To Ecoboost or Not Ecoboost? That's the Question.

[AMG]

I owned a 2015 F-150 3.5L EB with MaxTow and can say it pulled my 5500lb trailer with extreme ease. I then upgraded to the Stealth 35' and I'm at a minimum 10k, with prob 1400lb hitch weight. I pulled it once with the F-150 and while I felt the truck had the power to pull it, I was way overloaded with my family in the truck, some light gear in the bed, etc. then I wasn't sure that just because I could pull it, didnt mean I could stop it (Going down a huge incline). I opted for the F-250 diesel.

At 7xxx lbs you probably are good to go though on the new F-150. I'd do Max Tow IMHO as the mirrors may look funny initially, but they sure are nice. Larger oil cooler I believe by a few pipes n such too.

[Magdeep]

Have a F150 with Ecoboost. Tow a Windjammer 3029 weighing in the 8300 lb range approx. 6,000 miles without any issues. Towed over a 9700 ft pass heading into Grand Teton last September and through the Smokies from Knoxville to Ashville. Slow and steady she went.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by mike.t

Ya like they are going to bad mouth their ride. Duh.

I see no shortage of people on the forums complaining when something doesn't work as it should….

[RooVader]

Agreed. People would be far more likely to jump in here if they had horrible experiences with their ecoboost.

It is also silly to say the positive reports are from people with 20k miles. I have FAR more than that with a lot of towing. These have been out there for what, 5 years now? Obviously there are problem units. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better value to performance ratio when it comes to towing as long as you are under payload limits.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by RooVader

Agreed. People would be far more likely to jump in here if they had horrible experiences with their ecoboost.

It is also silly to say the positive reports are from people with 20k miles. I have FAR more than that with a lot of towing. These have been out there for what, 5 years now? Obviously there are problem units. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better value to performance ratio when it comes to towing as long as you are under payload limits.

I agree. My Mom's 2011 has over 100K now. It had to have a reflash done early on for the hard downshift issue. No other mechanical problems. My 2013 was flawless for the 30K I had it.

[deboosted74]

Hey folks, I am new to the forum but have had some good experience on this topic. So, I have owned two F150 screws with max trailer tow and 3.5 ecoboost. The first was a 2011, followed by a 2013. Both had max trailer tow, and only difference was bed length. The frustration I had and never was able to overcome was the relatively poor fuel economy when compared to the posted window sticker numbers. Never in 6 years of owning these two trucks did they ever meet or exceed the posted numbers, and I was constantly told by the dealer that this is just the way these trucks are. Poor answer in my opinion. I pulled a 6,500lb boat most summers, and nothing in the winter besides normal commute to work. There was multiple times with longer road trips ranging up to 1500 miles round trip. Last November on a 1500 mile round trip, all highway miles trip, the truck never got better than 15.5 mpg, and the only weight in the truck was myself and my two pre-teen boys. Nearly nothing. This was normal mileage for this truck, which is very poor. I was fed up with the mileage I was getting, and since Ford refused to get off the ecoboost is best and only attitude, I switched over to a 2016 Ram Ecodiesel. The Ram is the same config as the F150's were, crew cab with 6.5 bed. It has a 3.92 rear end, so is lower than the F150's were. I am averaging combined city highway driving on a brand new not broken in motor, 24.6 mpg. This is the kind of fuel economy I expected from the Ford, but never got it. Hands down, the Ram, so far, is a much nicer truck, and has far superior and better than posted mpg numbers. I have not had a chance to tow with it yet, but expect it to be better than the Ecoboost ever was. Yes, I understand that the Ram is not the rocket ship off the line, but if you are buying a truck to drag race, you are buying the wrong vehicle. The Ram has the same amount of torque as the Ford, 420lb/f, and it pulls like a freight train, and does it at low RPM's. The Ram is and will remain the undisputed MPG leader, until Fors decides to release the F150 with a diesel, which anybody that watches the Internet and forums will know is on the roads as a test mule. Time will tell if it ever gets released. Even with the aluminum body and the new 10 speed tranny for 2017 certain models, Ford will still not be able to match the fuel economy of the Ram. It will take a diesel to do that. Let me be clear here, I have been a LIFE long Ford truck owner, and have owned 6 Ford trucks in the last 10 years, ranging from a half ton V8 to a 3/4 ton V10 and 3/4 ton 6.0 Powerstroke. This is my first Ram, and thus far I am extremely impressed with the overall quality and the fuel economy. Sorry for the long winded post, but needed to tell the entire history.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by deboosted74

Hey folks, I am new to the forum but have had some good experience on this topic. So, I have owned two F150 screws with max trailer tow and 3.5 ecoboost. The first was a 2011, followed by a 2013. Both had max trailer tow, and only difference was bed length. The frustration I had and never was able to overcome was the relatively poor fuel economy when compared to the posted window sticker numbers. Never in 6 years of owning these two trucks did they ever meet or exceed the posted numbers, and I was constantly told by the dealer that this is just the way these trucks are. Poor answer in my opinion. I pulled a 6,500lb boat most summers, and nothing in the winter besides normal commute to work. There was multiple times with longer road trips ranging up to 1500 miles round trip. Last November on a 1500 mile round trip, all highway miles trip, the truck never got better than 15.5 mpg, and the only weight in the truck was myself and my two pre-teen boys. Nearly nothing. This was normal mileage for this truck, which is very poor. I was fed up with the mileage I was getting, and since Ford refused to get off the ecoboost is best and only attitude, I switched over to a 2016 Ram Ecodiesel. The Ram is the same config as the F150's were, crew cab with 6.5 bed. It has a 3.92 rear end, so is lower than the F150's were. I am averaging combined city highway driving on a brand new not broken in motor, 24.6 mpg. This is the kind of fuel economy I expected from the Ford, but never got it. Hands down, the Ram, so far, is a much nicer truck, and has far superior and better than posted mpg numbers. I have not had a chance to tow with it yet, but expect it to be better than the Ecoboost ever was. Yes, I understand that the Ram is not the rocket ship off the line, but if you are buying a truck to drag race, you are buying the wrong vehicle. The Ram has the same amount of torque as the Ford, 420lb/f, and it pulls like a freight train, and does it at low RPM's. The Ram is and will remain the undisputed MPG leader, until Fors decides to release the F150 with a diesel, which anybody that watches the Internet and forums will know is on the roads as a test mule. Time will tell if it ever gets released. Even with the aluminum body and the new 10 speed tranny for 2017 certain models, Ford will still not be able to match the fuel economy of the Ram. It will take a diesel to do that. Let me be clear here, I have been a LIFE long Ford truck owner, and have owned 6 Ford trucks in the last 10 years, ranging from a half ton V8 to a 3/4 ton V10 and 3/4 ton 6.0 Powerstroke. This is my first Ram, and thus far I am extremely impressed with the overall quality and the fuel economy. Sorry for the long winded post, but needed to tell the entire history.

If you got 15.5 on an all highway trip, you were either running 90, had oversized mud grip tires, 30+ MPH head wind or had a problem. That is not typical performance for a stock EB in normal conditions. Keep in mind that diesel has approximately 30% more energy (BTU) per gallon compared to gas, so you'll always get better fuel mileage when using diesel compared to gas. It is a more complex engine and has a lot of expensive to repair emissions components. Plus diesel tends to be more expensive. I drive a diesel now, but I'm realistic that it's not all pluses. I have to ask why you expected 24.6 combined MPG from a Ford that was rated at probably 18 or 19 combined?????

[another_newfie]

LOVE, LOVE my ecobeast. It is my daily driver and my hauler. Over 20,000 towing miles with my 5'r and still runs like the day I bought it. Approaching 4 years old and not one single problem. 100% stock with no mods or changes at all.

Am I pleased, um ya I am.

[deboosted74]

dustman_stx, so I didn't post this to have people argue my facts. To answer your questions, no the trucks were not lifted and were 100% stock, and I drove them for nearly 6 years, so I think I have enough road time to report. Regarding the speed limits, no I was not doing 90, and I was doing the speed limit. The interstate speed limits in my area of the country are 80MPH, and for anybody to say that you must drive below the posted speed limit to achieve good fuel economy in an ecoboost is just plain absurd. As an engineer, I am very well aware of the efficiency of diesel over gas. On a recent 800 mile round trip highway mile run in the Ram, same interstates as I ran the Ford, with a heavy head wind and many hills let alone the new engine not being broke in yet, I was still able to yield 24.3 MPG. I expected the high fuel economy in the Ford simply because people on multiple forums were reporting high numbers, but as we all know people can tend to stretch the truth on various sites. The reason I kept driving the ecoboost is because there wasn't anything better out there. Now there is, and Ford is realizing this, hence the test mule diesels on the road. I gave the Ecodiesel three model years to work the bugs out that all new power trains have, and am happy with the results. Believe me, if Ford decides to actually releas the diesel, it will be near impossible to not go back to them.

[wfwilson]

Lots of great info I am also considering the EB
Thanks for all the comments
Wayne

[wz3mo]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

If you got 15.5 on an all highway trip, you were either running 90, had oversized mud grip tires, 30+ MPH head wind or had a problem. That is not typical performance for a stock EB in normal conditions. Keep in mind that diesel has approximately 30% more energy (BTU) per gallon compared to gas, so you'll always get better fuel mileage when using diesel compared to gas. It is a more complex engine and has a lot of expensive to repair emissions components. Plus diesel tends to be more expensive. I drive a diesel now, but I'm realistic that it's not all pluses. I have to ask why you expected 24.6 combined MPG from a Ford that was rated at probably 18 or 19 combined?????

I have to agree with dustman. That's not typical mpg. I've had my 2013 F150 FX 4X4 ecoboost for 3 years. On my trips to St. Louis (365 miles) I get 20 mpg with me & the wife and light gear with the cruise set at 68 mph. When towing my 7500# TT it drops to 12mpg. My truck is stock, no tuner.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by deboosted74

dustman_stx, so I didn't post this to have people argue my facts. To answer your questions, no the trucks were not lifted and were 100% stock, and I drove them for nearly 6 years, so I think I have enough road time to report. Regarding the speed limits, no I was not doing 90, and I was doing the speed limit. The interstate speed limits in my area of the country are 80MPH, and for anybody to say that you must drive below the posted speed limit to achieve good fuel economy in an ecoboost is just plain absurd. As an engineer, I am very well aware of the efficiency of diesel over gas. On a recent 800 mile round trip highway mile run in the Ram, same interstates as I ran the Ford, with a heavy head wind and many hills let alone the new engine not being broke in yet, I was still able to yield 24.3 MPG. I expected the high fuel economy in the Ford simply because people on multiple forums were reporting high numbers, but as we all know people can tend to stretch the truth on various sites. The reason I kept driving the ecoboost is because there wasn't anything better out there. Now there is, and Ford is realizing this, hence the test mule diesels on the road. I gave the Ecodiesel three model years to work the bugs out that all new power trains have, and am happy with the results. Believe me, if Ford decides to actually releas the diesel, it will be near impossible to not go back to them.

So it was 80 in hills with a 15mph head wind. FYI, that 24.3 MPG is considerably lower than most report for why mileage in the ED. So, it appears you consistently get lower MPG than the majority of users regardless of vehicle. Your driving style might just be one that isn't conducive to high fuel mileage. I wouldn't expect phenomenally better mileage after a break in on today's engines. I've never seen a change. I'll also add this- you are on a forum. Your "facts" are just hearsay and opinions to us. When they deviate from an established pattern we've seen from established forum members, we will question them. Just the way it is. If you are an engineer that understands the energy content differences, it still begs the question of "why did you expect the same mileage from a gas engine as you would a diesel?" And I also wonder why on Earth you would have believed Internet accounts of mid 20's highway at 80mph with a vehicle that has a window sticker clearly stating a highway mileage of 22ish. And that rating is NOT at 80mph. Probably more like 65 on a flat road with the cruise set.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by GaryS502

Like MiCamper6, we just took delivery of a 2016 F150 Supercrew Cab XLT with max tow package and mirrors and the twin turbo V6 (Ecoboost), which is the most powerful engine Ford makes for the F150. We couldn't stomach dropping $65K for a diesel, which we think would be an overkill for pulling our trailer.

I am going to test pulling our Rockwood 2504S trailer this weekend. The truck flat out hauls...0-80 in a couple bats of your eye. We believe we will hardly know our 5,200 lb trailer is behind us...I'll post the results after the test drive.

My '14 F350 Platinum SRW with almost every option out there stickered at $70,500 and came with extras such as the Amp research ($1300) retracting running boards and tinted front side windows. I paid $57,500 for it and I couldn't see myself paying 65k for a truck either.

With that said, I'm much happier with my F350 than I ever was with my other 2 F150 ecoboosts that I've owned over the past several years.

The F150 tows well but payload capacity was an issue for us. I can now also triple tow an ATV trailer behind our fifth wheel and now have the mass and power to do it safer.

Folks who tow a fifth wheel need to weight their pins with their Fiver fully loaded with water and gear. They may find that pin weights 25-50% higher than advertised.

[drittal]

I've had 2 ecoboosts and my F.I.L. still has his max tow 2013. My first was a screw 4x4 6.5' bed 4x4 with 3.31. We could get 18.5 at 75. The second was same but 3.73 gears and mileage dropped to 17.5.

My F.I.L. has had his max tow for over 100,000 miles and averages under 16 at 75. He has had it to Ford for reflashes with no help. They finally just told him it falls within accepted mpg range and nothing more they could do.

The biggest problem with MPG most have is none of the ecoboost F150 in real world got window sticker mileage unless you drive 50-55.

[D. J. Schuler]

If your going to get an EB, do it up HDT and HDP. HDT gets you up to approximately 11,000 and HDP around 3,000 and that's an EB F150. Now your ready to get a HT 5r. No TT pulls like a 5r!

[Cover Dog]

The average HIGHWAY speed in the EPA testing of automobiles and trucks is 48 mph.

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by Cover Dog

The average HIGHWAY speed in the EPA testing of automobiles and trucks is 48 mph.

Here is how the EPA test for mileage. Sure isn't real world..

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml

[fx2]

I had a terrible experience with my 2012 EcoBoost. 13.6 average MPG over 28k miles. Had a number of issues with it and Ford refused to fix it. Because of some things out of my control I am now in a 2016 Platinum EB, max tow. Over 7k miles I am averaging 21 MPG with mostly highway driving and one 200 mile tow. I wouldn't have picked the Ford for my current ride but I can't complain about the '16.

[mike22]

Just pulled my factory window sticker for my 2015 2WD 2.7 EB its 22 combined highway and 19 city 26 highway.

My real world numbers are: 21-22 city and 25~28 highway at 65-70 mph.

[mjbenedict]

Originally Posted by RSchleder

How about a Ram 1500 Laramie, Hemi with 4 corner air suspension. Towing
9-12 mpg ( 7500 lb trailer) depending on head wind and 17-19 w/o trailer. The Hemi will not be intimidated by any hill and the ride is unbelievable.

I had 2010 Ram 1500 Laramie with 3:92 gears and it was rated at 9400lbs towing. It towed great but doesn't match the low end torque of my 2015 F150 w/ecoboost & 3:55 gears (rated at 11.4K).
I was just looking for a change after 3 GREAT rams, always liked ford and dodge. Either truck will tow great but the ecoboost seems to not rev as high or shift as much in headwinds when towing same trailer (6500b GVWR Roo). I upgraded that to a regular 8000GVWR Rockwood TT. The 2015 Ram air suspension was hard to pass on but the Ford had more for what I was looking for. Bit of a tech geek here.
Miss that Hemi rumble. Do like quiet ride though.