F-150 3.5 Ecoboost vs. 5.0 V-8. Want opinions.


bret a ewing

GT Owner
Nov 29, 2006
301
You have another choice with the 2.7 EB V6. 325hp - 375tq.
 

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
DOn't forget that while the small diesel in the dodge may yield a 40% improvement in fuel economy, it offers less power and uses fuel that is 50% more expensive. Fuel cost is a wash between the two and the EB has much more power and much better fuel availability. Its not a simple comparison.

I love my diesel pickup but will likely never buy another one. They no longer make financial sense.

+1

Remember when diesel was the left overs of refinement (or so urban legend has it) and cost the least?
 

shesgotlegs

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 20, 2006
1,183
You have another choice with the 2.7 EB V6. 325hp - 375tq.

Got one of these too in a 2012 F150 Supercab and love it. As low as 13.8 litres per 100 km.
 

bret a ewing

GT Owner
Nov 29, 2006
301
Got one of these too in a 2012 F150 Supercab and love it. As low as 13.8 litres per 100 km.

I believe this is a brand new motor.............
http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/new-ford-f-150-gets-27-liter-ecoboost-v6
 

Waldo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 7, 2005
770
Fort Worth, TX
I'm surprised no one has offered the one true answer to Chip's quandry: Buy the F-150 with the 5.0 V-8 and have Jason Heffner install twin turbos. He would then have a 5.0 V-8 "Ecoboost" to match his twin turbo GT.
 

viva gt

GT Owner
Sep 15, 2010
419
toronto canada
I'm surprised no one has offered the one true answer to Chip's quandry: Buy the F-150 with the 5.0 V-8 and have Jason Heffner install twin turbos. He would then have a 5.0 V-8 "Ecoboost" to match his twin turbo GT.
:facepalm::shrug:agree:
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,291
DOn't forget that while the small diesel in the dodge may yield a 40% improvement in fuel economy, it offers less power and uses fuel that is 50% more expensive. Fuel cost is a wash between the two and the EB has much more power and much better fuel availability. Its not a simple comparison.

50% more expensive??? Is that a Houston thing?

In Southern California from approximately April 2014 - October 2014, the Diesel fuel prices were the same or less than the 87 octane fuel. Of course with the EB, you need 91 octane and that fuel has consistently been above the cost of diesel all year.... until recently. at this time, gasoline prices have dropped significantly. In SoCal, diesel prices are about 10% more than 87 octane. See this website for proof: http://www.californiagasprices.com/index.aspx?fuel=D
 

dbk

Admin
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,247
Metro Detroit
50% more expensive??? Is that a Houston thing?

In Southern California from approximately April 2014 - October 2014, the Diesel fuel prices were the same or less than the 87 octane fuel. Of course with the EB, you need 91 octane and that fuel has consistently been above the cost of diesel all year.... until recently. at this time, gasoline prices have dropped significantly. In SoCal, diesel prices are about 10% more than 87 octane. See this website for proof: http://www.californiagasprices.com/index.aspx?fuel=D

That's because you live in the land of insane gas prices. :lol I filled up gas for $2.59 last time, cheap diesel here right now is a dollar more than that.

87
15765717940_036b4ec0e1_z.jpg


93
15765628178_33a169d93d_z.jpg


15765718130_6f3a1e959d_z.jpg
 

jcthorne

GT Owner
Aug 30, 2011
792
Houston
Chevron down the street from my house, Regular gas was $2.29, Diesel is $3.41. 93 Octane is $2.69

ALL Ecoboost engines are rated and run on 87 Octane fuel. They do make more power and can be aftermarket tuned for 91, but as delivered they use 87. This is one of the major differences between Ford's Ecoboost and the competition's generic turbo engines. Has to do with EGR flame front management and direct injection timing.
 

dbk

Admin
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,247
Metro Detroit
Chevron down the street from my house, Regular gas was $2.29...

Damn.
 

jcthorne

GT Owner
Aug 30, 2011
792
Houston
Houston is usually a few cents cheaper than Detroit. Prices been dropping. Predicted to be sub $2 before Christmas. The oil industry is going into shutdown and quit spending capitol mode. Let supplies fall until the prices come back as current investment levels do not make economic sense at $60 a barrel.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,211
Las Vegas, NV
DOn't forget that while the small diesel in the dodge may yield a 40% improvement in fuel economy, it offers less power and uses fuel that is 50% more expensive. Fuel cost is a wash between the two and the EB has much more power and much better fuel availability. Its not a simple comparison.

I think diesels make a lot of sense if you are always towing something. But when a vehicle (passenger or truck) is used mostly for "grocery getter" activities the measure of efficiency is not MPG but "cents per mile" With diesel now consistently priced higher than gasoline the gap in MPG and $/gal in most areas favors gas. The equation worked until the feds stacked a whole bunch more taxes on diesel.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,211
Las Vegas, NV
+1

Remember when diesel was the left overs of refinement (or so urban legend has it) and cost the least?

I bought my first diesel Benz in late 1979. Diesel fuel was 0.19/gal. This was in Colorado. They were not collecting taxes at the pump since it was "truck and farm fuel" that were either tax exempt (farm) or collected based on usage (that's what the port of entry stops were for) and the number of passenger vehicles didn't justify the overhead of pump tax. By 1980 or 1981 CO went to pump collection and dye colored diesel for off road. The price by thta time was about 0.45/gal, still less by quite a bit than gas. Now diesel is almost always more expensive than gas.
 
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twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,211
Las Vegas, NV
From Jan 4, 2009

IMG00303-20090104-1338.jpg

This was in Boulder which typically has prices .05-.10 higher than Lyons, but that day there was one station that was lower. It reminded me of the "gas wars" of the 60s and early 70s.
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,291
Here in the land of exaggerated fuel prices, Diesel is just less than 10% more than premium fuel and about 20% more than regular. But this is a relatively new occurance as the majority of the year diesel has been at or below the regular prices. Don't know how this will trend in the future in the golden state, but for now - even with the broadest gap we've had all year, diesel still make economic sense.

Diesel.jpg

Premium.jpg

Regular.jpg
 

GT35065

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
I bought a diesel GL350 for my wife to drive. I am a diesel fan, just like the efficiency. However, I probably won't do it again if diesel prices continue to stay so artificially high. Here, regular gas runs about $2.55, diesel is $3.50. Kind of hard to rationalize the price of diesel. It was $4.05 a gallon not too long ago.

Sounds like for Chip the V8 makes the most sense for reliability. If towing is a huge concern, go EB and buy as long of extended warranty as Ford offers if it makes you nervous.
 

2112

Blue/white 06'
Mark II Lifetime
Here in the land of exaggerated fuel prices, Diesel is just less than 10% more than premium fuel and about 20% more than regular. But this is a relatively new occurance as the majority of the year diesel has been at or below the regular prices. Don't know how this will trend in the future in the golden state, but for now - even with the broadest gap we've had all year, diesel still make economic sense.

We usually try to copy every thing California does. At this time diesel is about 10-15% more than premium 92 Octane. But, it has always been the most expensive fuel at the pump for 6 or 7 years running.

TwobjShelbys;

I thought Chip once explained the reason for the high diesel fuel price was because they have learned to extract more gasoline out of the oil, making diesel a more rare byproduct. Then supply and demand forces did the rest.

But it was several years ago that I read that.
 

fjpikul

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jan 4, 2006
11,705
Belleville, IL
Chip, FWIW, my 2013 Escape with 2 liter ecoboost and 40 K miles has been a dream; BUT, as soon as it gets cold (<35 degrees F) the mileage drops considerably (i.e. 25-26 to 20-21), similar to loss of mileage in my 2004 F150 Lariat Triton. I would think mileage would be a wash. Diesel is much more expensive here in the midwest too.

After seeing the clothes you've been wearing, perhaps you you need a consultant to pick out truck colors and interiors.

I drove the new 2.7 liter ecoboost on a FX 4X4 a couple weeks ago. I think EPA rating just came out 26 highway. It drove well but defintely had a lack of power compared to the bigger V6. Probably OK for us flatlanders, but you mountain guys probably need the bigger engine for towing.
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
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Feb 13, 2006
5,783
Scottsdale, Arizona
I thought Chip once explained the reason for the high diesel fuel price was because they have learned to extract more gasoline out of the oil, making diesel a more rare byproduct. Then supply and demand forces did the rest. But it was several years ago that I read that.

Gentlemen,

In the old days when oil was refined or "cracked", on the first round gasoline was produced. The remaining byproduct was refined into diesel or jet fuel (which is pretty much the same thing). Gasoline was more profitable to sell and today Chevron triple cracks the oil they refine all to make gasoline. The small amount left is turned into jet fuel. Today Chevron does not refine any diesel and to procure it for dealers like me they trade gasoline to other refiners for it. Diesel use to be a product that was easy to make out of the leftovers from "once refined oil". Today with much more sophisticated refineries there is very little waste. A gallon of diesel requires more oil than a gallon of gasoline and it is no longer cheaper to produce than gasoline so it will almost always cost more than gas from here on out. Cheers.

Chip
 

mopar

GT Owner
Jan 23, 2014
171
grosse ile mich
Anyone wanting to tow...American diesel is the only way to go. I have a 3500 Duramax Diesel Dually (uncorked) - and she puts down a cool 650 HP with close to 1200 FT LBS of TQ. Mileage is about 18 highway and it can pull 30K lbs easy and not budge off its line.

You know what they say "It ain't a truck if it's got spark plugs"...

think u will find a spark plug on the regen