F150 + 3.5 EcoBoost

[bigi]

Considering F150 - please advise
Never had pickup before.

Will need as daily driver for work ~ 20 miles/day.

Transporting wife/2 kids and dog - often.

Trips with 4 bikes, canoe and stuff - weekends.

Picking up and transporting timber, dirt, mulch and around house stuff occasionally.

Considering Lariat, SuperCrew with 3.5 V6.

Please let me know your thoughts especially in ecoboost engine reliability dept. Thanks.

 

[bfun_x1]

I'm not sure about the newer ecoboost engines but the original ones didn't get their advertised fuel economy numbers. In some cases the 5.0 V8 still got better gas millage. There were also issues with them fowling spark plugs in humid environments. I guess the air intake would sometimes collect water and shoot it through the engine. I'm sure that problem has been fixed by now. If you plan to tow anything the ecoboost is a monster with a torque curve that matches most diesel engines. The super crew has a ton of space in the back seat so it's great for kids, adults, and dogs.

 

[96Firebird]

A co-worker of mine has a 2011 with the 3.5L Ecoboost, he seems to really like it. I don't think he's had any problems with it, not sure about the gas mileage though.

A friend of mine just bought a 2013 with the 3.5L Ecoboost, his is a Limited with all the bells and whistles. It is powerful enough to tow his 21' bass boat all around, better than his old 5.4L with a Roush supercharger. But that thing was a dog.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I don't think they're bad trucks, but your requirements don't scream "truck" to me.

 

[bigi]

I don't think they're bad trucks, but your requirements don't scream "truck" to me.

Alternatives to truck then? I don't really want to "tow" even small camper with Sienna or Highlander type vehicles.

 

[bfun_x1]

If you're going to tow nothing beats a full size truck. A friend of mine got a Jeep Commander with a 5.7L Hemi thinking it could pull his travel trailer with it. It didn't work out. It takes more than power to tow a trailer safely. I've owned a truck for about 14 years now and I can't imagine not having one. I'm a DIY type of guy so I'm always hauling something for the house or yard. Rock, dirt, trees, appliances, over-sized kids toys. In the summer I pull a travel trailer. Not having a truck would be a lifestyle change for me. My first truck was a 2001 Chevy and I loved it. I kept it for 10 years and then I bought a 2013 F150. I plan to keep that for 10 years as well. I think it's hard to go wrong with a Chevy or Ford. Toyota's seem really good. My family buys Ram. I've never been a fan but they like them. A friend has a Nissan Titan. I'd suggest you avoid them. If fuel economy is a major concern take a look at the Ram EcoDiesel which can get an average of 25 mpg.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Alternatives to truck then? I don't really want to "tow" even small camper with Sienna or Highlander type vehicles.

Well, you didn't say you needed to tow a camper.

(I've seen plenty of campers towed by plenty of midsize SUVs like the Highlander. It works. Don't drive 90 mph and you'll be fine.)

I've been in the "two kids and a dog" situation and a third row is... yeah. Want.

IMO, get a more fuel efficient, (hybrid?), safer, incredibly boring family hauler, for way less $$$ than the fully-loaded does-everything F-150, and rent a truck when you really need it. (A lot of places do free delivery on bulk mulch/dirt/etc., and the seats come out of a minivan, so you might find that you only need to rent one when you tow a trailer.)

Also, IMO, get a cheap-o pop-up camper and make the kids sleep in a tent. Builds character.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Considering F150 - please advise
Never had pickup before.

Will need as daily driver for work ~ 20 miles/day.

Transporting wife/2 kids and dog - often.

Trips with 4 bikes, canoe and stuff - weekends.

None of this requires a truck. You could do this with a Mazda CX - 5. Bikes can go on the back with a 4 bike Thule bike rack and Canoe on top. You need something bigger though to do bikes and a canoe. Get a Honda Pilot or something like that so you have plenty of room for the dog and luggage.

Picking up and transporting timber, dirt, mulch and around house stuff occasionally.

This requires a used truck. Find something for $10K.

Considering Lariat, SuperCrew with 3.5 V6.
Please let me know your thoughts especially in ecoboost engine reliability dept. Thanks.

Atleast you know you need a supercrew. If you go with a truck, get ready for the costs of 15 MPG. If money is no object though, this isn't a bad option.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

How big is your dog? I wouldn't want an 80 pound dog sharing the back seat of a super crew with kids. Keep in mind, the back seats will not be as near as comfortable as the bucket 2nd row seats you can get in a 3 row SUV. Your kids will thank you on long trips.

 

[herm0016]

If you go with a truck, get ready for the costs of 15 MPG.

my 8 year old 100k mile gmc full size gets about 17.5 commuting, Newer stuff is slightly better. The guy wants a truck, he should get one.

the short beds are nearly useless. I think the 6.5 foot is the best, as you have 8 feet supported with the gate down. I have rarely wanted longer. Bike carriers are a PITA, esp a 4 place.

I don't think you can go wrong with the GM or Ford. The Ford has a larger back seat in the 4 door/ crew cab / whatever they call it now. The power back window is a nice feature, I use it as a pass through for long lumber. We may see more small diesels in the 1/2 ton market in the next year or 2.

When kids come, i will have to upgrade to a 4 door as i have an ext. cab now.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I'd get a huge truck and get it custom extended!

PRON!
http://www.customautosbytim.com/26.html

Just add $65K to the price of the new truck!

 

[Scarpozzi]

If you're looking for a new SuperCrew, I was looking at them in 2013 and found they were dropping about $9k off sticker consistently. This drove down the new price and lightly-used trucks were more than the new ones. I was priced a 13 XLT 4x4 SuperCrew for $33.5k after incentives. I'm not sure where they are now on incentives and final price since they've gone all aluminum, but certainly keep that $33k price in mind. Tundras look much bigger than Fords, but they don't feel quite as solid. My 4Runner body panels just aren't as stiff as my F150....doors on the Ford are far heavier.

The ecoboost is a much better engine than it was in 2010 when they started really using them. The tech is just a turbo-charger + direct injection. It's combining 2 technologies and using the computer to control mpg and power. (which it was doing anyway these days) The newer ones are supposed to be less whiny from what I read and many of the problems have been worked out since it's a more mature technology in the few short years they've sold them.

I ended up buying a used 2009 STX (higher trim than XL, but more of a street truck) with the smallest V8 they sold and get 18-20mpg....or less if I drive only city and rev at the red lights.

I like Ford, but recently bent my tailgate hauling long-lumber. The tailgate actually separated on both sides (crimped steel). I've not looked at Tundra or Silverado to see how they're made, but remember when you're hauling anything that tailgates are junky these days...not made to support any weight beyond a few hundred lbs.

 

[PricklyPete]

Mazda Miata, some tie downs, and a trailer is all you need.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Mazda Miata, some tie downs, and a trailer is all you need.

Exactly! You can buy some Mazda Miata Class 3 Hitches and Mazda Miata brake controllers here: https://www.carid.com/2016-mazda-miata-mx-5-trailer-hitches/

 

[herm0016]

I like Ford, but recently bent my tailgate hauling long-lumber. The tailgate actually separated on both sides (crimped steel). I've not looked at Tundra or Silverado to see how they're made, but remember when you're hauling anything that tailgates are junky these days...not made to support any weight beyond a few hundred lbs.

I had an idiot fork truck driver loading a full pallet of hickory hardwood flooring ( around 3k lbs?) only going about a mile... much overloaded. he pushed the pallet to the back of the bed, then dropped the end with the sleeper about 6 inches onto my tailgate! it's dished down an inch on the inside, but still works fine. It's hard to believe a few pieces of lumber damaged yours.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I had an idiot fork truck driver loading a full pallet of hickory hardwood flooring ( around 3k lbs?) only going about a mile... much overloaded. he pushed the pallet to the back of the bed, then dropped the end with the sleeper about 6 inches onto my tailgate! it's dished down an inch on the inside, but still works fine. It's hard to believe a few pieces of lumber damaged yours.

Wasn't just a few pieces....it was a fairly heavy load of 16 footers. I just assumed it would be structurally sound and not have the crimp separate like it did. I was going to try to bend it out, but after tapping the metal with a hammer I realized a body shop would have more luck, but it'd be a better bet just to replace the thing (eventually). It still closes/latches, but is warped on both sides and there's a slight crimp near the handle in the middle.

 

[Ns1]

Exactly! You can buy some Mazda Miata Class 3 Hitches and Mazda Miata brake controllers here: https://www.carid.com/2016-mazda-miata-mx-5-trailer-hitches/

in my state, towing a trailer means you've got a 55mph speed limit. so there's that.

 

[Wuzup101]

I just ordered a 2018 raptor a few weeks ago... should be here around the end of August (have my vin and build date already)... so you know where my vote goes.

 

[bfun_x1]

If you're looking for a new SuperCrew, I was looking at them in 2013 and found they were dropping about $9k off sticker consistently. This drove down the new price and lightly-used trucks were more than the new ones. I was priced a 13 XLT 4x4 SuperCrew for $33.5k after incentives. I'm not sure where they are now on incentives and final price since they've gone all aluminum, but certainly keep that $33k price in mind. Tundras look much bigger than Fords, but they don't feel quite as solid. My 4Runner body panels just aren't as stiff as my F150....doors on the Ford are far heavier.

The ecoboost is a much better engine than it was in 2010 when they started really using them. The tech is just a turbo-charger + direct injection. It's combining 2 technologies and using the computer to control mpg and power. (which it was doing anyway these days) The newer ones are supposed to be less whiny from what I read and many of the problems have been worked out since it's a more mature technology in the few short years they've sold them.

I ended up buying a used 2009 STX (higher trim than XL, but more of a street truck) with the smallest V8 they sold and get 18-20mpg....or less if I drive only city and rev at the red lights.

I like Ford, but recently bent my tailgate hauling long-lumber. The tailgate actually separated on both sides (crimped steel). I've not looked at Tundra or Silverado to see how they're made, but remember when you're hauling anything that tailgates are junky these days...not made to support any weight beyond a few hundred lbs.

I bought my 2013 F150 new because of those price drops. At first I had no intention of getting a new truck but like you said the prices were better than slightly used and it came with a warranty and a 1.7% interest rate.

 

[Yuriman]

Would a midsize work? Many sites are reporting almost 30mpg highway from the Ridgeline, and in ride quality metrics it blows away all other trucks. Get a topper and the dog can ride in the back of your truck-made-SUV.

 

[bigi]

Thanks for all replies.

Unfortunately, truck did not pass with wifey. Will look at something else...

 

[thestrangebrew1]

Didn't see this post till just now but I'll chime in.

Thanks for all replies.

Unfortunately, truck did not pass with wifey. Will look at something else...

Probably a good thing for what you're planning on doing. I have a 2014 xlt 3.5 Eco and love the truck, but I got it to tow our travel trailer. It's got plenty of power, and the supercrew has tons of space. At least for me however, my mpg's suck. I think I average around 16. Sometimes 17, but I've never seen it higher than that. We also have a 2017 Ford Explorer and my wife loves it. I'll admit it's nice to drive and there's plenty of room. Could be something to consider...

 

[mindless1]

You can't even change the water pump easily in the 3.5L EB, it's a $1000+ repair. There's a video on youtube somewhere which polled mechanics and the majority, especially those more experienced, chose the 5.0L V8 by a wide margin.

There's also the issue of whether adding port injectors clears up the valve carbon fouling problem in last-gen EB. It "should" but with any redesign, you wait and see if it only has positives.

If on the other hand you were to trade it in before such things became an issue, then you'd more likely avoid higher repair costs.

 

[WackyDan]

I don't think they're bad trucks, but your requirements don't scream "truck" to me.

His requirements specifically don't scream 3.5 ecoboost. The non ecoboost 3.5 or even the 2.7 Ecoboost are better and cheaper options. He doesn't mention any towing needs hence why he really doesn't "need" the 5.0 or the 3.5 Ecoboost.

As for why he needs a truck? His reasons are just fine. *** AS long as he isn't a dope who gets the 5.5 bed instead of the 6.5.

 

[WackyDan]

Alternatives to truck then? I don't really want to "tow" even small camper with Sienna or Highlander type vehicles.

Define what your towing needs are....