I think the 3800 is a lot more than just cheap and reliable. They gave GM's fullsized cars
plenty of power and still hit 30+ on the highway. Plus the motor was Ward's Best Engines of the 20th Century list, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_3800_engine I drove one for years and loved it. The 2.8s and 3.1s I've owned and driven, not so much.