FORD f 150 ENGINE

jrhamel

We are looking at buying an F 150 for towing our T@B400. Deciding on which engine to get, the 2.7 l ecoboost or 3.5 l ecoboost. Booth have more than enough power. 

Thoughts?

Verna

I just bought the F-150 3.5L Ecoboost with the Supercab, 36 gallon gas tank, 6 1/2’ bed, and some bells and whistles I haven’t gotten used to yet. . Although I haven't Towed with it yet, I sure like the in town/highway gas mileage of 19.1 mpg on the first tank and 20.4 on the second tank. I’m expecting 14+ mpg when yowing the T@B 400. 

Cbusguy

On you tube there is a video where a ford dealer goes around asking the mechanics which engine they would chose for their truck   and all but one said the 5.0 liter coyote engine.......

Link to video in is two years old but the engines are all still available.

klenger

I just bought a 2019 XLT and was looking at the 2.7L and the 2.5L and opted for the 3.5L for the extra towing capacity.  I hope to move back into a smaller full-size trailer in the next 1-2 years and the extra power will be nice to have.  There were some incredible deals on some new 2019 models with the 2.7L that have been on the dealer's lot since late 2018 which were tempting. I'm getting about 20 MPG with my 3.5L mixed city and short highway.  See the link in my signature for details on what I got.

gspdx

I have a 2018 F-150 with the 2.7L towing a T@B 400.  I have towed through hills - I live in Oregon - and I am plenty satisfied with the performance.  As far as gas mileage while towing it has been about 12.5 MPG but when not towing I get 22 MPG on the highway.

One other thing to consider is if you think you need more power because the 2.7L and 3.5L are twin turbo charged engines you can upload programs to get significant increases in horsepower and torque and for some reason the 2.7L has better improvements if you go that route.  

Personally I wouldn't go back to a V8 until something proves the ecoboost engines don't last.  I work with a couple of guys that have older ecoboost engines and they tow trailers and they still love them.  

rcuomo

Cbusguy said" "On you tube there is a video where a ford dealer goes around asking the mechanics which engine they would chose for their truck   and all but one said the 5.0 liter coyote engine......."

As capable as my Ridgeline is towing, I wish the F150 was available with the 5.2L Coyote engine, I would order it in a heartbeat.  526 hp, 429 pound feet, darn that would be a blast!  Unfortunately Ford has chosen to keep that engine Mustang specific. But the "regular" 5.0L with 395 hp, 400 pound feet naturally aspirated would also be my choice.

DougH

Naturally aspirated V8s used to gasp for air above 10,000ft and get pretty weak compared to a turbo or supercharged alternative. Do today's V8 engines do any better getting air in... when up that high?

TNOutback

For the past year I have been driving a 2016 F-150 4x4 crew cab with the 3.5L Ecoboost, after driving a Duramax diesel for 11 years.  I haven’t taken delivery of our 400 yet, but I really love this truck.  I too looked at the smaller turbo, but I really didn’t see a compelling reason to go with the 2.7L since the mileage gain wasn’t that much difference. Opting for the 3.5L keeps the door open to towing heavier stuff in the future and probably improves resale value too.  I too average around 19-21 mpg in my daily commuting, and have achieved 25 mpg on a 55 mph drive on some back highways.

Cbusguy

I stand corrected rcuomo,  watched too many videos and they all blend together.      

But I find it interesting that the ford techs,  nearly to the man chose the 5 liter over the others.  

Living on the east coast high altitude is less of an issue but something to consider for those in mountainous regions.

My choice of the 5 liter is for a less complicated and lower maintenance engine....In theory of course.

Ninabean

We bought a used 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCab with the 5.0 coyote engine on a whim of soon purchasing the Tab400.  We bought the Tab and love towing it with the truck.  Plenty of towing capacity and smooth towing. Live in Oregon and regularly travel through the Cascades with it. Not sure what the mileage is but seems reasonable.

rcuomo

Computer controls and direct injection has pretty much made the high altitude issue a thing of the past. Turbo engines are great for making power with less displacement, I have had my share, but naturally aspirated engines generally are simpler, less stressful and run slightly cooler especially when towing. The Ford 5.0 has been around forever and is bulletproof so I can understand why techs like it. My $.02.

N7SHG_Ham

I am guessing the techs know something, engine longevity? Could be difficult to work on too, with twin turbos and all the associated bits? Turbo engines as a general rule run hotter too. It might be a good engine just labor intensive to work on, I would take the tech advice as solid.

pthomas745

Or, the techs are all 20 year olds and go by the old adage:  the only thing better than cubic inches is more cubic inches.

rjgors

At the end of June we purchased a 2019 XLT with the Max towing package, 3.5 Eco V6 with 20" tires, integrated brake controller, trailer backup assistance, 36 gal tank, etc, etc, etc. It pulls our 320 S like a dream! Had a 2013 2.0 Escape and it did an okay job. But the F150 is like night and day. Zero regrets.

Ratkity

I have the 2018 F-150 Lariat 4x4 with 3.5L econoboost. I would highly recommend it. My sister has the V8. I get the same mileage as @TNOutback. I have a high tow capacity and also have the built-in brake controller. I like knowing the pitch of the vehicle. I also like knowing the transmission temp. If you read the manual, there is actually a message that will tell you to pull over if you are heating up the transmission so it can cool down. I also have the 36 gal tank. This is a very nice feature when gas stations are 150 miles apart (in small areas in the southwest).

I haven't regretted my purchase. The only thing that my sister got with the Platinum package (other than a huge payment) was the 360 degree camera and the fold up running boards. Her mirrors are also larger than mine. Everything else I have is the same. Oh wait, she had massaging seats. I don't find those desirable heh.

Cbusguy

@pthomas745 you didn't actually watch the video did you.   It wasnt a bunch of early 20 somethings.

TNOutback

Ford’s 3.5L Ecoboost has been on the road since 2011 and Ford have sold over half a million of them.  It has had a solid reliability history; problems typically have not involved the turbo components.  In terms of torque it is the towing champ in the F-150 lineup.  The 5.0L liter engine is also very reliable, but being naturally aspirated, is more fuel thirsty.  Both are very complex machines but have been proven with age and miles.  The 2.7L Ecoboost is relatively new and has some years to go to prove itself.  I went with the 3.5L Ecoboost primarily based on fuel mileage.

pthomas745

@Cbusguy Sorry, busted!  Just going for cheap humor....

jrhamel

Thanks for all the feed back. I will let you all know when I finally buy a truck which engine I went with. 

Cbusguy

Everyone has reasons for their choices.   Mine is durability and the ability to work on it myself.   

I still do my own maintenance.

klenger

rjgors said:

At the end of June we purchased a 2019 XLT with the Max towing package, 3.5 Eco V6 with 20" tires, integrated brake controller, trailer backup assistance, 36 gal tank, etc, etc, etc. It pulls our 320 S like a dream! Had a 2013 2.0 Escape and it did an okay job. But the F150 is like night and day. Zero regrets.

Does you F150 have BLIS (Blind Spot Information System)?  I'm having an issue with trailer towing with BLIS and have not been able to find a solution.   I can't get it to enable with the trailer connected.

For those who may comment "that's the way it's supposed to work", Ford makes a big sale pitch for trailer towing with BLIS from a safety point of view.

Ratkity

@klenger yes, it does work. You have to put the calculations in your trailer, name the trailer, then when connected, specifically select the trailer name before you start to tow. That way, the BLIS system will use the wider sensors to determine if there is a car in your blind spot. I am currently pulling a 29 ft toy hauler that is over 10 ft high and 8 ft wide. It works fabulously. The backup system only works if the checkerboard sticker is not obstructed by cables in the back.

I hope this helps!

klenger

Thanks for the response.  I still have not been able to enable Trailer Towing BLIS.  No matter what I do, the trailer tow status page shows BLIS disabled.  It did work once for me right after I got the truck, but have not been able to get it to work since.  I'm thinking that maybe something in the computer became corrupted.   

If I got to ADD TRAILER BLIND SPOT I get a message that there are no stored trailers, even those there is one.  Very maddening.  

GatorEgg

Cbusguy said:

On you tube there is a video where a ford dealer goes around asking the mechanics which engine they would chose for their truck   and all but one said the 5.0 liter coyote engine.......

Link to video in is two years old but the engines are all still available.

Myself and my buddy who owns an Auto Repair are “old school” said the same thing for past few years about the Ford Eccoboost/ Coyote motors.  But for last year or so he’s been maintaining  company’s fleet of Eccoboost F150’s.  He said they all have over 275,000 pulling heavy trailer miles on them.  He’s never had to replace or repair anything other than regular wear items.  He told me last week, even though he’s a true GM man he is sold on the  Eccoboost.  If I need anything bigger than what my Tacoma can handle I’ll be headed to Ford.

rjgors

klenger said:

rjgors said:

At the end of June we purchased a 2019 XLT with the Max towing package, 3.5 Eco V6 with 20" tires, integrated brake controller, trailer backup assistance, 36 gal tank, etc, etc, etc. It pulls our 320 S like a dream! Had a 2013 2.0 Escape and it did an okay job. But the F150 is like night and day. Zero regrets.

Does you F150 have BLIS (Blind Spot Information System)?  I'm having an issue with trailer towing with BLIS and have not been able to find a solution.   I can't get it to enable with the trailer connected.

For those who may comment "that's the way it's supposed to work", Ford makes a big sale pitch for trailer towing with BLIS from a safety point of view.

Sorry, I did not get the BLIS, so I can't provide any input. Now on my old TV, which was a 2013 Escape 2.0, and towed the T@B...I had BLIS and experienced no issues while towing. 

klenger

I finally got the Trailer BLIS working today.  Not sure exactly what I did to make it work, but I did disconnect the battery negative terminal for about 2 hours to reset the ECM in hopes that it would wipe out my previous trailer settings so I could start over.  When I hooked up the battery again and tested things, I still had the same trailer configurations and no BLIS.  After a bunch of additional screwing around with it, I went to the main settings menu, Advanced settings and finally, there was to prompt to enable Trailer BLIS.  I had been to that menu many times in the past with and w/o the trailer hooked up and never saw it.  I turned Trailer BLIS on and all is good now. 

I also got the backup pro system calibrated and enabled.  It is very clever and I expect that I will use it often.  One nice feature is that with the control in full reverse turn, it will not jack-knife the trailer, and thus avoid damage from that.  

TNOutback

klenger said:

I also got the backup pro system calibrated and enabled.  It is very clever and I expect that I will use it often.  One nice feature is that with the control in full reverse turn, it will not jack-knife the trailer, and thus avoid damage from that.  

I am looking forward to testing out the backup system myself when we get our camper.  I think it’s going to be very strange not holding onto the steering wheel.  I’ve gotten used to hanging out the door a bit while backing, and there’s no way to do that and hold onto that knob.

gspdx

GatorEgg said:

Myself and my buddy who owns an Auto Repair are “old school” said the same thing for past few years about the Ford Eccoboost/ Coyote motors.  But for last year or so he’s been maintaining  company’s fleet of Eccoboost F150’s.  He said they all have over 275,000 pulling heavy trailer miles on them.  He’s never had to replace or repair anything other than regular wear items.  He told me last week, even though he’s a true GM man he is sold on the  Eccoboost.  If I need anything bigger than what my Tacoma can handle I’ll be headed to Ford.

Nice - really good info.  

Jkoski

We have a Ford f150 4X4 SLT model with standard 3.7L engine and towing package.  Up to 7,000 lbs towing capacity.  Had not planned on towing a trailer when we purchased the truck.  Was concerned this engine was up to the task, but no issues so far.  We have driven in and over the Blue Ridge Mountain area of Virginia and all through New England.  Truck handles the trailer nicely.  We get around 15mpg when towing.

jkjenn

pthomas745 said:

Or, the techs are all 20 year olds and go by the old adage:  the only thing better than cubic inches is more cubic inches.

Maybe they were not, but I think questions like that without qualifications are not very helpful. Just like anything else, how you will use it is the important part. 

I have looked at F150's and they are appealing and the EcoBoost gets good reviews.

klenger said:

rjgors said:

At the end of June we purchased a 2019 XLT with the Max towing package, 3.5 Eco V6 with 20" tires, integrated brake controller, trailer backup assistance, 36 gal tank, etc, etc, etc. It pulls our 320 S like a dream! Had a 2013 2.0 Escape and it did an okay job. But the F150 is like night and day. Zero regrets.

Does you F150 have BLIS (Blind Spot Information System)?  I'm having an issue with trailer towing with BLIS and have not been able to find a solution.   I can't get it to enable with the trailer connected.

For those who may comment "that's the way it's supposed to work", Ford makes a big sale pitch for trailer towing with BLIS from a safety point of view.

My BLIS works great on my Hrand Cherokee when I tow. I was really surprised at how good it is.