I have finally decided to give up my diesel 7.3 for something "practical". I have horses so I need a truck but mostly just commute in my vehicle. I have narrowed it down (I think) to a 2009 Lariat with 19k miles with the 5.4 and a 2011 XLT with 25k miles with the 5.0.

I have had two before Lariats so am used to the creature comforts but the 2011 is about 3k cheaper and it is newer. The lie-o-meter says it is getting (so far) 3 mphs better and that was with me stepping on it. I am getting killed on the trade in ( keep rolling negative equity ) so the price is a factor but not the decided one.

What would you go with for mostly commuting and a little towing (two horse bumper pull and hopefully soon a boat)?? The 5.0 has nice power but I like the more torque of the 5.4 too. I definately like the a/c in the seats on the Lariat but I dont need it. If I was buying the one I really wanted it would be the 2010 King Ranch but it just too pricey with my negative trade-in.

 

I would probably go for the 2011 XLT for the fuel economy and it's newer and cheaper. But that's my taste. You're the one that's driving it every day. You really can't go too wrong either way.

 

any chance you can take each one home for an evening?

given the chance, i'd hook em up to your trailer and go for a drive. the 11's select shift is a must for me, but it may not be that big of a deal for you.

both are going to haul a 2-horse with ease. I'd say the torque curve on both engines are comparable, so either one is going to be a win.

if you go for the '11, you may stand a chance at coming out better on your next purchase, beings that you have a smaller buy in from the get-go .... but like you said, that doesn't really seem to be your deciding factor.

i'd try to get them to let me hook up and go for a drive, and decide from there. but either way, it is going to be a win for you.

 

Have you tried the Ecoboost?? When I get around to getting a truck I will be buying one for it's towing capabilities and better fuel economy when not towing!

 

I would expect the towing fuel economy to be similar between the 5.4L 3valve and the5.0L 4 valve. Both have 6 spd autos. The ecoboost gets poorer fuel economy TOWING due to additional enrichment based on being turbocharged.The ecoboost is also the most expensive of the three.
I drive an '09 max tow and am happy. Boating friend with a '12 5.0l equally happy with his ride. Not much to pick between them regarding towing mpg.
Happy shopping.

 

The 5.4L only has more torque when running on E85, on regular 87-octane gasoline the 5.0L has 15 ft-lbs MORE torque. While I really like the 5.4L the new 5.0 has it outclassed in just about every way. Given the choice I'd pick the 2011.

 

I rented a 2012 Ecoboost w/ 3.31 rear axle I only had it for a day and roughly 80 miles, unfortunately I wasn't able to do a hand calculation for an accurate assessment but I will tell you my '11 5.0L w 3.55 rear, 2wd and SuperCab will get 22 mpg's all day long on an open, level highway cruise set at 68/70. That's pretty good for a truck.

Even my old '05 Dodge w/ Cummins diesel would only pull off about 20/21 mpg on the highway same circumstances.

 

Ecoboost does NOT get worse mpg towing than the 5.0, they are about the same or the eco has a slight advantage depending upon terrain and temperature

 

Says who?

The folks that compared the two at PickupTrucks.com collected some data that states otherwise. They even go so far as to state that if you're not pulling at altitude the 5.0L gets better efficiency towing:

You can read these reviews HERE and HERE.

Do you have a source contradicting this?

 

Whatever you say, Dude.

 

I saved this from a chat that the Ford ecoboost engineers did: Here is what he had to say. His name was Phil Fabien. His first sentence is in reference to the pickuptrucks.com story that u refer too.


FWIW, I've recommended to Ford that if other journalists are going to tow heavy trailers for their road test, that they use premium

Originally Posted by pfabien1
First of all I apologize for the slow response, and thank you for your interest. I have tried to go in and answer the shorter questions. I wanted to have time to answer your questions as clearly as I can.

1. Under nornal weather and driving conditions, premium offers very little benefit. However, as the Ecoboost owners guide will state, premium fuel is recommended and will provide better performance under severe duty usage such as trailer tow.

2. Under normal trailer tow conditions, the Ecoboost offers a clear fuel economy advantage over th 5.0 and 6.2L engines. The advantage may be reduced in steep grades and very high ambient temperatures if regular fuel is used.

 

Okay then. I've seen a couple of more impartial folks who have conducted tests that indicate otherwise. Have you seen anything else that demonstrates this?

 

problem with the pickuptrucks.com test and others is that vehicles either weren't equipped identical or had different shaped loads (made the wind resistance different) or were done on different days etc. I have seen several reports from 5.0 owners that claim they get better. I have yet to see a towing test between the two that I thought was done correctly.
Until I see one that was done fairly and correctly I prefer to believe the Ford engineer. He designed it, he should know. 2. If he was lying and got caught his and Ford's credebility would be hurt. He was honest and said that the test should have been done using premium. So maybe the answer is the 5.0 does better on 87 octane and the eco on 93.

 

I also tend to believe the engineers that designed the engines, I have numerous times used the chats with Mike Harrison and Adam Gryglak in discussions in the 6.7L forum. Time will tell I guess, I'm curious to see what a head to head towing test would yield.

 

if you are going to use different fuels, then a Cost/Mile analysis is needed.

then one can decide which combo is cheaper to drive.

perhaps one could drive his Eco all week long on regular fuel, and fill up with premium to haul his boat to the lake, or camper to the camp ground ... but i'd like to know if spending the extra money on the premium fuel is at least a wash.