I stopped at the local Ford dealer and started talking with one of the salesmen about the super duty trucks. Now this dealer has several 5.4 V8 and 6.0 PSD trucks there. I've watched his stock over time and can't remember the last time he ever put a V10 on the lot. I ask him what the deal was since the fuel comsumption between the two would only be about 1.5 MPG difference. Well he comes back with "The V10 gets 8-10 MPG at best and the 5.4 can get 15 MPG all day. What do think my customers want to buy?" I left immediatly as there was know point in attempting to educate him.

I then went to another dealership and asked for a search. I told him to find any configuration and any trim level. All I wanted was a V10 with a manual. They ran a search and found none at all in Illinois or Wisconsin. I won't order one without test driving something with that configuration. Are these really that rare?

 

Hi and welcome to the forum

I'm a tech at a dealership. I've worked on probably 5 V-10's with manual transmissions.
They are rare here but there are a few around. We hardly ever have any V-10s on the lot at all though. Most people seem to have the same attitude about gas mileage as the salesman you talked to. It's hard to talk people into believing that bigger engines don't always use more fuel.
Last year I was thinking about buying a used one that got traded in. It was an F-250 SC 4X4 with the V-10, 5 speed and 4.30 gears. It felt really good to drive.

 

I know that the automatics are fine, but I'm tired of being in the wrong gear because that's what the tranny decided was best. It's my own mental thing and a little unusual for someone over 50, but I will have a manual on my next truck. The 5.4 is a fine engine, just not for me. Same with the diesel. Both Ford and Dodge have the manual trannys with thier diesels fairly common.

 

Don't let anyone kid you, any other engine I've ever driven feels like an entirely different animal with a manual transmission compared to an auto. The V10 will be the same way. I'd say a manual is good for at least 30CI in terms of feel and performance.

Think about this - how many guys stood by the "tried and true" 4R100 back when it was in use, and claimed it to be as good as the ZF for all around use? Now these guys will be the same ones to tell you the Torqueshift is now equal in performance, but that the ZF is superior to the 4R100 in an older truck - if you can even find one.

In 5 years it will be the torqueshift being replaced - not the ZF. No auto can equal a HD manual for towing or hauling performance, ease of maintenance, sheer reliability, resistance to heat damage, or gear selectability. Todays autos are better than they used to be - there's been some change that way, but autos still cant compare to manuals for brute toughness - that still has'int changed.

 

The only thing that I am dissapointed in with my manual, is the fact that the guys with the auto trannys and V-10's can beat me in races. Other than that I will be special ordering my next Superduty with a manual if thats the only way I can get one.

 

I prefer manuals but because of a 1 bad re-sale experience, I won't own another.

I had ordered my dream truck in '89; F-350 Crew Cab, 4WD, 460,charcoal gray.....and 5 speed.

2 years later, not wanting to take the hit on a trade in, I did the marketing Blitz through the newspaper; auto trader, recycler etc.... EVERY single call over the next month said, "No thank-you" when they found out it was a manual trans.

Please understand that I'm not arguing which is better(man, that granny 1st and low range was coooool)...........just which is more marketable when/if the time comes.

 

Hmmm guess my truck is pretty rare then,,04' F-350, XLT, SC, V-10, 6-speed, DRW, w/4:30 LS, 8' bed, 4x4,,,(6x6),,should be worth more $$$

 

seems like a very old story . auto ver manaul and it never changes. both sides hold dead true to the 1 solid fact, resale of a manual ver. a automatic.
guess my reasons for a automatic now lie in the fact that i have become to old to want to drive a standard , plus about 2 million miles of driving a big rig coast to coast a 13 speed makes a stick get old to you . plus i can't shift a stick as fast as my auto can for me.
always a each to his or her own. both work fine for us.

 

if you want to beat the automatics in a drag race, get a BD short shift kit. it really shortens the shifts and time to shift up. i wouldnt know though, as they only currently make them for the 6 speed manual, not my 5 speed. are you listening BD? anyway, just because i prefer the manual, and looked for my V10 manual combo for 2 years here in florida, i still enjoy an automatic after a hard day of working out. we all need to stick together. as for the salesman who said 8-10 mpg, he needs to come ride with me. i get 13-14 all day every day. thanks

 

I have only had my 05 v10, AT, sb, 4x4, CC, since the beginning of the summer, and have only put about 2600 miles on so far. My usage is about 50% city driving unloaded, and 50% pulling a 6K trailer on the highway. Do these motors get better mileage as they are broken in? My highway mpg with the trailer is about 8.5 and the city has never been better than 10. I live in Illinois, so flatland driving and not mountainous. All my driving I try to keep the rpms about 2k or below, and I have changed oil at 500, 1000, and 1500 miles so far. Speedometer has been GPS checked, so the mileage figures are accurate. I read about you guys getting the better mpg and was wondering if you do it with a stock truck.

 

I ordered mine to be built - a manual V10 - without a test drive for the reasons you indicated. As to it being rare, well when you order a truck like this the dealer mostly just wants your signature, not much of a deposit. In my case, the dealer (legitimately) wanted a thousand dollar deposit because he didn't think there was anyway in hell he could sell the car off his lot if I backed out!

This is a good-sized dealership, but at the time he didn't have a dually, didn't have a manual, and didn't have a V-10!

Besides, are you sure you want a manual? Its a bitch to drink coffee and shift too....


Of course, otherwise, its a dream....

 

Samhagar1 - It looks like you and I are in the same boat. I've got less than 3,000 miles on an '05 350 and all I ever see is 10.x mpg, though by keeping the revs to less than 2K I can get 11.

I've concluded a several things about this situation though. First, I don't actually drive on the interstate hiways, whether towing or not; second, in Minnesota all gas is at least 10% ethanol; and last, 10.x in city driving is not really out of line for our heavy vehicles.

I keep telling myself that I need to take an interstate trip to get a read on hiway mpg, but I get three times better gas mileage in my car so its hard to justify....

 

LOL!!!............Try and collect.

 

Had to order my truck, V-10 Manual SC 4:11. all the dealers around me laughed when I asked for this. Found one, the wrong color out in PA that I test drove before ordering. Don't know about you other 6 speed owners but I had to modify the shifter as soon as I got it home so I could actually get it into 1st and reverse without breaking my leg. Although I am 6'6" can't imagine the original setup comfortable for anyone..

 

Just a thought hear but all that are saying they are not getting over 10mpg what is your rear axle ratio? Mine is 3.73 and I have hit 15.2 on the highway. When towing it is about 10. I tow a 29' tt.