I would never pass up the chance to have more HP and MPG. I am just saying that a lot of people keep saying "Ford needs this engine or they will die" or something utterly ignorant like that. If that was the case, they would have been out of business a long time ago. People like us are in the definite minority. I have never had a car that I wasn't trying or thinking about making faster or more powerful. I don't know if it is a good trait or a flaw, but it definitely costs. I think Ford is in more trouble with most of the cars they are offering than anything. If they were purely a truck company, they would be making money hand over fist. Now if you will excuse me, I need to find a way to get a few extra ponies out of my riding mower.

 

snowdog,We live in the mountains ,its always shifting into passing gear.I dont know anyone around here doing much better.Down in the flat country of South Carolina I got 18..I've only got 15.000 miles on my 04..
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c ball, I live at about 6000' above sea level, and near the valley floor, so I don't think that living in the mountains has much to do with it. 17.05 mpg last tank. And I have a rack system, big tool box and hauled lumber on the racks (14' 2x10s) on that tank. Oh, and the local speed limits here are 65 on 2 lane roads, I try to keep it below 70. Still on winter formulation gas, too.

 

Zman's post #41 was the best reply concerning this post...........the fact is, other makers are giving their buyers a choice.

As far as being cheaper, I disagree. Spec out any of the trucks and they all come very close to each other in price. In my region, Dodge seems to have the most/highest incentives.

It is a matter of semantics but GM does sell more pickups than Ford. If there were no GMC, the majority of those buyers would buy Chevy and vice-versa.

And IMHO, one reason somebody would choose a GM product over a Ford is powertrain............or wider choice of powertrains.


No, Ford won't go under if they don't offer class leading power, but they will continue to lose marketshare. The Duramax has cut deep into Ford's stranglehold on that market. Whether it's the power or Ford's hideous track record with the new 6.0 is debatable.

I think history will show that 302/305.........351/350..........454/460......that Ford and GM were always +- a few horsepower to each other every year UNTILL the Vortec headed GM's came out in the mid 90's. Ford has been behind in power ever since. (EXCEPT for the current V10 and the discontinued GM 8.1)

Not ironically, Ford outsold both Chevy/GM for around 15 years untill about 2001(?)............


All I ask is that Ford give us a CHOICE of a 400HP monster.......if for nothing else but bragging rights.

 

Dont mean to sound ignorant but is there engineering secrets to getting more horse power and still improving mileage even slightly?My 2006 5.4 gets roughly the same mileage as my 1986 250 with the 302 and aod.Obviously the new truck has alot more power and is far more capable it just seems like the engine could be a little more efficent especially with the 5sp auto.Whatever the new engines are I hope they are as reliable as my last 2 5.4's

 

Compare the weight of your '86 to your '06, therein lies the difference. Power to weight ratio. Our new trucks need to call 1-800-Jenny Craig !!

 

i don't know about all areas of the country, but i know around here, I see more 4.6Ls running around pulling stuff than i see 5.4Ls...the local ford dealer also stocks more 4.6Ls...maybe we are stuff weird, we are aggies afterall...then again, most of these aggies drive chevys...

 

so you are from college station?

 

yeah...if you wanna know whats going on around here...scroll down the main page and visit the texas chapter...or https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum96/

 

Do our trucks need more power? No
Do we want more power? Hell yeah!

Maybe it's because Im young, but Horsepower sells, especially with the younger generation. I've been driving a '97 4.6L for the past 1.5 years, and it's a dog. Constantly down-shifting here in the mountains kills my MPG (33" tires dont help much either). It's pretty bad when a 3.0 Nissan with 32's can walk all over me.

My friends drive a 360ci powered '98 Ram, 350ci powerd '78 Chevy, built 400HP 350ci '86 Chevy, and another built 350ci powered '67 Chevy. You can only imagine the beating I get. We all get together a couple times a week to go out, and of course, young guys with powerful V8's with adrenalin pumping through them will always try to show off by racing light-to-light, or through the mountains where we live. I have given up a long time ago trying to keep them in my sight, much less keep up with them. This may not matter to you because most of you are older, but it's a BIG thing to us.

We all go fourwheeling on the weekends, haul firewood, rocks, mulch, and scrap metal. Lately, we've been taking vehicles to the scrap yard. I would love to help, but I dont dare hook up my truck to the trailer. Yes, my truck is capable of doing it, except for the engine.
I refuse to believe that putting the throttle to the floor to take off from a light is acceptable.

I dont want to be struggling to maintain 45-50mph up a hill while towing a heavy trailer, while semi's are flying by at 80mph or more, and everyone is riding my bumper, pulling out to pass and flipping me off as they go by.

When it comes time for be to buy a new truck, Ford might not be an option...
Us young guys cant afford a truck, and a sports car...so we have to choose one to do it all.

 

That's not very fair to Ford actually.

Your truck is using the smallest engine available for it, trying to turn oversized tires though an undergeared drivetrain (3.55 I presume?), trying to keep up with larger displacment and modified trucks in which you (self admitted) won't allow the truck to go to WOT. HUH!?!

What are you complaining about again?

 

Agreed. It's not fair to expect the smallest engine offered in a vehicle to be a power beast. That's why the offer a small engine, for people who don't want the big power.

If you do truly want high performance from the truck you have now, get some very high gears and be prepared to put your foot to the floor.

 

well im afraid that when we do get a higher displacment engine, the price of the F-150 with that engine will go atleast 3500 up, and young people can't exactly afford that, the insurance probably will go up too

 

Go with a used superduty with the V-10 then its your turn to leave people in the dust and as I understand they arent much worse on gas than my 5.4. 4.6 motor hardly a powerhouse but I can honestly say my boss at work drove his 98 150 sc 4x4 up to 320k miles with the origional eng and trans until the bearings spun in the rear axle.Tried to get him to contact ford about a comercial but he never did.

 

Where'd you come up with that !? What kind of gas-powered, mass-produced, truck engine could possibly warrant such a price tag?

The V10 is only a $600 option on the Super Duty.

 

look how much the toyota costs with their larger displacment motor
look how much the chevy cost with thier larger displacment motor
and i said i was afraid not that it was 100% going to happen
cool down !?!?!?!?!?