V8 or V6? Which Ford F-150 engine to choose
Picking right power plant can be a challenge
Choosing the right pickup is hard enough. Figuring out which engine to pick when ordering a brand- new truck can be even more of a challenge.
Ford is making the decision even more difficult by introducing its second- generation 3.5- litre EcoBoost for 2017, a twin turbo we’ll be testing soon. As an option that ranges from $ 750 to $2,950 depending on configuration, the new EcoBoost can be costly, but it will be mated to a new 10- speed transmission, co- developed with GM, that has a Tow Haul and Sport mode. And Ford just announced it will be bringing a 3.0- L diesel with an expected 440 pound- feet of torque to the mix in early 2018, just before a hybrid arrives for 2020. More choices!
But what’s the average F-150 buyer to do today? EcoBoost or V8? If going turbo, which one? After driving three 4x4 F-150s over several weeks, it’s clear each engine acts differently. Each engine has clear strengths. We didn’t test the fleet- oriented base V6, but instead stuck to the trifecta which most F-150 buyers will consider: the 2.7L EcoBoost, the 3.5- L EcoBoost and the 5.0-L V8. Each truck was a SuperCrew with 5.5-foot box.
First up was the 2.7-L EcoBoost, a V6 designed specifically for the pair of BorgWarner turbos it wears on its compacted- graphite iron block. Surprisingly smooth at idle and under acceleration, the 2.7 is the fuel economy leader, and it hustles the truck along briskly. Our best fuel economy over the test was 10.3 L/ 100 km on the highway, with a combined average of 12.2 L overall. Impressive. While towing a 1,630-kg boat and trailer, consumption registered a decent 15.3 L/100 km.
Automatic start/stop technology comes standard with the 2.7, but unfortunately it can’t be set to stay off (though it will remain off in 4x4 mode). While the transition from “off ” to “on” is immediate the moment your foot comes off the brake, some buyers might still find the feature intrusive.
If it were my money, the 2.7 — a $1,300 option on average — would be third choice.
The second option, and one that will require less extra money, is the 385-hp 5.0L V8, a tried- and- true small block that eschews turbo technology for good ol’ fashioned displacement. The fuel bill might be $500 more than the 2.7 over the course of a year, but decent highway fuel economy is not impossible with this V8. Our best consumption even cracked the 12-L mark to register a pleasing 11.9 on some 100 km/ h flat stretches on a calm, cold day. While the overall average registered highest among the engines, at 15.5 L/100 km, the V8 used only 0.9 litre more on average than the 3.5- L turbo. The V8 also sounds the best of all three, and it didn’t come with any of the shifting confusion that was occasionally detected with the larger EcoBoost engine.
There’s also a more connected feel with the V8 that the V6 turbos somehow lacked. Both turbo engines are well insulated from noise and vibration, just like the V8; but the V8 simply feels more natural, more relaxed, more at home in this truck. Even though the V8 would not be our first choice, it ranks second only by a slim margin.
Towing power, at 4,899 kilograms, is only slightly less than the 3.5. For oldschool traditionalists wary of turbo technology or those who l i ke things simpler, your engine has eight cylinders.
For those of us who embrace new technology and either trust Ford’s engineering or purchase extended warranties or both, the 3.5-L EcoBoost is the No. 1 choice. This is underlined by the introduction of the secondgeneration, aluminum engine.
It’s the combination of towing capability, power, refinement and fuel economy that matters. The 3.5 EcoBoost ranks as the towing champ, able to haul 5,534 kg. In our test, it hauled the 1,630-kg boat and trailer with astonishing ease.
With power to spare, plenty of towing prowess and better fuel economy than the V8 (our average was 14.6 L/ 100 km), the 3.5- L EcoBoost is undeniably the best engine choice those F-150 buyers who want it all. At least until the diesel and the hybrid arrive.