3.5L EcoBoost v6 reputation

[Legend]

I'm still looking at swapping my Ranger for a 150 4x4 crew cab. Anyone had any personal experience with the EcoBoost 3.5? Seen any meaningful, unbiased tests? What little towing will be light weight, mostly. Will be a DD passenger vehicle, occasionally a pickup. Very rarely a truck.

 

[fastpakr]

There's been a good bit of feedback about it on the F150 forums I visit. So far everybody seems to be pretty happy with it. Unloaded it gets 20+mpg on the highway. Loaded it's going to burn about the same amount of fuel as any other engine, but you have much better performance than the older engines it replaces, and a huge jump in unloaded efficiency.

 

[BlueChariot]

User p38fln bought one, aside from that I'm not sure anyone on here has made the leap to Ecoboost.

As far as local experiences, the only F-150's that catch my eye on the road (as far as telling equipment) are the two Raptors, but all reviews I've seen were generally positive.

 

[straycat]

I only know two people who have the new F series with the 3.5 motor and they both hate it!! After 6,000 miles one has been in 7 times for motor issues...rough idle...missing/skipping idle and a slipping trans!!! The other with 9,000 miles has been in 4 times for missing/skipping motor brakes issues (rear) and the truck has stalled several times at traffic lights. Bot are automatics. Both of them said they wish they had gone with a V8 since they are die hard F series guys!!!! They both heard that the 3.5 was supposed to give the performance of a V8 and save gas milage. They both said their gas millage was about the same when hauling with their V8s........go figure.
I have not driven one yet...in a smaller vehicle I bet it would be really nice to have!!!

 

[hero419]

I'm still looking at swapping my Ranger for a 150 4x4 crew cab. Anyone had any personal experience with the EcoBoost 3.5? Seen any meaningful, unbiased tests? What little towing will be light weight, mostly. Will be a DD passenger vehicle, occasionally a pickup. Very rarely a truck.

I'm in the exact same place as you.
I want the eco.
my goal
2011
XLT
eco
crew
6.5 box
black
chrome pkg.
conv. pkg.
LSD rear.

Same use as you, maybe pull my sleds in a few years when the kids get older.

 

[3.0ranger1227]

Guy I talked to who owned one loved his. He says the performance is insane and the mileage is better than the 5.0 around town. I think as long as you stay out of the second turbo's spool range you're going to get pretty kick ass mileage.

 

[4.0B2]

local guy i've talked to here loves his...

i'm kinda leary of new technology tho.. does seem to have a couple bugs usually. but idk, Mr Martin is really impressed w/ his.. he loves that thing.

 

[wahlstrom1]

. I think as long as you stay out of the second turbo's spool range...

They're not sequential turbo's, just twins with one on each bank of the engine. Haven't heard much review about them here, lotsa talk but nobody owns/drives one.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My brother has predelivered a couple, said he said performancewise it feels prettys similar to the 6.2 F-150 Lariet... but the 10 more mpg would sure be nice. Loaded milage will be about the same as the 5.0 but running empty it will blow a V8 out of the water.

He hasn't had any come back with problems yet.

 

[mn_smokeater]

i have drove one and i liked it.

 

[exbass94]

Direct injection engines in general are very susceptible to gunky buildup on the intake valves. On regular multiport injected vehicles, the fuel injectors spray right onto the back of the intake valves, which keeps them clean. Direct injected engines on the other hand spray directly into the cylinder, so the valves don't get cleaned with fuel. This is what causes the build-up problem.

 

[BlueChariot]

It is new technology, after all. There will be bugs although in an ideal consumer-seller relationship the bugs would be worked out before they are sold to the masses. But just about every car company plays by the same rules when it comes to new tech, so I don't hold it against Ford.

I'm still waiting for someone to drop the twin turbo'd F-150 3.5 into a Foxbody, thing would go like a stabbed rat.

 

[rusty70f100]

Foxbody? I want to see one in a Ranger or Bronco 2. It's a 60 degree V6. It should fit right in, right?

Let me rephrase that. I want to see one in my Bronco 2.

 

[BlueChariot]

I want to see one dropped in an RBV as well, but Fobodies are a good example of a RWD light weight car. I want to see what happens when you introduce such an engine to a light RWD car, and I see the Fobody as the best candidate.