May be in the market for a new truck soon depending on how the service appointment goes Monday.

I drive a lot. 2-300 miles a day typically so fuel economy is main concern. While I know trucks are not great period been driving one almost my entire life now. But adding a third vehicle for work only doesn’t make financial sense right now since I’m job hunting to hopefully drive way less.

2.7 vs 3.5

Not much price difference either way. 2.7 little better mileage on paper at least. I don’t tow much but when I do it’s usually a camper that weighs about 4K pounds. My current ram it completely kills power and mileage as soon as it gets hooked up.

Need some realistic numbers before I commit to buying a Ford. I have no brand loyalty like many do so I don’t really care for the debate. I drive a ton so I usually buy what makes sense at the time. They are not worth much when I get done anyways.

If you're not towing much, the 2.7 gets better mileage and performance empty than the 3.5. Once you load something up on them, the economy goes way, way down, but the 3.5 will move what you want as fast as you'll want to. The power is there, but it's inversely relative to mileage.

There's a lot of "no replacement for displacement" folks out there, and that's just not the case anymore. There's also folks who will say there's too many moving parts and they won't last. My brother's got an '11 3.5 (arguably the worst year for them) with well over 200k on it that's still pulling 4-5k every day. And he's not known for an appreciation towards routine maintenance.

If you want good mileage empty and adequate performance towing, 2.7
If you want adequate mileage empty and good performance towing, 3.5

Beware of the ecoboost motors, cam phasers are a real problem with them. My 2018 Raptor sounds like a diesel upon start-up each morning. It’ll be fixed under warranty, but there’s no “improved” design, they just replace bad phasers with new, bad phasers.

The 5.0 gets just as good of mileage, yes, I’ve owned both. I believe lifetime average was 18.6 with my first 3.5 Raptor and 20.3 with the 5.0. Mostly highway with no towing on either.

Best to keep it simple and stick to the 5.0

I’m on my 3rd 3.5 ecoboost and may be another one in the next few days. Have not had the cam phaser issue spoken about above but I have heard about it. Let’s assume you’re not looking to buy a raptor. They will get better gas mileage than the 5.0 and have more power doing it. Either way both motors are proven and I wouldn’t hesitate either way if I was considering the 5.0. The 3.5 is a $2595 up charge over the base V6, I don’t know what the 5.0 is.

The V8 uses the same cam phasers, so that is not a valid reason to go away from the ecoboost. I have a 2.7 ecoboost (2017) 4x4 with 67000 miles currently. Gas mileage is pretty consistant at 19-21 MPG depending on conditions. I did get the 3.73 gears, and interestingly, I don't see much difference in hwy mileage and city. Now, I do drive very conservatively, but this thing has GOBS of power. I can drive like I stole it, and can honestly say that it is the fastest Truck I have ever driven. When you use the boost, you lose the eco though.

Towing, it does just fine. Towed my boat to Beaver Lake in NW AR, and had no issues keeping up 80 going uphill in the mountains. Towing mileage did drop down to about 13-14. That's what my old 5.4 f150 used to get without towing!

Reliability, up to this point, I have only had a bad brake sensor and a windshield replaced.

Have a 2019 2wd with the 2.7. 62000 miles, CEL for egr purge something or other on at 42000 and 14 months in. Ford said tuff sh!t and hasn't seemed to effect anything yet. Runs like a scalded ape in sport mode. 22-24 hwy and 20 in town. Moved up to 32s for ground clearance and its dropped about 1.5mpg. Towing is horrible. Towing and empty 12' single axle with lift gate was 12.2mpg and the tow rating on the 2wd 4dr short bed is like 6300lbs. The rear suspension is SUPER soft and sways really bad with any kind of load.

If you tow get the 3.5...I’ve had 4 of them and would buy another one tomorrow. GOBS of power.

Have you ever had one make it to 100k?

If you put 200-300 miles a day I would consider one of the half ton diesels. I have a ram ecodiesel and it knocks down 30 mpg empty highway. I use it like I would any other pickup. 91,000 miles and no issues.

Chevy and ford both make one too and as I understand it all perform about the same.

He probably hasn’t kept one over 20k miles. He changes trucks more than he does his underwear

Agree with the half ton diesels for your stated use.

Will pull 4K lbs pretty easily and you will have the fuel economy of a diesel.

Did a run from San Antonio to Austin and back today 33.6 mpg in my 2015 ecodiesel at 65 mph.

Only 65 mph on I35? Sounds like you were impeding traffic. I may have passed you pulling my mule on 20’ trailer.

I stayed in slow lane, but there was plenty of traffic to keep the traffic flow plenty below what people wanted to drive unless you wanted to dodge cars from lane to lane. Anyhow I was working and I don’t mind driving 65 anyway.

2016 here - 110,000 miles - tow occasionally and does great. Cruising highway 65-70 I get 20-21 MPG. On my third one

Congrats but Judd’s never kept a vehicle over 30k

I know some think its pushing too much power through too small a displacement, but I think the ecoboost engines have proved to not be short lived as some expected. These modern engines are built significantly sturdier than their predecessors from a decade or two ago.

Saw my brother's truck at the shop today, 230k and they just had to put a new starter on it. (Doesn't have the start/stop technology) Still the original motor and transmission.

The ecoboost is one of the few turbo motors that was designed from the very beginning to be turbo. People hear “twin turbo” and they automatically think it’s going to blow up. I’ve got faith, just bought my 4th one last night. In fact both of my newer vehicles are 3.5s. 2018 SHO and 2020 F150. When you pull a trailer with one it’s all smiles.

I don't keep them long...the longest ones I've kept though were ecoboost 3.5's. 45k is the most I've put on one....that doesn't change my statement, if I was to buy a 1/2 ton tomorrow it would have the 3.5 in it....our buddy has one with well over 100k on it and I know several others (my Dad just sold one with 120k miles on it).

What is your point? I can't have an opinion or experience with something enough to voice it unless I keep it a certain number of miles? How many ecoboosts have you or BP owned?

Yes, You can only give advice on longevity under 45k

Its just kind of like Buzz giving advice on long term gun ownership...

2017 3.5 92k miles, water pump at 83k no other issues. Am looking to buy another, great motor in my opinion! Drove Toyotas til 2017 when Toyota decided that 2007 technology was good enough, I then switched to Ford with no regrets.....so far.

2017 Expedition with 3.5 and 60k miles. Don’t tow anything with it, but it gets 20 mpg on the hiway. No issues so far.