I can buy a new '03 E-350 SD with everything I want except it has the 5.4. I have been deluding myself that I wanted a PSD, but knew that I would probably opt for the V10.
The dealer has $3000 cash back plus another $1000 if I buy before the end of the month. I don't know if they are ever going to have $4000 in rebates again, so I am considering buying now. I was going to wait to next year.
I know coming from my van with the I6 the 5.4 will be an improvement, but I can't help thinking that the V10 probably will get the same crappy mileage as th V8 , but at least it would have more HP and Torque.
Any input?
Thanks

 

I have the 5.4 in my S'crew and it has plenty of power, for my uses (daily driver w/no towing) and get 16.5 to 17mpg. My Mother-in-law has a '97 E150 w/5.4 (custom conversion). Doesn't get as good mpg as mine, but does have decent power! The dealer should be able to locate "what you want" before the end of the month. See what they can do on a PSD! They are hard to beat!! Good luck!

 

I don't know how a 5.4 would work in a van but my brother had one in in his '99 SD F250 regular cab and he regretted ever buying it. Absolutely no power going down the road empty and it towed a lot worse then my 84 F150 with a 300 I6. He kept it two years and traded for another SD F250 with a diesel, what he should have bought in the first place. In the mean time he blew the head gaskets twice and limitted his useage of it due to slow highway speeds when towing, it was a bust all around.

 

I had a 1999 E-350 with V-10 and 4:10 limited slip rear end and recently traded it in for an 01 E-350 5.4 with 3.55 rear end. I am extremely pleased with the 5.4. A lot better gas mileage and I honestly can't see a difference in daily driving performance. My towing is limited to no more than an occasional cargo trailer and the 5.4 has proved more than capable.
It really boils down to what you are going to use the vehicle for. After owning both I have determined that I would either own the 5.4 for my current needs or a Diesel if my towing requirements increased. Keep in mind that your rear end is the other half of the equasion, most people concentrate on the engine and disregard the rear end. If you plan on towing a large trailer you may want to consult your local RV dealership and see what they recommend. Good luck.

 

In my posting above I state that my towing is "limited". That is not a reflection of the 5.4's ability. What I meant to state was that all I have towed with this vehicle is a cargo trailer.

 

The gears on this paricular van are 3.55's and I will probably never tow just running medium to heavy payloads.

 

I have a 2003 E350 SD 12 passenger with a 5.4 and love it . I do not tow but during the winter I hall wood pellets (1 ton) with no problems at all. I get about 15 MPG .

 

e-250 ext 2000,3.73ls,5.4
only 26k but am plz with the van ,i'e had a bunch.
13mpg pretty much up and down slow driving{maui} but on my long run jobs a steady 15+

 

I have a 2001 5.4 S-Crew 2WD with 3.55 gears and am very pleased with the power. I have pulled loads of 6000 lbs. and it handled it very well. With that load I got 8 mpg on a 2200 mile trip. I probably won't ever haul that much again. If I keep my speed down to 70mph when not towing I get a steady 18mpg and have pulled 19 when I run around 60mph. I run 80mph most of the time and pull mid 17's. The only thing I have done to the truck is change the therm to 160d. My service engine light will sometimes light up on cold days, but goes back off on warmer days. The rad. isn't large enough to keep the engine at a steady 160 on hot days and it creeps up alittle. My reason behind this move was to try and fool the computer into thinking the engine is still cool enough to make the fuel mixture a little rich. I can't say for sure that it works because I installed the therm right after I bought the truck and have not checked mileage with the 195d therm. I do get better mileage than my friends that have 5.4 trucks with the same gear. In the old hot rod days we did this to keep the intake manifold cooler which then delivered a cooler air charge to the pistons -- more HP! Today we have plastic intakes that do not have hot water in them and flow much better than days of old. (My gray hair is showing) Oh, another thing--my friends V-10 (02) can't pull a fender on me in a quarter mile. I suppose with a load in both rigs he would leave me in the dust---those V10's have some real pulling power. For anyone wanting to try the 160d therm you can by a GM Marine 160 at most any auto outlet store and you don't need a gasket -- it has a reuseable O-ring and it's a cheap "try".
Something that bugs me is all this talk about HP air cleaners. I think this is a bunch of marketing at best. Unless you are racing and want more flow at wide open throttle I can't see where it would make any differance from the stock unit -- it surely isn't going to change the fuel mileage at cruise speed -- the throttle plate is hardly opened up. I don't ever change my air filter and the last truck had 170,000 on it when I sold it and it still ran the same top speed as it did when it was new. My friend bought the truck and it still hasn't been changed. This tells that a new filter must flow enough air to supply the engine if a dirty one can. The
only time you use the full flow of the air cleaner is WOT. The auto supply people have found another way to make a buck -- marketing is wonderful huh?

 

That reminds me of another marketing scam. The Tornado fuel saver. They claim that it turns the air into a tornado making it easier to flow into your intake, thus increasing mpg and hp. If you look at the bends and various angles of an intake systems box, tubing, manifold, etc how can that air maintain it's tornado like movement? This is especially questionable as the air hits the throttle plate which is barely open at cruise speed as stated above. Another scam to be wary of.

 

Well, I am going to go ahead and buy the truck. I am pleased to see the mileage reported in the posts here.

I like the K&N because I can clean it instead of replacing it. With my 4.9L I6 you can allways tell when the air cleaner is dirty by the way it runs. The filth I get in the air cleaner is unbelievable. Could just be a condition of NYC driving I guess.