How Ford Overcame Truck Sceptics
 

When Ford introduced F150 in 2011 many sceptics and naysayers didn't believe Ford could compete. Now they were proven very wrong as Ford has sold 500,000 F150 pickups, all powered by EcoBoost V6. Ford has done this in just over three years.

Ford F150 EcoBoost Sales Top a Half Million - Torque News

It's amazing. How they did it?

It's interesting in the light of no performance numbers yet that Ford hopes the 2.7L Ecoboost will champion the half ton MPG's wars going on right now.

The 3.5L EB has proven itself to be reliable and capable. If Ford builds on this with the 2.7L, then there should be very little push back.

I think the upcoming 2-3 years will be crucial. Let's see what happens.

Honeymoons over with EB folks. Ford basically stayed flat in the first quarter with a tiny 1.9% growth.....just barely above GM. People are seeing the EB mpg claim is not panning out and while tow numbers are good, they get terrible mpgs under load & in the end, people don't like ending up with just a V6 in their truck. Word is spreading. I hear it all the time. Ever wonder why RAM is growing at an extraordinary rate (23% first quarter this year) while Chevy and Ford are basically flat? RAM is giving people what they want. Ford is telling people what they are going to get. GM just can't build an appealing truck.

Missing the launch of this new truck without an 8 or 10 speed in place is also gonna hurt this new truck. Bad.
It will be interesting.

F150
 

And what if Ford brings back the SVT Lightning sport truck with the lightweight 2015 F150. That would make its position even stronger.

Ford sales may not be growing as much as Ram possibly due to the fact that the Ram has been up-dated and the GM twins are new. The Ford is still mostly the same truck (minus new engines for 2011 m.y.) for 6 model years, so considering that, Ford is doing ok. When the 2015 comes out, the tides will turn, I'm sure.

Yes, RAM caught Ford with their pants down in the twilight years of Generation 12. But cudos to them for giving buyers what they want. I mean, a great looking truck, strong V8 with 8 speed tranny and great gearing options, a strong V6 with the same. And now....what many 1/2 ton truck buyers have been yearning for for freaking years.....a Diesel! A Diesel purpose made for the half ton market.

Ford, on the other hand, seems to know what truck buyers want better than the truck buyers. That's my opinion anyway.

Yes 2015 will be very interesting. Will all the new tech be enough to bring em in? Will the real world weigh savings be anything close to their claimed savings of UP TO 700lbs? Will EcoBoost in trucks continue to play out? Will the 2.7 EB pan out?
Ford is OBVIOUSLY committed to the MAX in EB and they are gonna do everything they can to continue to put people in V6 powered half tons.

I will say that weight savings is obviously going to help EcoBoost's street cred on MPGs from 2015 on out, it will no doubt help the MPGs. The will help clear the bad taste out of a lot of peoples mouths.

Good time to be a truck man. Everyone is swinging for the fences.

Uh, dayto, wha' are ye driving? The V6 or Hemi 5.7?

Funny that you say the honeymoon is over with the ecoboost. I'd say it's still going strong. They are selling very nicely, and aside from a few people with unrealistic towing mileage expectations, I haven't heard many complaints.

I'm liking mine, and I'm very pleased with the fuel economy.

My Truck has the Hemi 5.7, My wifes truck has the 5.0.

Yes I'm a V8 fanboi. I had a V6 half ton once. When I was a young, new truck buyer, funds allowed only a truck with a V6. That didnt last long. I like the V8 feel, I like the noise it makes when you throw a Magnaflow on it. If I'm not getting drastically less MPG than a EB, why would I want a V6? Not worth it to me.

No, sales have pretty much leveled leveled out. Ford still sells trucks, just not at the pace they were. We'll see if they pick back up. I know theres a valid market buyer for EB. I always ask people about their EB when I get a chance. I get about a 50/50 response. About half the people like it, about half the people are jaded and/or disappointed. There lies the problem...these guys were sold on the fact they they will be getting V8 power with V6 MPGs. All while being able to tow the world. Were their expectations too high? Maybe. Were they sold a bill of goods? Definitely. I test drove one to see what the hubbub was about. I recall what the salesweasel was trying to feed me. Its an impressive test drive, I can see why so many got excited about it. The salesweasel thought he had me hooked like so many others. LOL
Its too bad Ford wont give the 5.0 some attention. They can make it more powerful and efficient. And they can keep those jaded EB buyers happy. They cant or wont do it. Prob cause they are so leveraged into the EcoBoost commitment. An improved 5.0 would slice and dice EB sales. For the past year or so, not having a upper crust V8 is driving people to the other brand. Its provable numbers. And I see it in my enthusiasts forums and hear it from people. Hell, my boss has driven Fords for his company vehicle for years, this time around he's seriously looking at RAM.




Im glad you like yours, what kind of MPGs are you getting?

FWIW, I'm a Ford guy at heart, it was HARD to change brands, but I'm glad now that I sampled the competition. I still own a Ford, my wife's truck, and I wan them to continue to do good, I'd love to give them another shot. I just feel like they are heading the wrong direction. They are gonna survive without my business, but they will take a hit as others jump ship.

Hell, I could be allllll wrong. The new truck and EB could light the world on fire. LOL

The Ram is a nice looking truck but it's payload and towing for similarly equipped trucks (ford v. Ram) is paltry. They didn't do themselves any favors putting the coil spring in the rear other than making is ride like a car, not a big fan. What to many people forget is the ecoboost should be compared to the 6.2 not the 5.0. When you consider that the numbers look pretty good. I get 17.5 all the time and on long highway trips I get over 20. The days of big V8's are coming to and end, it will only be a matter of time before the other manufacturers go that way also. The ecodiesel is the first step towards that. And I think Ford will be positioned well if diesel ever catches on in the states, the way they build the ecoboost motors all they would have to do is remove the spark plug and change injectors and up the compression and they will have a nice line of diesel engines.

Mark

If the new Rams get what I'm getting in my jgc the new half ton will be getting mid to upper twenties AND with 420 ft/ lbs of torque which allows it to tow virtually anything a half ton should want to. I don't think any Ecoboost gets anything close to that.

Unfortunately, it will be a little more complicated than removing plugs and slapping in injectors.....

I'm mostly with Daytomann on this one, but I am also a self admitted V8 fanboy. That's why my F-150 has the 5.0L, and probably would have had the 6.2L if they had offered in the trim I wanted back in 2011.

I've driven Ecoboost trucks and I think there great and a nice option to have, as I'm a strong beleiver in giving people the power of choice and option, with that said though I don't ever want to be strong armed into a V6 full size truck...Turbo's or not, there's just something about the way a V8 feels and sounds that excites my sense's in a way that no V6 including the Ecoboost ever could, Now if Ford slaps a couple of turbo's or better yet a mild supercharger on the 5.0L and makes it a factory spec engine, that'll catch my attention.

With that said I'm sad to see the 6.2L being dropped from for the 2015+ F-150's. I think it should at least remain an option, even if a lower volume option for those who are willing to shale out the extra dough for it.

In the end I just had to see a loss of variety, I don't mind that the Ecoboost is in the lineup, hell I welcome it so long as it's presence isn't taking option's away.