2016-2017 F150 4x4 EcoBoost - Real world experiences??

bglenden

Member
I have a 2017 3.5 EB FX4 Supercab 6.5' bed, 36 gallon tank, max tow. My wife and I (kids are grown) are very happy with it - it hits the sweet spot for us (can tow, can moderately off-road, can haul stuff in the bed). The 36 gallon tank is very nice - I don't usually bother taking extra gas. I occasionally go on rides with a local 4x4 club; what is a "moderate" trail for the jeeps is about the limit of what the truck/driver can handle (2" level, some added weight (winch etc.). I would definitely not want to be a foot longer (6.5' supercrew) - I scrape enough already. It does great on ordinary forest service roads (it eats up corrugations), and straightforward trails like the "White Rim" trail are similarly no problem. While we are adding a rack and RTT, camping out of the 6.5' bed (with tonneau cover) is very comfortable - we've just been using Plano boxes.

Be aware with the EB you are limited in winch bumper selections unless you relocate the intercooler. With my added weight and 2" level, but stock tire size (KO2s), I can just edge above 20mpg on the highway at 65 if I'm delicate with the accelerator, but normally average about 17 with my town and normal highway driving (80mph) mix.

For us it has been a great purchase, but everyone has a different mix of needs.
 

Regcabguy

Oil eater.
2018 XLT. 3.5 ecoboost.
Loaded up with 4 people and lots of bags.
Numerous mountain passes.
From Grand junction CO to yellowstone NP.
ARE camper on the 5.5 bed.
View attachment 522834
Is that downhill?
2018 XLT. 3.5 ecoboost.
Loaded up with 4 people and lots of bags.
Numerous mountain passes.
From Grand junction CO to yellowstone NP.
ARE camper on the 5.5 bed.
View attachment 522834
Downhill? My neighbor's 2wd Supercrew,3.5 Ecoboost with MIchelin pizza cutters averages 15-16 mpg combined.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
How many stops? Idle time?

I recommend only using hwy mileage. That's the only fair test.

Ashland OH, to Dayton, all hwy, 77mph cruise control nets 16+mpg on my F250 with XL wheels and tires. I get 0 in the city, and every time I touch the brake pedal, kiss 0.5mpg away.
 

Dougnuts

Well-known member
Is that downhill?

Downhill? My neighbor's 2wd Supercrew,3.5 Ecoboost with MIchelin pizza cutters averages 15-16 mpg combined.

Your neighbor must have a very heavy foot or do a majority of his trips in the city. Not sure about the picture you quoted, but my truck’s meter reads about 1 to 1.1mpg higher than Fuelly has given me and I’ve seen 24mpg on the dash from St. Louis to Lincoln, NE.



Regarding the 5.0 being solid, it seems that the newer ones have a ticking noise issue, as do the Mustangs. Just be advised that there may be something there.
 

Nunz

New member
I have a 2017 2.7 XL supercab with the FX4 and STX packages, 6spd and 3.55 gear ratio. I wanted the XL because I didn’t want carpet in my truck and I prefer the gear selector on the tree. The one I found just happened to have the STX package and I’m glad it did - lots of good stuff.
I read a lot about the 2.7 engine design, and I used one quite a bit at work on an airport snow team. I drove the 3.5 and the 5.0 before deciding I liked the 2.7 best. It feels the quickest, gets slightly better mileage, and was the cheapest of the 3. I considered competitors, but after driving every mid and full size truck, the choice was pretty obvious.

My impressions after 20k miles:
Performance: Super light on its feet - the aluminum body is really something. The little 2.7 in sport mode is faster than you would expect for a truck. I’ve owned many different turbos in the past, and the lag in these twin-turbo trucks is almost negligible. I was surprised to read someone mention turbo lag in an earlier post.
Problems: I haven’t had any issues other than a door lock recall - issues with freezing weather - fixed for free under warranty.
Towing: The truck tows very well power-wise, but there’s not much weight in the rear so a wdh would help, but I still tow a 4K lb travel trailer with a ball hitch and no issues - just long distance fatigue. I take about a 5mpg hit towing that trailer, from an average 20 to about 15. The stock FX4 shocks are garbage.
Off road / Snow & Ice: Pretty good for what it is. I’ve been in some places I had no business going and never got stuck. 4Lo and the rear locker is the business. The FX4 comes with downhill assist but I’ve never used it so can’t comment.
Rain: Not great unless you splurge for the version that’s AWD. Typical truck.
Minor annoyances: The auto start/stop is fine in decent weather, but sucks when it’s hot out and the AC isn’t on full blast. If AC is on high or you’re in tow/haul mode the start/stop function is deactivated. Its just a button, but still lame. Also, it’s kind of high off the ground for a stock truck, but I imagine some people like that.

Advice:
Get the tow haul/payload package and the big gas tank. It will just open up options you may not currently be considering.
A backup camera would be nice, but if you don’t mind mirror parking it’s not a huge deal.
Swap the crappy rancho shocks for bilsteins.
Get running boards.
If you get an XL, make sure it has the STX option.
 

ebrabaek

Adventurer
Is that downhill?

Downhill? My neighbor's 2wd Supercrew,3.5 Ecoboost with MIchelin pizza cutters averages 15-16 mpg combined.

Not at all.
Numerous mountain passes that we climbed. Granted the highest speed was 70 mph, but most was 60-65.
 

ebrabaek

Adventurer
Have a look at any map from Grand junction CO to west yellowstone NP.
Hwy 191 most of the way. The picture is from real hwy @ around 65mph ( simply because that was the speed limit) and then numerous mountain passes.
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
Since you were previously contemplating a mid size, I'm guessing that you don't to anything heavy, thus you have no need for the 3.5. The 2.7 is a great motor and doesn't have the timing chain problems that some of the 3.5 have.

There is a video on YouTube showing a drag race between the 2.7, 3.5, and 5.0. The 2.7 wasted the 5.0 and showed that the 3.5 isn't worth the decreased fuel economy unless you actually need it.

I have had the 3.5 and 5.0 in work trucks and currently have the 2.7 in my truck. While all three are good motors, the 2.7 is definitely my favorite. There is zero lag and with a simple tune it turns into an absolute monster.


I have a 2017 Screw STX 2wd. I get 24-25 mpg doing 70, 27-28 mpg doing 65, and 19-20 mpg doing 80. I usually get 20-21 mpg in town. My life time average over ~33,000 miles is 20.9 mpg. The worst I have gotten is 9mpg towing a buddies camper. It was around 9k and ai set the cruise at 75mpg.
 

rajacat

Active member
I have a 2018 F150 Supercab 3.5 Ecoboost. Just completed a 2000 mile mixed freeway, mountain, city and offroad trip. 1/3 of the trip was with a relatively unloaded truck and the meter said 21.1 / 20.24 hand calculated. I didn't baby it and it included 80 mph Highway 90 N. Idaho. 2/3 of the trip was with the addition of a Gofast camper and I got slightly over 19 mpg with similar driving conditions but more 8000 ft+ altitude and more dirt roads. I hand calculated.
Around my little town, where most drives are 3-4 miles I get 12-14.

So far the truck has been trouble free and has handled every situation with ease. It hardly notices the camper and is still fun to drive. It's probably the fastest stock 4WD pickup on the market not that I need that much speed. The new Fords have the largest payload and greatest towing capacity of any non diesel 1/2 ton pickup. The stock 3.5 EB is a torque monster @ 470 lb./ft. and the torque is available at low RPM. In mountain driving its's nice not to have the engine whining at high RPM much of the time. Also high altitude doesn't affect turbo charged engines as much as NA engines.
 
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JTM

New member
We are getting closer to switching up the vehicle fleet, and I'm narrowing down my choices. My car (VW Passat AWD) is mostly a duplicate of my wife's existing car (Honda CR-V), and the van is developing more issues than I can stay ahead of (rust, paint problems, interior layout not ideal now that we have children). All 3 vehicles were pre-marriage and pre-children, and all 3 are mid-2000s so they are getting up there in mileage and years...with the associated problems. The thought is to replace the VW and van with a crew cab truck sooner than later, and eventually replace the CR-V with a Subaru Ascent.

I am hoping to hear from owners, or past owners, of the Ford F150 with the EcoBoost engine. I'm leaning toward the F150 as it checks many boxes for me:

  • 6 forward facing seats (assuming front bench seat)
  • Separate cargo and passenger areas - tired of hearing my wife complain about everything that is supposedly going to be flying around the passenger compartment in my van during an accident
  • Gets the best MPGs (on paper) of any full-size truck I'm considering (assuming proper engine/tranny pairing)
  • Good safety rating vs. other trucks
  • Engine Start/Stop feature - some people complain about this, I think I'm willing to compromise to get better MPG and pollute less
My ideal configuration would be:

  • 2017
  • EcoBoost V6 (best MPG that I can find in a truck)
  • 10 speed tranny (helps MPG statement above)
  • XLT or Lariat package
  • Bench front seat (we have a times of needed to seat 6 people)
  • 6.5' bed
I'm also considering the 2016 model, but the 10 speed tranny was not offered.

A 1/2 ton truck is the compromise with my wife. She really wants me to get a midsize truck (easier for her to drive), I really want a 3/4 ton truck (enables the use of a lightweight slide-in camper, manual tranny is possible). I think the happy medium is a 1/2 ton with the 6.5' bed to enable a topper like an AT Summit (link) or an OVRLND. A model year of 2016-2017 gets the prices down to something reasonable for me (~$25,000).

So if anyone has anything good/bad/otherwise to say about their F150, I'd be interested in listening! For the record, the other truck I'm considering is the 2017 RAM 1500 - better interior, worse MPG, worse safety rating, better appearance (IMO), lots of aftermarket support.

I see that Ford is developing a hybrid and EV F150. That could be interesting but I'm not an early adopter, nor can I afford a brand new $60,000 truck (I'm assuming they won't be cheap).

Thanks!

Compromise is a terrible idea, let her pick what she wants or she's going to be blaming you for however long till she gets the car she wants. Another point is a 1/2 ton is no substitute for a 3/4 ton, if you want a 3/4 ton just get her what she wants, wait two years, and buy the truck you want (or you can get your truck first and then get her the minivan she really wants); you'll both be happier. The 3/4 ton can haul a nicer camper so the family is more likely to want to go camping with you, can't tell you how my guys I've wheeled with over the years who's spouse wouldn't go with them.

With that out of the way, I'm really happy with my new F150 XLT FX4. The auto start/stop is really annoying when it's 90+ outside and the A/C compressor stops with the motor. Good luck find a 6.5' bed, I gave up and settled for the 5.5', because I didn't want a white truck.


Just stick to the xl or xlt's and you're good to go. Transmission is a non issue.

I'd go new to avoid someone elses problem child. Or I'd consider a simpler 5.0. There's a thread here of exactly that.

Mid size trucls are hardly easier to drive. Easier than a 3/4 ton maybe. Might have park at the back of a parking lot, tell the wife she needs the exercise anyways!

Guessing you don't own and haven't owned a Mid Size truck in the last decade, because there is a huge difference between driving a Mid Size and a Full Size. Especially in a parking garage.
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
The F150 can be had with a 6.5' bed and the HDPP (Heavy Duty Payload Package), thus giving it the payload capacity of previous generations of 3/4 ton trucks.
 

JTM

New member
The F150 can be had with a 6.5' bed and the HDPP (Heavy Duty Payload Package), thus giving it the payload capacity of previous generations of 3/4 ton trucks.

HD package is only for the 5.0L V8, it's what I was looking for when I settled for a left over 2018. The biggest issue I had when looking for an F150 was trying to find one with a tow package and a 6.5' bed, the dealers around me were ordering the trucks and just adding the $95 hitch which limits your tow rating to what a Mid size truck can tow.
 

Bigc3031

Active member
I have 105,000+ miles on my 2015 F150 3.5EB 6.5’ super crew 4x4 lariat with max tow. It’s fully loaded.

This has been the best truck I’ve owned but there have been some issues.

The sunroof sucks. I’ve had it replaced 3 times. I’ll never get one again.
The throttle body failed two weeks ago. This is common at around 100k and the replacement features a metal gear instead of the plastic one.
The cooling seats suck. They heat up over time. The newer trucks have gone back to a fan based ventilated seat which actually works.
Tailgate solenoid failed. Month in, no problems since.
3 of 4 studs sheered on the turbo but drove fine. Dealer fixed in a day.
I lose the auto parallel parking feature which I love if I do a winch bumper. I know this sounds ridiculous but I use the auto park 4-5 times a week.


All of this aside I would buy the truck again. My plan is to buy the last model year they have the same bed dimensions and transfer all my gear over to it. The power is awesome, the ride is great, the service has been stellar.

There are more f150s in the field than all other full sized trucks from all domestic brands combined. There is a reason for this. This is also why you will find more complaints, it’s the sheer number out there.
 

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