Ot:ford f150

[alancw3]

thinking about buying ford f150 crew cab with a 5.5 foot bed (so it can fit in my garage). thinking two wheel drive with a naturally aspirated 5.0 liter v8 and locking 3.31 rear. anyone have any experience with the aluminum body in this configuration? at this point in my life i only drive about 3000 miles a year so i am not to concerned about the mpg. not a fan of turbos as i tend to keep cars for many years and once had to replace one on a mb diesel. very expensive. anyway thanks for any feedback.

[F150]

No experience with the new aluminum skinned version, but client of mine has a 2015 King Ranch version, 4wd, seems to love it. My son has 6.5 ft extended cab 2wd WITHOUT locking/limited slip diff option. Never make that mistake again. His only complaint is turning radius and size, getting into parking spots, etc.

I, too, would sacrifice MPG for naturally aspirated engine option.

[buckhorn]

thinking about buying ford f150 crew cab with a 5.5 foot bed (so it can fit in my garage). thinking two wheel drive with a naturally aspirated 5.0 liter v8 and locking 3.31 rear. anyone have any experience with the aluminum body in this configuration? at this point in my life i only drive about 3000 miles a year so i am not to concerned about the mpg. not a fan of turbos as i tend to keep cars for many years and once had to replace one on a mb diesel. very expensive. anyway thanks for any feedback.

That's what I have, except 4x4. Cab is HUGE, leg room in the back for tall people. Bed is short! Not really a surprise, but when you try to load it up, it fills up quickly. The 5L is fine, but when towing up a steep hill, it does lack a little power (not a big deal in FL?) No issues with the aluminum body. Glad work bought it for me- it was expensive!

[alancw3]

thanks guys for the replies. i am coming from a minivan and still have to get over the hood on the f150. i do like the truck and think it is the most attractive of all trucks. i can see why the ford f150 has been the best selling vehicle for years. any wait i am totally not a truck guy but for some reason i like this configuration. i guess that means that ford did it's job in creating the new f150. we will see. i make a very reasonable offer. what i think is interesting is that ford is offering more incentives on their base model xl and xlt's and not the lariat and platinum. so basically i told them that i would buy the truck if they offered the same incentive on the lariat.

[bigbill]

Is the aversion to the eco-boost about cost? I have a 2013 Lariat 4 door with the eco-boost and really like it. A friend bought the V8 (302) version and later bought a half ton fifth wheel trailer and it really struggled on the hills.

On my longer road trips, DFW-AZ, DFW-WI, mileage was around 20 mpg and with a 27 gallon tank on the 5.5' bed, I was bladder limited on how long I could drive.

[Blown Reek]

i can see why the ford f150 has been the best selling vehicle for years.

The only reason is because of fleet sales.

...and it really struggled on the hills.

That's because you're towing with a half-ton and gas engine.

[bigbill]

That's because you're towing with a half-ton and gas engine.

How insightful. He bought an eco-boost (gas engine) and didn't have the same problem.

[Blown Reek]

How insightful. He bought an eco-boost (gas engine) and didn't have the same problem.

Yeah, and the Ecoboost isn't getting anywhere near the advertised gas mileage, especially when you're towing. There's a right tool for the job, and a gasser 1/2 ton ain't it if you're towing anything of substance, irrespective of natural or forced induction. You're going to get nowhere close to 20 mpg towing with an Ecoboost.

[bigbill]

Yeah, and the Ecoboost isn't getting anywhere near the advertised gas mileage, especially when you're towing. There's a right tool for the job, and a gasser 1/2 ton ain't it if you're towing anything of substance, irrespective of natural or forced induction. You're going to get nowhere close to 20 mpg towing with an Ecoboost.

Of course you aren't getting advertised mileage when towing. Who thinks that you would? Buying a truck for towing is about getting the right setup including brakes, and having the capability of towing a trailer you have or expect to buy. Most of the time you aren't towing, mileage matters. A friend at work pulls a 26' trailer with his and gets around 13-14 mpg on flat roads.

[Ralph]

The Eco Boost V6 3.5 has considerably more TQ at the RPM/speeds you drive than the new 5.0 V8. It will tow much better than the 5.0. I would compare the new 2.7 Eco Boost V6 to the 5.0. (I know the 5.0 advertises more HP than the 3.5 Eco Boost)

The Eco Boost 3.5 V6 is designed to be the "work horse" of the F150 line. With forged pistons and rods and steel crankshaft, it's a stronger more durable engine and built to do more work than the 5.0. Sure the turbo adds some complexity and parts....but turbo's have been used on work engines for many years with minimal issues. Thinking diesel trucks with a million mile life, etc.

While the smaller 2.7 and 3.5 Eco Boost V6's will use less fuel idling around and driving at light throttle than a 5.0......put them to work running hard....and not much difference, if any, over the 5.0 in fuel economy. It just takes X amount of energy to do X amount of work. And the boosted engines will probably move more air thru the engines than the V8. So under a work load....the more powerful 3.5 V6 could use more fuel than the 5.0 if working really hard. It's just basic physics.

[bikinchris]

Unless you boost the coyote engine. There's no replacement for cubic inch displacement.

[AngryScientist]

i think short bed full sized pick-ups are a little silly, personally. what would your intended purpose be for the pick-up truck?

i too continually toy around with wanting another pickup truck, and just cant justify it. my grand cherokee is just better in every single way for what i would do with the vehicle. going on a road trip and keeping bikes inside the truck is invaluable IMO.

also, doing about 3k miles a year, i too would pick a NA V8 over a turbo motor any day of the week. with that kind of annual miles, who cares about fuel efficiency. agreed with you on that one for sure.

not knocking your decision in any way, just make sure you think through what you want to use the vehicle for before you buy, especially if you want to commit for many years.

[Louis]

i think short bed full sized pick-ups are a little silly, personally. what would your intended purpose be for the pick-up truck?


Perhaps, but on the other hand, if you're talking 4-door F-150 with full-size bed keep in mind that those things are HUGE. Long and wide. A buddy of mine who has a Suburban (to tow his ski boat) were talking about this a few days ago along with his options to replace the Chevy. He drove just that type truck a while back and he couldn't believe how much bigger it was compared to the Suburban, which of course is not a small vehicle.

[commonguy001]

Wheelbase on the SupCrew 5.5 is 145 as is the SupCab 6.5. If you don't care about the bigger back seat I'd suggest a SupCab as you get the same 145 inch wheelbase but you get an extra 6.5 in the bed if you care about that. And it's a grand or so cheaper if I remember from when I bought mine in 2012 (now sold).

I went with the Eco Boost and while it was a great motor (no issues in the 40k I put on it), I would probably do a 5.0 if I was doing it again and didn't need to tow more than 4-5k pounds. No real reason to spend 1500 more on a motor that was only efficient when running unloaded (and you're not putting a ton of miles on it).

My understanding is the new SC has rear doors that open flat (my 2012 didn't) and I'd have liked that way more than the rear doors on mine.

Any 145 inch wheelbase truck is going to have a learning curve for parking in lots that don't have a lot of room. They just don't really go into spots like shorter vehicles. I went from a Land Cruiser which was easy to park, like a car, and the F150 wasn't the same animal. Totally doable but it's a pull in, back up and pull in again process if the lot you're in isn't super generous with spots.

[bigbill]

I had a supercrew with a 6.5' bed 2007-2010. It was a beast to park and turn around. The longer bed meant a 37 gallon tank. It had the 5.4 V8 which really wasn't all that. It was a 4X4 which came in handy in the PNW.

I ride a large bike (60cm) and if I use the Thule bed rack that clamps the fork, I've got about 12-15" between the rear wheel and the tailgate on my F150 Lariat with the 5.5' bed. Long term, I'm getting a 24-26' travel trailer and putting a shell on the truck to keep my bikes. It has the backup camera and sensors so the shell is cool.

[soulspinner]

wheelbase on the supcrew 5.5 is 145 as is the supcab 6.5. If you don't care about the bigger back seat i'd suggest a supcab as you get the same 145 inch wheelbase but you get an extra 6.5 in the bed if you care about that. And it's a grand or so cheaper if i remember from when i bought mine in 2012 (now sold).

I went with the eco boost and while it was a great motor (no issues in the 40k i put on it), i would probably do a 5.0 if i was doing it again and didn't need to tow more than 4-5k pounds. No real reason to spend 1500 more on a motor that was only efficient when running unloaded (and you're not putting a ton of miles on it).

My understanding is the new sc has rear doors that open flat (my 2012 didn't) and i'd have liked that way more than the rear doors on mine.

Any 145 inch wheelbase truck is going to have a learning curve for parking in lots that don't have a lot of room. They just don't really go into spots like shorter vehicles. I went from a land cruiser which was easy to park, like a car, and the f150 wasn't the same animal. Totally doable but it's a pull in, back up and pull in again process if the lot you're in isn't super generous with spots.

+1

[11.4]

First, what are you really going to be using the vehicle for? That determines whether that configuration would be recommended or not.

Second, stick to apples to apples comparisons. Towing will reduce mileage to some degree, but trucks are being optimized for towing and the mileage loss in the last few years is less than you might think. This is partly Federal influence, partly that enough people are using trucks to tow RV's. Small changes such as differential ratio can really change mileage.

The Ecoboost has been tuned the last couple years and is a superb block. It's also proven very reliable. We have a fleet of 29 Fords, two thirds of them Superduty diesels and the rest Ecoboost F150's. It has loads of power and for us can substitute for a diesel Superduty for many applications; others have found the same. All the specs are inflated a bit, but when you pull a load, the Ecoboost stands out above everything short of a heavy-duty diesel.

The 2017 Superduty is basically going to be the same cab as the current F150, and is a very successful design -- huge space inside with a flat rear floor in the crew cab, enormous leg room, and smart storage options inside. We've had a couple body shop visits on the new alloy trucks and had mixed experiences. Insurance wasn't more expensive (yet) but body shops can't take out dings and dents in aluminum like they can in steel. And the aluminum is also a bit more fragile; Chevy is taking aim at that issue by throwing concrete blocks in a Ford and showing that it punches holes in the bed, but the real issue is that the alloy tends to show wear a bit faster. The current F150 is fully box-framed, which makes it stiffer but makes it more susceptible to corrosion, but in Florida that shouldn't be an issue for you; if I were in Chicago, I'd be taking some steps to protect it.

Wheelbase doesn't mean much because trucks and Suburbans have different overhangs. These trucks have very tight turning radii and they're getting tighter every year. Even if not, you learn to drive them. With a backup camera and backup sensors, which come on pretty much all trucks now, you don't need great depth perception or experience driving a big truck. And a long-bed is only 18 inches longer than a short bed, but if you'll be pulling a fifth wheel, you don't have much clearance when turning and often need a more expensive hitch. We drive exclusively long-beds and I personally have one, and don't have any problem handling turns or parking spaces. It's the overhead clearance that gets in the way -- you won't get into some parking garages and probably not into a home garage. Even a short bed crew cab pickup won't fit most home garages lengthwise as well, so consider that if it's relevant. The super-short bed gets really short with a fifth wheel and apparently has a lower resale value than the regular short bed. The foot saved won't get your truck into a lot of garages -- even if you have the length, you still have overhead issues with a lot of garages.

And turbos are very reliable these days, the Ford ones in particular. I wouldn't be worried about a turbo failing like in the old days when Saabs and similar early turbos tended to die explosively on you.

It all comes back to what you want. If you aren't towing or carrying, I'd honestly consider something easier to garage and manage, in a crossover SUV or the like. When you're dealing with a short bed anyway, you can manage most of the storage capacity in a number of SUVs and similar vehicles. Obviously you want a pickup so I'll just leave the observation at that. Overall, it's a superb and reliable truck, made better with the Ecoboost, and you can get some crazy promotions on them that make them reasonably affordable.

[54ny77]

While not specific to your question on the Ford itself, I have a pal with the top of line Tundra equivalent (4 door layout and short bed). That bed is totally useless. Unless hauling a bag or two of bird seed is in order. Or a few beach chairs. Inside, very nice, of course. I'd rather have a Tahoe or full size SUV.

Ford makes a nice truck regardless.

[Mike V]

My work truck is a 2015 SuperDuty V8 Crewcab and my personal truck is a 2014 XLT SuperCrew Ecoboost. For towing the the Ecoboost wins hands down. You can get a XLT loaded that it just like the Lariat but without the center console.

[alancw3]

thanks again guys for all the input. you raise some points that i need to seriously think about that i had not considered.

[Mikej]

New Eco-boost specific 10 spd tranny on the 2017. I went through what you are going through and realized I don't need a fuel bill that large for just having a truck. I really only wanted it for the weekend bike trips, the power to make it up hills without dropping down 3 gears. If you live in a hilly area and have a 4 banger accord with 2 bikes on the roof, you pretty much get dusted by everything on the freeway. But for the rest of the week commuting 22 mi each way, I'm very happy at 35 mpg.

[ripvanrando]

This might be a point to consider. Is the back seat of the cab big enough to put your bike there?

My older F150 did not have the width. My 2014 Tundra CrewMax fit my bike with the rear seats folded up. I suspect the newer Ford will fit a bike back there....if that is desired.

[p nut]

I went through the same conundrum a few months ago. Looked at crossovers, SUV's and truck. For me, a full size crewcab truck was the most versatile and fit our lifestyle the best. We ended up with a F150 Supercrew 2.7L Ecoboost, short bed.

Short bed (5.5') may not be as useful as a long bed; however, it depends how and how often you use the bed. I work a 9-5 office job, so big load capacity wasn't critical. What was critical was the overall length to fit in the garage, and really fit everywhere else. Having an actual truck bed vs an integrated cargo area in an SUV was considered, but with home projects (hauled some mulch the other day for me and the neighbors), various outdoor activities, wet/muddy/dirty dogs, etc., the truck bed won out. Even the small 5.5' bed can haul quite a bit (ever tried to fit a king sized bed in an SUV?), and at the end, you can just spray it out if dirty. It's been a good fit for us.

As far as the engine, it's hard to say what the long-term reliability will be like, but I have friends with earlier versions of Ecoboost with 100k+ miles and all they've done is change the oil. Hopefully my experience will be similar. I will say that living at elevation, going up mountain passes is almost like cheating compared to my last N/A V8 SUV. It pulls just so easily. Love it.

If you don't need any towing power, consider the 3.5L N/A engine as well. Much cheaper, better MPG, and proven reliable.