4WD Gives F-150 Diesel an On- & Off-Road Workout (Video)

Four-wheeler magazine tests the Power Stroke F-150 in a variety of settings and shares some interesting numbers about the new truck.

When it comes down to performance, trucks are like sports cars in a way. It’s all about the numbers. Zero to 60 and quarter mile times aren’t as important to a Ford F-150 buyer as they are to a Mustang buyer, but other numbers certainly are. That’s especially the case with the 2018 Ford F-150 with the highly anticipated 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel V6.

We’ve known about the baby Power Stroke’s output figures for quite a while. It produces 250 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque – numbers that trump those generated by the first-generation EcoDiesel offered in the Ram 1500. More importantly, the 3.0 cranks out its peak torque at just 1,750 rpm. Perhaps most importantly, the small diesel enables the F-150 to get up to 30 mpg on the highway despite weighing hundreds of pounds more than the almighty 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.

There are more interesting figures associated with the diesel F-150 than just those, though. In the video above, Youtube channel 4WD Magazine shares some of them with us. It attended the media launch event for the new F-150 variant in Colorado, just like our own Patrick Rall. During the fuel economy challenge part of the drive event, one attendee was able to get more than 40 mpg. However, that was because they were being extremely cautious with their throttle and brake timing and application. After using a SuperCrew 4X4 to tow a 6,000-pound box trailer that fell way below the F-150’s max tow rating of 11,400 pounds, 4WD Magazine got 11.8 mpg. To put that in context, the video host says his Hemi-powered 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 gets the same mileage on the highway without anything in its bed or on its hitch.

To test the new diesel F-150’s off-road chops, 4WD Magazine took a truck with the FX4 suspension package up a 25-degree incline with a 40-foot change in elevation without a problem. Its tires and locking rear differential helped it claw its way to the summit of the muddy trail. The skid plates came in handy, too. Hill Descent Control made easy work of the 30-degree trip down.

4WD Magazine also makes sure to share the diesel F-150’s more practical numbers, saying that it has an estimated design life of 150,000 miles and comes with a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Of course, the Power Stroke V6 also comes at an additional cost relative to other F-150 engines. Compared the 5.0-liter V8, the Power Stroke is a few thousand dollars more expensive. It’s numbers like those that will determine whether or not Ford’s anticipated five percent F-150 diesel take rate will end up being too high or too low.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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