Good numbers Tim, helps put thins into perspective.

Nope, the Sprinter is a Mercedes design from the ground up and uses a Mercedes diesel engine.

Chrysler stopped selling Sprinters after they were sold to Cerberus. The Promaster is a reworked, rebadge Fiat Ducato that bears no resemblance to the Sprinter. The EcoDiesel engine is an Italian engine made by VM Motori, a subsidiary of Fiat.

 

The EcoDiesel is also used in the Grand Cherokee. But it's only available on high trim levels and not many are sold.

 

Ford needs to place a diesel in the f150. My wife had a jeep ecodiesel and it was a great great truck. We traded for full size for more room however she always talks about that truck.

 

Probably will be using the one in the Land Rover and Range Rover. They just got EPA certification not that long ago and are rated for about 30mpg highway and are a bit heavier than the new F150. But until Ford comes out and announces it, its just a rumor. Considering we've been promised since 2007 for a diesel F150, I won't hold my breathe. If I had to guess, I'd expect it to come out around 2018 or the next redesign near 2020 with a hybrid.

 

Car and Driver's conclusion has been my experience exactly...I've had the 3.5 Ecoboost and now the 5.0. Towing is where the Ecoboost really shines and shows it's stuff. Torque is where it's at for towing. If I were towing more than about 4 times a year, I'd be very inclined to stick with the Ecoboost. But, in my situation, with limited towing, the 5.0 is perfect for me. I get the same mileage with the 5.0, but can now enjoy the V8 rumble that I missed with the Ecoboost engine.

Either engine is a good choice....pick the one that suits your F-150 lifestyle the best.

 

That also depends on what's being towed too. For example, last year we inherited my grandfather's 1981 Terry 440cm fiberglass bass boat. At most with trailer and loaded with fishing gear it weighs about 1500lbs with a Mercury Thunderbolt 40hp 2 stroke engine. We take it out maybe 2 weekends a month during the fishing season. I'm also still building a ice castle fish house that doubles as a camper...6'6” wide 14' long 3"x3"x11ga square tube steel, when it's all said and done it'll be close to 1800-2000lbs. Leave it on the lake or take it up north during rifle deer season a couple times a year, either way EcoBoost would not be a justification. The weight of either one is light enough for even the standard 3.5 V6. However that being said I'd lean towards either the baby EcoBoost or the 5.0 Coyote. I'd like to have extra power for passing. Plus the off chance I'd need a U-Haul car dolly...they are nitpicky when it comes to what you use.

The 3.5EB is more catered towards small farmers, landscapers, or those who tow heavy loads on a very consistent basis. Though I do know one person who uses there 2015 3.5EB as a family hauler, grocery getter and daily driver...it might see an ATV or motorcycle once in a great while but not much else. They would have been fine with the other engines but he liked the power of the EcoBoost. Can't hate him he bought a Ford at least and he owned Chevys forever lol.

 

I picked the 3.5L EB because we were thinking about a camper. Then things changed with my family, my daughter got a power wheelchair, and we got a full-size van to move said 320-lb wheelchair around. Anything we get in the future would have to be pulled by the van, so my truck is sort of overkill for what we'll use it for. If I were to do it again I'd pick the 2.7L EB.

 

The sprinter vans used a 5 cylinder common rail diesel, the one we had in the fleet, would blow one injector and the engine would not run, happened about three times and the van went bye bye.

 

I chose the 3.5 ecoboost because I have a 7-8 thousand pound travel trailer, the 5.0 would handle it, but I like the torque, my 2012 max tow would run circles around my 2006 5.4, currently don't tow often , but that could change. Hoping that my 2015 max tow will do as well w/3.55 gears as the 2012 had 3.73 rings.

 

I am right at if not over a hair of my 9100 pound capacity with my 16 5.0 and it ties it like its nothing up grades on trips no sway no hesitation. I like the Eco no doubt but never sleep on a new 302. Can't speak for 15 and below never owned. 3.55 rear also so the 3.73 would be even better

 

We're talking about variants on the same theme: Overabundance of power. Fifteen years ago the top-level engine had 260 HP, and we used those to pull similar weights. Now we have 90% of F150s rolling off the lots with over 300 HP.

Very few would call either engine underpowered. I'd happily pull 10,000 lbs with either.

 

Power isn't even the issue anymore. Only thing really holding you back from towing more are brakes.

 

You are right of course. Pulling any tall enclosed trailer will really put some aero drag on the truck. I have an 07 Mustang that I do track days and HPDE with about 4-5 times a year. I pull the Mustang on a 21ft. open, flatbed trailer. My trips are usually under 1000 miles round trip, but sometimes a little over that. The 5.0 handles it just fine...but when I had the Ecoboost, it did just slightly better both in MPG and torque for maintaining speed on hills.

 

These new truck also now are under that new government testing whatever it's called j something so actually have gotten a lot safer at their maxes in my opinion. Heck I believe Chevy had to lower some of theirs after this be testing

 

I don't think it matters if you buy a tundra, ram, f150 or whatever.
We the consumer are the winners.
A new half ton tows , handles, brakes, and is just vastly better than trucks were not all that long ago.
I'm 38 now, and a new half ton is way better than a 250 or 350 was for towing when i was a kid. My parents tow their now old TT with a new f150 with 5.0 and Dad says wow my last 2 older trucks were 1 tons (a ford and then a chevy) and never did towing feel so safe and effortless as it does now with our new f150.
Its maybe just me who feels this way.
But I would rather tow a heavy load with a new dodge or chevy half ton even, than a 25 year old 1 ton ford or any other brand.