Well I've driven both the Eco and 5.0. A local salesman let me take a Eco home because I was seriously considering purchasing this vehicle. I just can't pull the trigger on the Eco. Don't get me wrong,it was good but to me not great.I keep trucks over ten years and I just worry about turbo maintenance year 8,9,10. Very impressed with the mid range power when the turbos ramp up, but not so impressed with the low end grunt compared with a V8. I will go with the tried and true reliability of a V8. By the way,the gas needle moved towards the "E" a little too quickly. I'm just not sure about the advertised gas mileage. By the way,the tranny likes to run through the gears quickly, it makes the Eco feel sluggish until the boost comes in to play. Hey, maybe I'm just a V8 type of guy,but I just wanted to put my concerns and observations out there.

 

The Ecoboost's Low end grunt to which you speak is miles ahead of the 5.0. I've driven 4 Ecoboosts now and three 5.0's and the 5.0 doesn't hold a candle to it.
The only things I don't like so far are the poor MPG's I've seen and the poor job they did on protecting the IC up front.
This new F150 is by far the nicest 1/2 truck I've ever driven.
I think you need to go back and drive a 5.0 then hop into another EB for a quick comparison.

 

The MPG's are poor. It's the nicest truck I've ever driven also,but like I said if I'm buying one tomorrow,I'm going with the 5.0.I feel more confident in that motor.

 

I know that's what the #s say,but I just didn't feel it down low.Maybe it was the way I was driving it.I just worry about long term reliability of a 6 banger being forced fed over as many years as I keep a truck.

 

exactly why I picked the big 6.2L...waiting for it now on order...

 

What axle ratio did your 3.5L test truck have? The engine makes the power regardless, but getting it to the ground is another matter.

The 5.0L that I drove had the 3.55's and it felt wicked all through the gears and through all speeds. I'm driving a 3.5L truck today. I'll have a better idea by this afternoon once I figure out gear ratios and such.

 

I've driven both trucks, 3.5 and 5.0, I currently have a 2008 SD, Diesel. The truck runs strong and resembles a turbo the way the power curve comes in. I think it's funny when people talk about the life and maintenance of turbos in the long haul. Turbos have been on trucks for decades. I've driven diesel turbo trucks all my life. I have a fleet of turbo trucks at work. I can count on one hand the number of turbo issues I've had on these trucks in the last 25 years. I know, your thinking that's a diesel engine. I've owned 3 turbo charged gas vehicles, the first one was in 1981, granted these are cars, but all of them had over 100k miles put on them with no issues. Turbo's have evolved just like everything else and have gotten better thru the years. I have no worries at all about the 3.5 set up. I can assure you, it will be put to the test with me. Hopefully it will be everything they say and then some........

 

The truck I drove had 3.55's. What I want is a 5.0 w/ 3.55's.

 

Its amazing the ignorance of turbos these days. Its like people forget that desiel engine are lasting 200-300k with out issue.

I just dont get why people question a turbo 6's reliability. Diesel turbos last much much longer on pickups and semi's.

My personal guess is people have image issue and cant be seen in a v6 pickup no matter the power output.

Reliablity my butt. Thats just an excuse.

Ford recomends maintenace on the turbos at what 150k? Ford also recomends replacing the cam chain tensioners at 150k on the modular motors. Nobody does it, and i dont think there as been any serious issues with it yet. I dont see much on the forums about them failing.


People are inhearently afraid of what they dont understand. Do some research and enlighten yourselves.

 

I drove an ecoboost truck today and all I can say is, drive one. It's amazing, smooth, powerful and well built.

 

I cant wait to get to drive one with all the hype on here. Wish my dealer would get his already.

 

I'm afraid if I drive one and if my salesman was to try and make a deal, my wife would kill me. We both just bought new vehicles since last October and I think she would think I lost my mind. We are going to our dealer this Saturday to get her tags and complementary detail (it rained when we bought her car) and the dealer has a Platinum and a Lariat Eco on the lot, so I may be too tempted to ask for a test drive, but I doubt I would switch just yet. It's not like I own a money tree.

 

I hear you efx4! I was at the dealer last night getting my truck serviced and was tempted to take the EB out for a test drive...I maintatined control and decided against it! Only because I have no will power when it comes to cool toys! I was afraid the dealer would try and cut me a deal and I would except it then my wife would have throwin me out on my a** as soon as I walked in the door!!!

 

I would guess most of the fears come from the 70s and 80s when manufacturers (Ford included) were slapping turbochargers on engines that weren't built with the turbo in mind. As a result, reliability and driveability suffered because the engines weren't built to handle the boost. At the same time, many of these were also equipped with oil cooled turbos (again, because the engines weren't plumbed for water cooled turbos) and people drove them like a regular vehicle, including turning the engine off immediately after hard driving, leading to oil coking up in the turbo. Not to mention that turbo engines are less tolerant of lax maintenance, which is an issue with the owner, not the design of the engine/turbocharger.

 

Again this is all old technology. It is not the same case. I underastand where some of the mindset comes from. But on the same note people dont expect only 100k out of engines like they used to in the 60-70's.

Today if an engine doesnt last 200k people are like wtf happend?

Its funny how people expect some things to change and not others. its hard to compare engine of old vs what we have now. Completely differnt ball games.