for the brain trust: Ford engine
 

Does anyone have any personal experience with the 3.5L 6cyl Ford "ecoboost" engine? The local dealership had made me a great offer on a crew cab with this powerplant. Truck is mainly to be used as a dd, never hauling anything big. Current truck is a Silverado with a SBC. Any input appreciated.

I comparison shopped the Ecoboost vs the 5.0, and ended up buying the 5.0 in a 2012 F150 Supercrew 4x4. The Ecoboost instant torque is addictive, and it certainly has good power. I ended up saving around $4k if I recall correctly buying the 5.0, it's a cheaper motor and Ford had additional incentives on it when i bought. The 5.0 is a really good V8, honestly I missed the V8 noise when driving the Ecoboost. There were also enough issues found online that I was a little concerned about the Ecoboost - power loss, hesitation, and getting far less than the expected MPG were all things that I recall. Probably worth doing a little research, maybe they've got it sorted by now? The other thing that concerned me was the complexity associated with the engine, because complexity means more stuff to break. In a truck that we'll probably keep to 100k and beyond, that was also a consideration.

friend has had 1 for about 3 months, gets 16.7 mpg combined. no towing, .. when I ask him about it he just shrugs his shoulders, think he thought it would get better gas mileage, dunno

No personal experience...evidently, they're the "wave of the future" because of the coming CAFE standards.

Personally, I've always been a bit prejudiced against forced induction engines because of the added complexity and theoretical shorter engine life because of the added stress on internals.

If I were buying a new Ford pickup, I'd probably opt for the 5.0. It's a proven engine. The ecoboost is still relatively new.

Here's a few things worth reading:

Does Your EcoBoost Shudder? Here's the Problem | Blue Springs Ford Parts Blog
Ford F-150 Ecoboost problems limp mode and many other issues - Ford F150 Forum - Community of Ford Truck Fans

that's all I need to know , thanks for posting

My dad has been running the Ecoboost six in a crew cab F-150 since the spring. No issues but he's only around 20k miles so far. -J

Thanks guys...I had seen the YouTube videos that the one fellow made, but now I see it is a more widespread problem. I have an old '82 with the 5.0 V8, never a lick of motor problems (except 1 faulty ECM)...Think I'll pass on the ecoboost. The only other 5.0 unit we can find in the area in the color we want is a 4x4, just can't see paying a few thoousand more more a feature we'll not use.

I have the new 5.0 in a 2012 shortbox reg cab 4x4. It,s quite a bit lighter than all the other crewcab trucks and is getting about 13 mpg combined in the cold weather. I was getting high teens low 20s highwy in the summer.
I like the 5.0 but it is a little short on torque down low.The eco isn,t available in the short chassis or I would have considered it.
There is a lot of complexity with twin turbos but Ford seems to have made a big effort to develop the eco.

I know the OP was only interested in the Ford EcoBoost V6, but why not the Dodge V6 Pentastar with the 8 speed transmission, or the upcoming GM 4.3L V6 that's a simple, robust pushrod with similar power and fuel economy to the EcoBoost??

Have you looked at Chevrolet? their 5.3 V8 will run on 4 cylinders on the hgwy.

I have 202,000 miles on my 2002 I will replace it with another Silverado.

The 2014 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, and 6.2L V8 will all switch to 4 cylinder mode (AFM) when possible to save fuel. With continuous variable valve timing, direct injection, and AFM, they're poised for great fuel economy. The engineers are saying "15-18% better than 2013" EPA numbers.

They'll be at dealers in late June

I know the goal for the base 2wd regular cab 4.3L V6 automatic was EPA 28 mpg highway

Yes Jim, I have a 2007 Silverado with 150,000 miles and it has been totally trouble-free. Without moving to PARF, I am standing behind my pledge to never again buy a new GM product. (plus I still have the old '82 F150 that has been like a faithful old horse). And Eric, I've had my fill of Mopar products although the 225-6 and the 318-8 are two of my favorite engines.

Bite your nose despite your face?

Derp

Call it what you will, but I vote with my wallet. You asked, I answered, move along, nothing to see/say regarding my choice. I also considered the Toyota, but the styling sucks. For everyone else, thanks for the input.

And it should read "to spite", not "despite".

Then buy the 5.0L Ford Coyote V8 or the Dodge V6 8 speed (edit: based on your later edit, sounds like the Ford 5.0 is the choice)

The Tundra won't get anywhere near the fuel economy of those two

correct. Now I just have to decide if I want the 4x4 or not (I'll never use the feature). They have a 4x2 w/5.0 but it is in black. I can get a 4x4 in the color we wnat for an additional 2k. Will go tomorrow and see how bad they want to move the 4x4

Eric, what's the power on the new GM 4.3? I know the new Dodge is only 300 HP, which would be adequate at best in a full size truck.

One thing to consider, the premium for 4x4 will nearly always be reflected in your resale price. There also seems to be a stronger market for used 4x4 pickups. With that said, why won't your dealer simply ship one in from another dealership? My dealership was able to ship one in from a dealership 200 miles away for a minimal cost, and we ended up with the exact color and options that we wanted and for a cost significantly cheaper than any other dealership in the region.

Friend has one in a King Ranch - swears he can't tell it from every other motor he's had.

The new 4.3L has not yet had its SAE rating published, but word on the street is 315 hp and 320 lb-ft.....figure +/- 5

That makes it more powerful than any Ford 4.6L V8 ever offered in a pickup, more powerful than Toyota's 4.7L V8, more powerful than the outgoing GM 4.8L V8, and as powerful as the GM 5.3L or Ford 5.4L of just a few years ago.

So if 300hp is "adequate at best in a full size truck" then any Toyota Tundra older than 2007 with its 271 horsepower (and 313 lb-ft torque) 4.7L V8 must be truly unacceptable.

My 2000 Camaro SS with the 5.7L LS1 made "only" 320 hp (up from 305 hp in a lowly Z28)