First off, I feel that not only me, but others that have read all of the rants on how the 5.3 AFM engines have been incorrectly labeled as being mechanically prone to failure has been over blown. Sure, I do realize that they were not the most trouble free engines out there. People must consider the fact that all manufacturers have their own set of problems.
When mechanical engineers put their knowledge to work, they do so in ways that in theory will work according to what they know. When a design is studied, researched, and changed several times does the team approve of making it's way to the final phase of it's actual development. For the most part, the problem of 5.3 AFM engines using oil have been primarily with the 2007-2008 model years. The updated lifters I think arrived around 2010. The low tension piston rings were a design to save fuel by reducing friction and came with an added bonus of a longer lasting cylinder bore. The thinner oils such as the 5W-30 that these engines use, and the 0W-20 that my wife's 2015 malibu uses, have the same design factor.... by saving fuel. Both my 2011 Avalanche, and my wife's malibu both use "some" oil. Never had to add between changes. So what's the big deal if an engine uses a little oil?
I think the best a person can do is eliminate the 6000-7000 mile synthetic oil changes that some do because they believe that synthetic oil last longer than the petroleum based products. The problem is, is that letting it go that long contributes to the problem of too many hydrocarbons building up in the crankcase and mixing with the oil therefore contaminating the oil in reducing lubrication and speeding engine wear. I could be wrong, but that's my theory.
I really don't think these engines were that bad according to what some say. In the future............we will be faced with a new set of problems regardless of who the manufacturers are.