not; but i like 5.3 l (súper ratón) 👍 but new technology development is imponent. And my smile is big; where work is done with great savings. Maintenance intervals and their costs, as well as long-term reliability and performance will surely be important to accentuate the best purchasing decision with the best cost-benefit ratio.

4:30 a lot of people are fooled by the sound of a v8. It just sound like it's putting out more torque.

Another great video Alex! Please do a 5.7 hemi sometime too with that exact load/test :). For the power differences, keep in mind that unless you're going WOT, you're not making 430 lb/ft of torque at 2000 RPMs. You're making less, so the the v8 is probably putting more torque/power down in the city because both engines are not at full throttle. That's why its so silly for us truck guys to fixate on a single number, you only get that number at WOT at a certain RPM, those specs never tell the whole story as you've demonstrated here. Also, the 2.7 is impressive in a way since you're out here comparing it to the V8 whereas GM designed it as a base engine to replace the v6 4.3. I'm sure the little 2.7 crushes that v6.

430lbft@1500-4000rpm will always be more capable that 383lbft@4100. Torque at rpm is HP. HP doesn't mean more capable. I laughed my ass off with your "prediction" of the 2.7 was going to wind up and rev all day long. The reason the 5.3 makes more HP than the 2.7 is because it has 8 cylinders working together making more torque at the top end of the rpm band. 5.3 V8 355hp@5600rpm is 332lbft 2.7 I4 turbo 310hp@5600rpm is 290lbft Clearly the V8 can make more torque at the top. Same story as the Duramax and Powerstroke vs the Cummins. As far as bottom 'ends go both have 5 main bearings. The 5.3 is just as complicated as the turbo, and they are both littered with serious issues. I'll keep my 9.5l/100km 3.5L Ecoboost and 9.6l/100km 6.7 Powerstroke. 500lbft@3100rpm(more than 450lbft@2000rpm) and 1050lbft@1600rpm(more than 1000lbft from 1400-2400rpm). The get up and go is a preference, "more hp" doesn't apply to this "pulling away from a light". What you feel is the N/A almost instantaneous torque generation. The turbocharged engine will alway out work the N/A. Every truck with a turbo(diesel) has delay. Everyone lives with it, fun doesn't pay the bills(just like chrome and chicken lights)

Rear Axle ratios are important in this comparison !

The tach is on the wrong side and spins the wrong way. Man that sucks. Can you switch it? I hate all the digital stuff

5.3 a 10spd? the 2.7t is 8...could be why you liked the city light to light dynamic? I have the 2.7t in refresh 430 ft/lb and it's been awesome, my buddy has the 5.3, also good, they are comparable. We drag ice fishing trailers around all winter and for plenty of fall hunting trips also. The 2.7t is quieter and more relaxed, does more work at lower rpm, I usually put a few less litres of gas in at the mid point fill ups also, and I'm lifted 4' on 33x10's, his is stock, his trailer may be a little heavier but my truck is also heavier, ext. cab vs crew cab and I carry a 400 lb fuel tank in back also. the 2.7t is the top 1/2 ton motor imo. Boost is better than cylinders, it overcomes elevation by only losing 0.05% power every 1000' elevation where NA engines lose 3%....so I have way more torque at 4000' than the 5.3, like 90 ft/lbs and at 1100 rpm less also. The 5.0 coyote is getting thrashed hard by drag racing guys so sounds like a good option if NA is a must. There's also no known warranty issues with the 2.7t and gm engineers said it's one of only 2 engines they couldn't kill in their torture testing. The 5.3/6.2 have common warranty issues like lifters etc. and the 2.7t doesn't even have lifters. No one talks about the light weight front end of the 2.7t also, very nice off-road and just daily squirting around town. It's all win with that motor, built like a diesel without the diesel headaches, long strong big jugs inline single turbo...cummins style. The 5.3/6.2 are short stroke engines, most of the competition is this way. Gm did it right and they truly built a great 'truck' engine!

If I was going to tow an 8000 lb trailer on a regular basis I really would prefer to have a 3/4 ton gasser. Especially since a travel trailer is going to have a lot more wind resistance. But how about doing this test with a 6.2L with 3.42 rear end. I had a 2016 5.3/6 speed/3.42 and it was a weak engine for towing, especially in the mountains. My 2019 6.2/10 speed/3.42 is a beast when it comes to towing. It would leave that 2.7 in the dust.

My buddy has the 2.7l (2022 I think) and they sold him on the be it would tow as much as the 5.3 he traded in. Yah it might but it gets about 6/7 mpg while towing our two snowmobiles and aluminum trailer so 2000lbs max and it gets 7mpg and was running out of power going up hills while.my 5 year older 5.3L gets 16 mpg towing the exact same trailer on the exact same route and has power to accelerate up hill. Weight of trailer is one thing but a camper or enclosed trailer also has drag working like a wind sail sometimes. For me I'm buying a full size truck I want a full size motor . For years the 4.3L was the go to for a v6 in Chevy trucks to save gas and price and it was probably too reliable so gm axed it once they had it producing 300+HP . " "Gee if our engines last 300,000 miles that's money out of our pocket let's get rid of it"

I wouldn’t say the 5.3 has much much better acceleration, the videos I watched the 2.7 liter turbo was quicker 0 to 60

hey , i need your opinion im all torn! i want a 6 seater crew cab 6feet bed i dont tow to much at first i was looking at midsize for mpg but i rather have a full size i look at mpg and longevity of the truck im going to buy a new truck but i hope i can have it for 20year, i live in quebec in the country i need someting taught i dont care about equipement like fancy stuff! ty!

How was the unload gas mileage. I have a 2014 with a 5.3L. Looking at a new truck. I also tow a 6000lb boat. Great video

I've wondered how the story would go at above 8000 feet elevation

5.3L on a friends truck had failed lifters on one bank. 5000$ bill. Now he is worried the kther side will fail

Wait untill those turbos start FAILING dealerships a SMILING 😂😂

Seat of the pants feel, my 2021 2.7 feels noticeably faster than my 2018 5.3 was. Doesn’t really mean much to me as I felt the 5.3 was plenty quick and I’m not looking to race them anyway

So basically they preform very similarly but the V8 has better MPG and is N/A? The 5.3 is much more proven design on top of it too.

Was both trucks in tow/haul mode? The 2.7 will have greater resistance in tow mode on down grades since timing changes.

They need to turbo the 5.3

i got to say I'm with the 5.3 day and night

I'm going to guess youre close to sea level where youre located? I wonder if the turbo would really shine at higher altitudes, like where I am at 1000m above sea level in Alberta?

Seriously, the weak link is in the 8speed transmission. V8 with the 10 speed is the only way to go. Better yet a 6speed combo with the non lt trail boss and work truck with the 5.3 were a carryover from the the last generation.

Will you be making a video but with the new LZ0 motor? Curious which of the three is the best.

Man, 4000 rpms up a hill. I have the 3.0 duramax. Never even close to that, same trailer weight.

The 536 speed and the 53 in general, is designed to drive and be an everyday truck. Not an everyday tower, quite frankly. If you're looking for something to tell you're not going to buy a 53, you're not going to buy a 5.0 and even a 5.7, it is not your best bet we all know that diesel is the best way to go if you're towing. But when it comes to the 53 Chevy, 6 speed can't be an everyday truck.

The Coyote 5.0 has to be best V8 engine in a half ton truck. Good power, good economy and good reliability. Once again Ford kicks A$$.

Forced induction engines will never have the long term durability as N/A engines. They have to work harder to do the same work. 209k miles on my 2017 5.3 and still hums along knocking down 19-20 mpg on the highway. A 2.7 will likely have turbo failure and engine blow-by long before then.

If 2.7 had the 10 speed auto it would be the best engine combo

Why not compare the 5.0L with the 5.3L

5.3L is proven, Although it had its issues throughout its 25+ year life span. The 2.7L has a lot to prove for the next 20 years. Me, I'm a true believer that, there is no replacement for displacement. especially when towing,,, ESPECIALLY. A small displacement engine will have to go through a ton of "putting in the miles" to prove itself in the considered towing club.

2 honest questions 1- how many miles, on average, does a turbo last? 2- if a motor is tuned more to the max hp/tq that can be achieved, isn’t that a recipe against reliability? AFM does suck but I think the 5.3 is detuned more from the factory. That can lead to more longevity.

You said 3.5 V8 in the video... lol.. do a lm2 against them next. I know you've done them before but I love this content.

So i could be wrong, but overall reliability, isn't it 3.0>4.3>2.7>6.2>5.3?

Hey Dubas, trade those big trucks for something smaller

I think it is laughable that these high tech complicated engines offer very little power or fuel economy advantage over the standard 350 small block or 454 big block. I have towed huge horse trailers, big flat beds and a 45 ft 21000 lb toy hauler and my 502 ci big block in my opinion can' t be beat even by the diesels. The new truck just arn' t worth the money to get a little better gas mileage.

The 5.3 with basic regular maintenance will be going strong at 250,000 miles. The boosted mouse motor will be in its second, possibly third rebuild and third turbo...assuming anyone is willing to spend that kind of money on it At 130k miles the V8 will be worth 30 to 50% more than the mouse motor, assuming the latter is still intact. Already seeing this at auctions every week with Fords.

The more the turbos need to run to push the engine power the sooner you will be repairing or replacing them.The previous responder is correct I don’t know what GM did to the 5.3 after the 07 year put the ruined it. Of coarse the reason may be because the earlier 5.3’s were lasting to long.

4 cylinder gas turbo engine is not as efficient under load because the ECM will make the A/F ratio more rich to control the temps. The 2.7 is indeed an impressive little powerplant, but if I were looking at a GM gas truck, I would probably stick with the V8 if nothing else for the sound. I noticed the same higher reving while towing when I switched from an ecoboost to my 5.7 HEMI. The ecoboost was definitely a more relaxed towing machine. Really, the 2.7 likely has less moving parts since it only has 4 pistons and one head with only half the valvetrain components.

At 4:33 is says 68 Mpg lol I know you meant to say 68 Mph but 68 Mpg in a 1/2 ton class pick up would be amazing

I have owned two trucks with the 5.3L...not bad. Never had any issues. My latest truck is a 2021 GMC Sierra AT4 with the 6.2L. Again, no issues. It is not a "flex fuel" vehicle like the 5.3L ones. And the owners manual says not to use ethanol mixed fuels. Actually, it says for max fuel mileage and performance -- 93 octane. Indeed, feed it 93 octane pump gas (non ethanol) and it is one quick truck. I disabled the auto start/stop and AFM cylinder deactivation. CAI, canned tune, and exhaust. I am sure the 2.7L is quite fine for what it can do...but, would never own a full size truck without a V8. In the Colorado/Canyon size pickup trucks...yeh, turbo 2.7L makes more sense.

Any thing you put a turbo on it’s a half engine life for sure

Hello i have a 22 gmc with the 5.3 afm. What do yiu think of installing a disabler? Or just turn the button to off after starting?

Why didn't you compare it to a Chevy 6.2L 1500?

my 2020 2.7L runs better on 87 octane than 91 and gets better mpg. but forget engine braking with the 2.7