How Much Does the Addition of the New 10-speed Automatic Matter to You?
Ford Motor Company has introduced a new 10-speed automatic gearbox for the 2017 F-150 pickup that should offer improved performance and better fuel economy. The gearbox was engineered in cooperation with General Motors. In addition to the 2017 Ford F-150, a variation of this 10-speed transmission is found in the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the 2018 Ford Mustang.
At first, the Motor Company had announced that the new 10-speed transmission would be introduced in the new Ford F-150 Raptor — paired with the high-performance 3.5L EcoBoost, which is packing 450 horsepower and 510lb-ft of torque. More recently, Ford expanded the availability of this new gearbox to all 2017 F-150 pickups with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 — Raptor or not.
This means that everyone who buys a 2017 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 will get the new 10-speed automatic transmission. The folks who buy the 2017 F-150 with the base model 3.5L V6, the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 or the 5.0L V8 will all get the “old” six-speed automatic transmission. With that in mind, we come to our newest“Ford Truck Enthusiasts Question of the Week.”
Are you more or less likely to buy the 2017 Ford F-150 with the 10-speed automatic transmission? If you are looking to buy a new F-150 right now, will you look to get a truck with the new 10-speed? Or will you opt for, say, the 5.0L V8 with the more proven six-speed automatic?
While the 10-speed automatic should offer superior performance and fuel economy over the six-speed, but with some buyers shying away from the newer high-tech gearboxes, we are curious how many members would lean towards a specific transmission.
Click here to head into the forum to share your views on the 10-speed automatic being standard with all 2017 F150 pickups with the 3.5L EcoBoost.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
