Which Gen 3 is the best?

[CaptOchs]

Just curious: When I'm towing a 6500 lb camper, my 2003's MPG averages around 9 MPG. What are people seeing under similar towing circumstances with an Eco boost? Is it about the same or is MPG worse?

 

[NASCAR Mike]

I own an 08 Eddie Bauer with 5.4 and a 17 Limited with the 3.5. I was very reluctant to buy the 17 with the ecoboost. I prefer the no nonsense V8 and looked at Suburbans but decided against their wimpy 5.3 engine and the solid rear axle. Having sold my 05 Excursion with turbo diesel, I did have concerns with the turbo in the ecoboost.

I can tell you that the 3.5L in my 17 is much faster than the 08 with 5.4L. The 3.5 engine is quieter and gets better gas mileage. It also handles better (both Expy's have 20" rims) I think because the V6 weighs less than the V8. My 08 only has 70k miles on it so my suspension parts are still fine.

I would go for the 3.5L in a 15-17 model year.

 

[JExpedition07]

There is a handling difference but a lot of that is the electric power steering is quite an improvement from the hydrolic found from 07-14

 

[UncleDJ]

Just curious. Hypothetical question......If they came out with a 1.5 litre that made 375 hp with 400 ft lbs of torque, would the ecoboost fans be on board?

 

[Adieu]

I had this same discussion with a co-worker. Ford's F150 has been the sales leader for what, 40 years? Do you think they would put anything in the vehicle that would mess with that status? If so everyone at the top of the company should be fired.

Also Diesels have had turbos for quite sometime. Many go over a million miles. Would you be afraid of buying a truck with a turbo diesel?

Ford has turbos in nearly all of their cars. If they screw it up, Toyota and Honda would be happy to take their customers.

This is Ford we're talking about

They've recently killed:
1) America's most popular police car (can you say recession-proof?)
2) America's DEFAULT livery vehicle
3) America's most popular or maybe second most popular cargo van
4) A decently popular minivan

Prior fails include axing the cheap but popular Ranger, and wasting the enduring popularity of the Bronco because....what, OJ? Who the hell cares about OJ????

Also, losing the Navigator's crown to GM because they were just SOO afraid of bad PR associations between their precious brand and oddly dressed black TV personalities engaging in antisocial behavior... sensitive much???

And anyway, they went and killed Mercury in roughly the same time frame ... might as well have funneled their more risque pop culture endorsements over to it as an experiment first



Ford marketing is EPIC fail at its best

 

[Boostedbus]

Just curious. Hypothetical question......If they came out with a 1.5 litre that made 375 hp with 400 ft lbs of torque, would the ecoboost fans be on board?

Probably consider it yes if that’s where technology leads us. I’d take it over a 1975 460CI 4V carb Lincoln V8 that made 216 HP@ 4000 /366 TQ @ 2600 ...... those smog years were down right pathetic

 

[Adieu]

Just curious. Hypothetical question......If they came out with a 1.5 litre that made 375 hp with 400 ft lbs of torque, would the ecoboost fans be on board?

They COULD just call up their partners-in-crime at Mazda and ask for a rotary revival.... they had 1.3 liters pushing 300hp like 20 years ago

 

[Boostedbus]

Just curious: When I'm towing a 6500 lb camper, my 2003's MPG averages around 9 MPG. What are people seeing under similar towing circumstances with an Eco boost? Is it about the same or is MPG worse?

I towed my car on a borrowed trailer last September through some of the Appalachian Mts. And averaged about 12-13 mpg. My car weighs 3800 lbs and guessing the trailer weighed at least 2000 lbs. Mine is an EL with 3.73 HD tow package and the engine only had 800 miles on it then and probably wasn't broken in yet

 

[JExpedition07]

The cubic inch guys and forced induction guys on gasoline motors have argued for decades.... They both have pluses and minuses. Both can be more efficient than the other doing different tasks. Both have come a long way. They both have OHC designs, Variable Cam Timing, Fuel Injection (often DI) etc.... In a way the debate hasn’t changed ground a bit..... it still comes down to more cubic inches or forced induction to achieve more power....It’s whatever you prefer because the reality is they both work.

 

[Boostedbus]

The cubic inch guys and forced induction guys on gasoline motors have argued for decades.... They both have pluses and minuses. Both can be more efficient than the other doing different tasks. Both have come a long way. They both have OHC designs, Variable Cam Timing, Fuel Injection (often DI) etc.... In a way the debate hasn’t changed ground a bit..... it still comes down to more cubic inches or forced induction to achieve more power....It’s whatever you prefer because the reality is they both work.

Agreed but I think today with the tough EPA and Fuel mileage regulations, Ford is leaning to making small displacement engines with forced induction so the power is there when needed but kinda turned off when not. Hence the name Eco-Boost. They could have gone GM’s route and given us a 4-6-8 V8 which kills cylinders for when the power isn’t needed. From what I’ve seen they are problematic and not as liked as the Ecoboost engines. Just saying coming from a big fire breathing V8 guy , I accept the Turbo V6 trade off.