C6 Corvette LS3 vs LS2: Which Is the Better V8 to Own?
The LS3 vs LS2 debate has raged on for some time now, but when looking to buy a C6 Corvette, does it really matter that much?
These days, most view the C6 Corvette as a total performance bargain, an approachable sports car that looks great and offers up excellent performance in stock form, with nearly endless potential for more, if you want it. However, having stuck around for the 2005-2013 model years and offered in an array of variants over that timeframe, shoppers also have a lot to consider when looking for a C6 Corvette to buy – and then there’s the matter of which engine to go for.
In this video from Toys4Life C5, our host dives into the common question of whether it’s best to buy a C6 Corvette with the LS2 V8, or one with the LS3. The LS2 was the standard choice from 2005-2007, while the LS3 took over in 2008 and hung around for the remaining six years. There are a lot of reasons why people consider an engine to be superior to another, as our host points out, and in terms of output, the LS3 made a bit more power – 430-436 horsepower versus 400 – but there’s far more to consider here than that, of course.
Reliability of more of a mixed coin because this largely depends on how well the C6 Corvette has been taken care of, as both the LS2 and LS3 are very reliable engines, save for the typical harmonic balancer issues. Our host hasn’t found any credible proof that the LS3 is more reliable than the LS2. In fact, he believes that both are pretty equal in that regard. This leaves cost as the last consideration, and in that realm, later LS3-powered cars are a bit more expensive – around $5,000 more, on average, in our host’s local area. For those that plan on modifying their rides, the LS3’s heads do flow significantly better, and they came with the beefier TR6060 manual gearbox, to boot.
As one might imagine, this video conjured up a great discussion in the CorvetteForum forums, with people on both sides of the debate coming forth to explain their reasoning. Turns out, more than a few folks still think the LS3 is superior, pointing to others that have said they’ve seen more LS2s in their shop than LS3s, though as our host noted in the video, this is difficult to quantify with real data. Ultimately, it seems like a moot point, and either way you go, the C6 Corvette is going to be a great buy, regardless, as at least one member points out.
“LS2 guys should have bought the LS3, LS3 guys should have bought a GS, GS guys should have bought a Z06, Z06 guys should have bought a ZR1, ZR1 guys should have bought a C7,” said Iowa. “It’s all such a useless debate and it amazes me why guys need to prove their purchases worthy to strangers on the internet. As an LS2 owner, the LS3 just wasn’t going to provide anything more for me. The only other way I would have done this was a GS. Unfortunately, a low-mileage GS was outside the budget I set for a weekend toy and I have no interest in buying high-mileage cars. Personally, I believe the C6 GS to be the best looking out of the group, but the entire platform has aged very well. My opinion only and nobody has to agree. I like my car. If you like it too that’s great. If you don’t that’s also great.”
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