Hi Gents,

From what I understand, the available engines in these years are the 3.5L Eco-Boost, 3.7L, 5.0L and the 6.2L.

I'm sure that which of all these is best has been hashed out thoroughly here on the board, just curious what would work best for a daily driver with some camping/hunting duties during the summer and fall. I don't put a lot of highway miles on my trucks nor do I do a lot of hard-core off roading.

If you know off-hand, or can point me to an existing thread(s) where this is discussed I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Max

 

I'm in same position you are. Trying to decide between 3.5 and 5.0. I would like to see real world mpg numbers for both engines. I bet there are threads somewhere. Keep looking.

 

I have a 14 with a 3.7L. It works great as a daily driver,no issues with power. I tow a car trailer occasionally, and have been through the mountains with a heavy load in the bed. If you are going to tow heavy or often, the other engines may be better, but for normal use I'm happy with the 3.7.

 

Here are the engines listed in order of best to worst:

1. 6.2L

14. 5.0L
15. 3.5LTT
16. 3.7L

Problem is, it's difficult to find a 6.2L truck. But if you can, buy it. The 6.2L was the most reliable, was the only one with hydraulic power steering, and has the highest resale value.

As far as fuel economy goes, the 3.5LTT engine gets the worst towing MPGs out of all the engine choices offered in these trucks. It takes a lot of fuel to mix with that air being forced into the engine. There were many reports of single digit MPGs while towing. And a lot of magazine articles about the EcoBoost engine not living up to the fuel economy hype.

 

I'm new to Ford, but a long time truck and SUV owner, both gas and diesel. In my personal opinion, I'd never buy a full size truck with a regular V6, even though they've come a long way. Typically they cost less, but can do less, and fuel economy isn't that great compared to the V8s (or ecoboost in this case). Resale value is also bad. It's the same with 2wd, or a regular cab. They're great work trucks, but they'll often leave you wishing you had paid just a bit more to get 4 doors and 4wd.

The 6.2L is rare, unless you're buying new, and I think it's overkill for your needs. Either the ecoboost or 5.0 will do you well for your needs. If you're not towing a heavy trailer, I'd get the 3.31 axle ratio, or 3.55, but not 3.73.

 

So as the ultimate expert that you claim to be. Can you explain your engine rankings?
The OP wanted advice, I gave some based on facts. Read his post, no towing modest offroad, your advice the most expensive hardest to find truck is the only way to go.

 

I'd probably look for a 5.0, given your operating environment. If towing or highway economy were a big factor, I'd say get the 3.5EB. The Ecoboost is a great engine but they are happiest in an environment where they are actually working. The 5.0 will have plenty of power and sound like an old school V8. If you happen to stumble across a nice 6.2, all the better.

 

Truth be told, most of us would be just fine with a 3.7L powered truck. There are those here who tow / haul heavy, so with that, the 3.7L may not be the best choice.

The 3.7L stands out in my mind as the most trouble free.

 

Only the 6.2 was/is shared by the super duty and was designed by ford to a higher reliability standard (per Ford when unveiling the 6.2L boss as the replacement for the 6.8L V10).

In my experience, any time you can buy a F150 with the same power plant as an F250 you should. The downside is fuel economy and they are hard to find in F150s. Since you're buying used, a 6.2L short block is actually pretty cheap compared to the others so your downside risk is lower.

IF you're not gonna put a lot of miles on the truck or tow, a solid problem free truck is probably more important than which engine it has.

 

I did read his post. He said daily driver, with camping/hunting duties (which means offroad use). And anybody with a truck will inherently end up towing with it from time to time.

If you're making short trips, a direct gasoline injection forced induction engine isn't the best option. They have issues with carbon buildup on the valves even if driven hard. So not being driven hard the issue will be exacerbated. Also, the EcoBoost option had the highest incidence of repairs and failures. Who wants to have a higher liklihood of a breakdown while on a hunting trip? Not me.

I ranked the 3.7L engine last due to the fact that it's underpowered for a 6,000 lb. truck. It's that simple.

That leaves the two V8 options, and the 6.2L is the way to go because it'll never let him down and will maintain it's value for years to come. But as I mentioned that's IF he can find one. I've seen one with my own eyes.

The other issue is fuel economy and ALL of these engines will produce low fuel economy for his use (little highway, some offroad use, short trips). So that consideration is a wash.

I'd go with the most reliable option that still makes big power, and that's why I ranked them how I did.

Happy now?

 

I've got a 2012 model with the entry level 3.7 and while it has been very reliable in the past 2 years I've owned it, I do have to admit that it is underpowered. Mine is 4wd and while I don't do much towing I do live in a region with quite a few steep hills. This forces the transmission to do a lot more shifting to keep the engine in the meat of its torque curve. Therefore I don't get the mileage that I might if I had the V8 engine. If I had it to do over again I would have held out for a 5.0 V8. Other than that, I love the truck and it's really been flawless! The ride on this thing is the smoothest I've ever felt on a truck! Good luck and let us know whet you end up buying. Be sure and post pictures!

 

Can’t give you much on the 3.7 or 6.2. They have their functions. As to a daily driver I just trade my 2011 F150s 5.0, 4x4, 3.55 LS for a 2018 3.5 3.55. My take would be either the 5.0 or 3.5 would be a nice truck to perform daily duties, provide reasonable fuel mileage, great 4x4 characteristics, and towing.
Fuel mileage would be slightly better in the 3.5 as well as power. The 5.0 has smoother power output and may have less issues. My truck typically saw 15-17 in town and up to 19 highway. The 3.5 will likely get a mile or 2 better unless towing. I frequently tow a trailer loaded at about 7300lbs and so long as I’m keeping it under 65 I see around 11 mpg.
Haven’t had the trailer behind my new 2018 so can’t attest to towing mileage yet but combined mileage for the last 3500 miles is about 18.5.