I'm looking at a new 2016 F-150. I'm going to put a 6" lift on it. I have a choice between the V6 ecoboost and the V8. I can't really decide. One video I saw said that people would be disappointed with the V6 on a lift with bigger tires vs. the V-8. I'm starting to think that seems a bit improbable. I can't imagine that you'd see any bigger loss in power or mpg than you would with the V-8.

I'd appreciate some input, however.

 

You can't think of it as just a V6. It has more torque than the 5.0 and it comes on much sooner. If anything, I would think a 3.5 EB would be better at turning bigger and heavier wheels/tires.

Expect to use a lot more fuel than one that is stock, no matter which engine you get. In my opinion you should drive any truck you get for a few thousand miles before you modify it. Make sure there are no other issues with it first. Also, if you get an EcoBoost, and you've never had one, it takes a bit of getting used to.

 

How's that?

Do both engines require premium fuel?

 

Both engines get great reviews. There's a Car and Driver post farther down that's said they preferred the V8 with the exception of towing.

Given the torque profile of the V6EB, I think it will be a better engine to get the larger tires moving.

 

I also think the EB is a better choice for a lifted truck. If you look up the torque curve of the EB it goes to max tq very quickly and maintains it throughout the rpm band.

 

I also think the EB would do a better job moving larger wheels and tires, it has significantly more low-end torque. Gonna be thirsty though.

NOT that the 5.0L would be a slouch if geared properly.

 

I've now been told to prefer a 3.55 vs. the 3.31. but the 3.55 eats more fuel. What do you guys think?

 

You're going to be drinking gas like it's going out of style with a 6" lift, so I wouldn't let that be a deciding factor for you. You'll want 3.55s to offset the effective gearing change from the larger tires. You will probably want to have a shop change to 3.73s or 4.10s depending on tire size.

 

drinking gas like my V10? I was going to get a lift on my 2003 but hardly seems worth the trouble...which is why I'm thinking of getting a 2016.

 

I would go 4.10s with the EB and 35" tires, 430s or 4.56s with the 5.0. The lower gears will result in better mileage than the 3.55s. You can probably do 35s with the 3.55s though, but that would be the absolute limit in my opinion. get 3.73s if you go with the V8. The only way to get 3.73s with a 3.5 EB is to get the Max Payload Pkg. You can get 3.73s with a 2.7 though.

If you'll never tow or do any real work with the truck, you should be fine with factory gears. It will suck the fuel down in town though and will be sluggish from a stop.

The EcoBoost puts power to the ground differently than a NA engine, more like a diesel. The power is more linear and less peaky. Wide open throttle from the get go doesn't work best. I've found that pressing the accelerator with a slightly slower, but deliberate pressure reduces turbo lag and yields better results than just "standing on it"

 

Tough to tell, but unlikely it would do as badly as your V10 does. My V10-powered Excursion never hit 12 MPG no matter what I did to it, and I wouldn't expect a lifted F150 to do that badly.

Do some searching around, the threads I've read over the years suggest you will probably see at most 16-17 MPG on the highway with 35s and a 6" lift. Bit of an upgrade compared to your current ride.

 

That's on;y if you leave it stock and use it mostly on the highway. Easy way to look at it.

Higher gears (i.e. 3.31 = better highway mileage, worse city stop/go mileage)
Lower gears (i.e. 3.55, 3.73) equal less highway mileage, better city/stop and go mileage)

When the tires change size significantly, the gears have to change too.

 

Yes, I've had 2 V10s. You can expect similar fuel mileage without a gear change, maybe more like 12. Both of my V10s got 10.5 average, even running 35s.

 

I'm actually feeling a sense of loss over my V10. It is a beautiful truck, albeit just an XLT Sport. Funny thing is, I never cared for it much until I started putting some money into upgrades. Never did the lift though...just leveled it. I guess I could keep it...just a little hard to maneuver. But yeah, I get maybe 10.5. I've got a 43 gallon tank and we've run it to about 480 miles before running out of fuel.

 

I really miss my old f250 sometimes. I loved the way it looked, especially leveled with 35s. But what this truck lacks in looks, it makes up for in a smooth ride and power equal to the V10 in my opinion. It took some self discipline to drive it stock for awhile. Now, my plan is to level it and run about a 33.5/34" tire. I don't want to cut the frame for a bigger lift. I don't want a bad ride and I don't want to loose any of this power that I'm beginning to really enjoy. With a 36 gallon tank I have a 650 mile plus range. Gotta love that.

If I wanted a truck that rode as high as a 6" lifted f150, I would have bought a Super Duty and saved a lot of trouble. Now, a 6" lifted F150 looks great, but there is more to it than putting a basic lift on, in my opinion.

It doesn't matter that your old truck was "just" and XLT Sport. They are all the same under the fancy trim. Bells and whistles are nice, ny old F250 was a Lariat. But underneath, they are all the same.