Why does everyone rant and rave about the EcoBoost?

[ultrarunner]

I don't tow anything unless it's a quick trip to Lowes for some 16 ft boards. Most everything fits in my 8ft bed, so that's pretty rare. I also tow 4 round bales of hay every couple of months, but that's a straight shot ten miles down the Interstate and not much of a challenge with my 5.0 engine.

Both my truck and van have racks and they come very handy for 20 or 21' goods like sections of gutter and pipe.

Long before I owned a truck... I used my 72 Plymouth Valiant to haul all my tools and materials... I've carried 50' of 6' high redwood fence with it including posts, rails and concrete with no trailer, put 40 gallon water heaters across the trunk and lashed to the door handles and towed many 1 yard gondolas of wet concrete... the concrete yard won't even let a passenger car out of the yard anymore and required a 3/4 or better to hitch to the gondola...

Also, took out the back seat and built a platform for all my tools and supplies... those were the days living on a shoestring and renovating my first house on 92nd Ave in Oakland!

In 1990 I bought the 85 G20 Van that was like new... and added a roof material rack with shelves and bins inside...

Funny thing is 30 and 40 years later I still own both vehicles...

The van has a 12k factory hitch and struggles powerwise to to 5k with the 305 V8 and the plymouth has a 318 V8 after the first one with the slant 6 was totaled.

Never could help my brother with his stock trailers and now his dump trailer... just too much of a load.

After a lot of checking around... he decided on the new F 150.... with towing and room for the family being the main reasons.

I like a V8 and told him only time will tell if the Eco V6 is up to the task for the long haul... he does take the horses to Tahoe where the combination of Load and Altitude work against you.

Back in High School he bought a 3 year old 1978 F250 4WD with a 351... he loved that truck but it was a dog towing up and around Tahoe...

I really hope the new F150 works out for him... 50k for a truck is more than I spent for my first and second SF Bay Area homes combined and just about what my third home cost!!!

 

[Green Power]

Honestly if the ecoboost didnt have the few issues it does, and you could burn corn in it it would be pretty slick...

 

[williaty]

So what is so great about a 3.5Ecoboost over a 5.0L Engine... From what i can see the ecoboost only has a couple advantages...

In general, if you look at all the Direct Injection Turbo engines (which is what the Ford EcoBoost line of engines is) all across the automotive industry, what they're bringing to the table is the ability to boost the heck out of the thing below peak torque without it blowing up. This allows the tranny to be able to be programmed to upshift sooner/run in a higher gear, which gets the engine speed down and improves fuel economy if you can keep your foot out of it. It also allows them to show more power and torque out of a smaller displacement engine. That engine in turn sips fuel like a small engine when you're not pushing hard on the go pedal.

The increase in torque below peak torque is a big deal. For instance, in the Ford Transit Connect, the 2.5L old-school motor and the 1.6L EcoBoost motor seem almost identical if you compare the specs on paper. In direct comparison in the real world, they feel basically identical from 5500RPM on up. However, at lower engine speeds, the EcoBoost engine has a LOT more torque than the old 2.5L even though it's just over half the size. Think about how often you have the engine in the 1,000-5,000 RPM range vs how often you have it above 5,000. The extra torque from the EcoBoost is what helps you make an uphill start with a heavy trailer, helps you get up to merging speed on the freeway, prevents you from having to downshift as you go up a mountain, and gets the van away from the stoplight ever time you start rolling. The difference in how it's going to feel to drive the two options is significant.

 

[JJZ 109]

Well, the 15 f-150s with the 5.0s get a lot better mileage than that. What axle did it have? My dads 15 with the 5.0l gets 17 combined city/highway.

The truck's long gone but I believe it was a 3.55 axle. Pulling a 7x14 enclosed with 2 motorcycles it got between 8 & 9 MPG. Usually closer to 8 and spent most of its time in 4th gear. East coast interstate (mostly I81 & 95) so not an excessive amount of hills. Locally it was usually mid to high 13's. Sometimes low 14s.

 

[check]

In general, if you look at all the Direct Injection Turbo engines (which is what the Ford EcoBoost line of engines is) all across the automotive industry, what they're bringing to the table is the ability to boost the heck out of the thing below peak torque without it blowing up. This allows the tranny to be able to be programmed to upshift sooner/run in a higher gear, which gets the engine speed down and improves fuel economy if you can keep your foot out of it. It also allows them to show more power and torque out of a smaller displacement engine. That engine in turn sips fuel like a small engine when you're not pushing hard on the go pedal. The increase in torque below peak torque is a big deal. For instance, in the Ford Transit Connect, the 2.5L old-school motor and the 1.6L EcoBoost motor seem almost identical if you compare the specs on paper. In direct comparison in the real world, they feel basically identical from 5500RPM on up. However, at lower engine speeds, the EcoBoost engine has a LOT more torque than the old 2.5L even though it's just over half the size. Think about how often you have the engine in the 1,000-5,000 RPM range vs how often you have it above 5,000. The extra torque from the EcoBoost is what helps you make an uphill start with a heavy trailer, helps you get up to merging speed on the freeway, prevents you from having to downshift as you go up a mountain, and gets the van away from the stoplight ever time you start rolling. The difference in how it's going to feel to drive the two options is significant.

Yup. Whenever I ask someone how they like the eco-boost, they invariably comment upon the power while accelerating. Makes 'em feel like a racetruck driver!

 

[TCowner]

I had the EcoBoost in my 2011 Ford F150 and was very impressed with the engine. I agree, Ford overrates the gas mileage in real conditions but it is possible to get to some pretty good results if you stay in the 60-65 mph range. But once you hit the freeway and join the rest of the crowd running 75 mph mileage becomes the same as the rest of the half ton V-8s.

When my lease expired in April of 2014 the local Ford dealers didn't seem that interested in selling another F150 so I ran over the Chevrolet dealer and bought a 2014 Silverado. It's a very nice pickup although I've had a few small issues such as rattles and squeaks that shouldn't be part of a $42,000 vehicle but I have learned to live with it. But there is no comparison in low end power between the two trucks. The EcoBoost's throttle response is instant which makes moving in heavy traffic less painful. The Silverado had good power but it needs to search for a lower gear to pull it off. Its the hesitation that is there in comparison to the EcoBoost. The Silverado also has to downshift on small hills where much more often than the EcoBoost Ford.

The numbers between the Chevy and the Ford may be very similar but in real world usage the EcoBoost is more fun to drive. I just tell folks not to purchase the Ford for the gas mileage.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Diesel like power. I have had 26 vehicles and my 2012 Eco Boost has been terrific. It pulls as good as my 99 7.3 but rides like a caddy. Only issue to dat with 70K has been the heater control board "resisters". Cost under $100 to fix.


I gut 17.5 mpg average. About 21 mpg highway. 26 mpg on 55 mph roads. 13 mpg pulling a small 14' box trailer, about 5K. 10 mpg pulling my small boat, about 10,400# locally and 8 on long highway trips.

My truck is a Supercrew 2012 FX4 3.73 gears.

Chris

 

[3930dave]

In general, if you look at all the Direct Injection Turbo engines (which is what the Ford EcoBoost line of engines is) all across the automotive industry, what they're bringing to the table is the ability to boost the heck out of the thing below peak torque without it blowing up. This allows the tranny to be able to be programmed to upshift sooner/run in a higher gear, which gets the engine speed down and improves fuel economy if you can keep your foot out of it. It also allows them to show more power and torque out of a smaller displacement engine. That engine in turn sips fuel like a small engine when you're not pushing hard on the go pedal.

The increase in torque below peak torque is a big deal. For instance, in the Ford Transit Connect, the 2.5L old-school motor and the 1.6L EcoBoost motor seem almost identical if you compare the specs on paper. In direct comparison in the real world, they feel basically identical from 5500RPM on up. However, at lower engine speeds, the EcoBoost engine has a LOT more torque than the old 2.5L even though it's just over half the size. Think about how often you have the engine in the 1,000-5,000 RPM range vs how often you have it above 5,000. The extra torque from the EcoBoost is what helps you make an uphill start with a heavy trailer, helps you get up to merging speed on the freeway, prevents you from having to downshift as you go up a mountain, and gets the van away from the stoplight ever time you start rolling. The difference in how it's going to feel to drive the two options is significant.

Well said.

A concern of mine with all DI motors today is carbon build-up in the top end, specifically valves. Some designs seem to be more prone (meaning build up carbon faster) to problems than others. With no fuel going over the valves, it doesn't matter how good the detergent additives in the fuel are in this respect.

If you trade vehicles frequently, this issue will be somebody else's problem.

Rgds, D.

 

[check]

Well said. A concern of mine with all DI motors today is carbon build-up in the top end, specifically valves. Some designs seem to be more prone (meaning build up carbon faster) to problems than others. With no fuel going over the valves, it doesn't matter how good the detergent additives in the fuel are in this respect. If you trade vehicles frequently, this issue will be somebody else's problem. Rgds, D.

Good to know. My F150 with the 5 L is on a two year lease, which is up next October. When I get a new one, I want an Eco-boost, not only for the gas mileage, but also just for the sheer fun of it. I will only go for a two year lease again, so it is good to know that I don't have to worry about those higher milesge problems.

 

[deere5105]

After having owned a 2004 F150 super crew FX4 with 5.4 V8 and 3.73 gears and a 2014 F150 super crew XLT 4x4 with the 3.5 Ecoboost and 3.55 gears, the feel of driving the two is totally different. Have towed heavy with both and both got the job done, but the feel and ease with how the Ecoboost did it was night and day different. Fuel mileage towing....not significantly different. Fuel mileage unloaded if you keep pedal off the floor, saw mileage go from 14 mpg 17.5 mpg comparing 5.4 & 3.5. Realize isn't comparison to 5.0, but hear they are similar. Comments from a local contractor who went from 3.5 to 5.0 was thought something was wrong with new truck with 5.0 when first towed load. When shopping for 2014 F150, to find something that could tow in 10,000 lb range, Ecoboost was only option. Understand 5.0 received increased rating for 2015, but haven't studied it closely.