Hey guys I am looking at a 2011-2013 F150 How are these for towing either the 5.0 or Ecoboost I wanted a Diesel F250 or F350 but the wife said to big any help would be great thanks

 

More torque/pulling power with Ecoboost.

 

They're very close but the Ecoboost does have a little more power:

Eco: 365hp 420lb-ft torque
5.0: 360hp 380lb-ft torque

From personal experience, I have the 5.0 and I tow on a regular basis. I usually pull a 10,000lb-gvwr dump trailer with no problems. The heaviest I've hauled is a small SUV on a very large trailer. I've never had the engine struggle, the suspension is the weak link. In my opinion your not guna tell much of a difference when using the Eco or 5.0. Two of my good friends have the Eco and we can't tell the difference when towing. Hope this helps your decision, I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

 

Thanks guys for your help. leaning towards the Eco boast better Gas mileage when towing. What about towing gas milage with the Eco vs 5.0

 

What are you trying to tow? The 150 is a capable towing platform, but it has its limits... if you were intending to pull something that was at the upper end of a 250 or 350 PSD, you'll be above what the 150 can legally tow.

 

5.0 2wd towing mpg drops to about 11 or 10. But that was a 24ft boat, 1000 lbs of gear, food, and ice, and 6 guys over hills and bridges. Never struggled even though I forgot to put in tow/haul mode. Performed really well.

 

First of all, Welcome to FTE!

Both are great engines. Both will net you similar fuel economy numbers while empty. Remember that the ecoboost is a forced induction motor, so when you are in the boost, you will be using more fuel. The ecoboost torque comes in at a much lower RPM than the 5.0L, peak torque is available at 2500 RPM vs 4250 RPM. If you are used to a diesel, the torque output of the ecoboost may feel more similar to you. Depending on what you are towing, both motors will more than likely get the job done.

How much weight are you towing and how frequently? As mentioned above, the f150 is capable, but does have it's legal load/towing limitations.

The best suggestion anyone here can give you is to DRIVE them both and decide for yourself which feels right. Be sure to post up pics of whatever you decide (we like pics here) and good luck


EDIT: also, here is a graph with the torque output of the 4 available motors. This may help in your decision making process:

 

X2 for everything here. Get out and drive them. Also keep in mind personal preference for driving experience too. The Ecoboost is stealthy and doesn't have a whole lot of rumble and roar when you work it. The 5.0...well, we know that baby will purr. Both are going to net similar performance either way.

 

Something we failed to mention are the different gears. They can greatly affect how the truck pulls. 3.73's work for me...I don't know if I would go any higher such as the 3.55's. That's not a whole lot of input on my part but definitely something to think about.
With the 5.0 and 3.73 gears I've managed to average 23mpg on a 3hr trip to camp when I had stock suspension/tires. Very little 4 lane highway driving. I'm not sure the 3.55 gears would get any better gas mileage but you don't want those for towing heavy anyways.

 

I have 3.55 gears. No issues towing. That said, you need 3.73 for the maxtow package if that tells you anything. Like above said. 2wd 5.0 3.55 gears, I max out at 24 mpg hwy. 3.73 are worth it if towing.