I want your opinions on the Ecoboost.....

[huntsonora]

It looks like my 03 Dodge QCSB is sold and I am thinking about selling my 4Runner Trail Edition and just going with a crew cab F-150 with the Ecoboost. I drove one the other day and absolutely loved it but other than that I just don't know a lot about them. The torque was amazing and the truck was cruising 65 at just over 1500 RPM's. It was effortless

Whats unknown is the durability of the twin turbo setup. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I think this would make a better family vehicle for my wife and I with our 2 kids and dog. We have a son due in August and our daughter is 14 months old so both will be in rear facing car seats. They just have a difficult time fitting on the 4Runner with the front seats back. I'm 6'4" and 260lbs so I need that seat back to be comfortable on longer trips

Talk to me fellas

 

[Kaisen]

The EcoBoost can be a good choice. They've had little issues but they've proven to be pretty stout. Don't discount the Ford 5.0, as they can be much less expensive in real transaction prices and get only ~1-2mpg less

Also, look hard at the new 2014 GM Crews with the 5.3L.....better fuel economy than the EcoBoost in a simple pushrod V8 that has plenty of snort. If the complexity of the TTV6 worries you, the GM V8 is the antithesis.

Read the pickuptrucks.com article posted here a few days ago

 

[huntsonora]

I think what intrigues me the most about the Ecoboost is the usable torque. You don't have to get the RPM's up to get it. It would be nice to have here in the mountains of Colorado.

Still tossing around ideas in my mind. I went and drove the new Dodge and just am not sold on it. It's a nice truck but it is so low to the ground. I'll tear stuff off that truck pretty quick

I'll go read that article

 

[Kaisen]

Turbos are great in the mountains to compensate for the loss of oxygen at altitude.

Otherwise, I'd buy the GM 5.3L......still *way* more torque at low rpm than your 2003 Dodge or your 4Runner. More torque down low than the Ford 5.0 or Ram 5.7 too.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...kuptrucks-com-test-of-2013-light-duty-pickups

 

[bigreen505]

I think what intrigues me the most about the Ecoboost is the usable torque. You don't have to get the RPM's up to get it. It would be nice to have here in the mountains of Colorado.

Still tossing around ideas in my mind. I went and drove the new Dodge and just am not sold on it. It's a nice truck but it is so low to the ground. I'll tear stuff off that truck pretty quick

I'll go read that article

Just stick with a V8. The advantages of the Ecoboost engine are more marketing than real. If MPG is a concern, I can tell you that a 2WD Ecoboost F150 in Colorado will get 16-18 if you drive it like nothing matters more than fuel economy. Those numbers are real world from a friend who competed in the Ford EcoBoost Challenge. I can tell you that my old Chevy 5.3 Suburban will get 18 on the highway without trying too hard, and the big engine (6.2?) runs about 19 regardless of how you drive it. I've heard the new 5.3s are over 20 mpg, but no personal experience.

I don't know how you are planning to use this vehicle, but I have to imagine a full size truck is a lot of truck off highway. I won't take mine on anything much more challenging than a relatively smooth dirt road. I have never driven a Ford or Dodge, but the Chevy stock suspension is pretty rough in the dirt. I think it just doesn't have any travel. If you are just looking for a family car, a Suburban is hard to beat. If the plan is to take your family off pavement, I would give the 100 and 200 series Land Cruisers a hard look. There is a lot of room in there.

 

[huntsonora]

Just stick with a V8. The advantages of the Ecoboost engine are more marketing than real. If MPG is a concern, I can tell you that a 2WD Ecoboost F150 in Colorado will get 16-18 if you drive it like nothing matters more than fuel economy. Those numbers are real world from a friend who competed in the Ford EcoBoost Challenge. I can tell you that my old Chevy 5.3 Suburban will get 18 on the highway without trying too hard, and the big engine (6.2?) runs about 19 regardless of how you drive it. I've heard the new 5.3s are over 20 mpg, but no personal experience.

I don't know how you are planning to use this vehicle, but I have to imagine a full size truck is a lot of truck off highway. I won't take mine on anything much more challenging than a relatively smooth dirt road. I have never driven a Ford or Dodge, but the Chevy stock suspension is pretty rough in the dirt. I think it just doesn't have any travel. If you are just looking for a family car, a Suburban is hard to beat. If the plan is to take your family off pavement, I would give the 100 and 200 series Land Cruisers a hard look. There is a lot of room in there.

I guide hunts for a living and have always had a full size truck.

I really wasn't wanting to get into a Ford vs Chevrolet thread. I appreciate the feedback but am trying to gather as much info on the Ecoboost as possible.

As I stated previously, I drove one the other day and I absolutely loved it. I liked it better than the Chevrolet and the Dodge and want to gather as much info on that particular engine as possible.

 

[huntsonora]

Turbos are great in the mountains to compensate for the loss of oxygen at altitude.

Otherwise, I'd buy the GM 5.3L......still *way* more torque at low rpm than your 2003 Dodge or your 4Runner. More torque down low than the Ford 5.0 or Ram 5.7 too.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...kuptrucks-com-test-of-2013-light-duty-pickups

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

My 03 dodge had the 5.9 Cummins. It was nothing but torque and could pull most mountain passes in 6th gear. It was a great truck that would have never been sold if I could have gotten both child seats in the back with no problems

 

[Kaisen]

As I stated previously, I drove one the other day and I absolutely loved it. I liked it better than the Chevrolet and the Dodge and want to gather as much info on that particular engine as possible.

Really? You drove a 2014 GM pickup the other day? You might have, as they started arriving at dealers last week......but I doubt it. It's seriously worth a drive.

Anyway, the 3.5L EcoBoost has had only little glitches but no huge catastrophes. Mostly software and engine management stuff. Transmissions are good. Rest of truck mechanicals have remained the same for a while. They had lots of issues with the electric power steering, but I think they've addressed them.

If you live in the mountains, turbos can make sense.

 

[Kaisen]

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

My 03 dodge had the 5.9 Cummins. It was nothing but torque and could pull most mountain passes in 6th gear. It was a great truck that would have never been sold if I could have gotten both child seats in the back with no problems

Ah, normally people state that right away. I assumed it was a gasser / Hemi. That Cummins had torque in spades....

 

[Larry]

I couldn’t imagine letting go of a Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition for a F150. Take a read at this USA Today article. NHTSA is investigating the engines as well.

 

[huntsonora]

Really? You drove a 2014 GM pickup the other day? You might have, as they started arriving at dealers last week......but I doubt it. It's seriously worth a drive.
.

No, I drove the Ecoboost the other day and loved it and this is the reason I am asking about it here.

I have not driven, nor have I seen, a 2014 model year truck of any make yet

 

[huntsonora]

I couldn’t imagine letting go of a Toyota 4Runner Trail Edition for a F150. Take a read at this USA Today article. NHTSA is investigating the engines as well.

I LOVE the Trail Edition but its tough with 2 kids in rear facing child seats and a dog. Not a lot of room.

I'm just looking at options right now, I am just happy that my Dodge will be going to a good home. The Trail Edition may be the family mobile for another year or so and I can see what changes are coming for 2015 for the other trucks. Just weighing my options.

Again, I appreciate all the feedback

 

[bigreen505]

I think gathering real info about the durability of the EcoBoost engines is a little difficult because the older ones were somewhat inconsistent (some worked, some didn't), and while Ford claims they fixed the problems with the 2013 model, it is too early to tell. Reminds me a little of the debacle with the 6.0 diesel. It sounds like you are interested in the EcoBoost for the BOOST rather than the ECO, and in that case it is a fine engine provided they really do have the issues worked out. The FX4 is very nice. Someone brought one on one of our trips and it seemed like a supremely comfortable vehicle, but when planning the trip for the following year we had to scrap our intended route because a stock full size truck would have been a very tight fit on some trails. My suggestion of the Suburban was not a Ford/Chevy thing (I'm about as brand agnostic as you get), more about wagon vs. pickup as a family vehicle, but if you are looking to use it as a guide vehicle, a pickup is probably the way to go.

I don't know how long you plan to keep the truck, but you might consider checking out a used one with 150,000 miles or so just to get a feel for how they age.

EDIT: Again, I don't really know how you will use the truck, but if you spend a lot of time in the dirt and slow to moderate speeds, you might think about putting the truck in low range and see how it accelerates uphill up to about 30 mph. Some turbocharged engines seem to dish out maximum power in a rush when what you really need is finesse and constant power. A twin turbo arrangement should solve that problem, but it all comes down to engine and transmission programming.

 

[DT75FLH]

there is a thread on pirate about the ecoboost also. One of the guys posted that one has an eco boost and one has the 6.2..identical trucks. both got the same towing with the 6.2 edging the ecoboost. the 6.2 only lost about 1mpg to the ecoboost in DD. alot of usable torque without the complexities of the twin turbos'

I have a 5.4 4x4 CC f150 for a work truck. I love the cab's as 4 big guys fit inside. the cabs are roomy.

I was researching the eco boost and agree that alot of the mpg is hype. as most are getting 14-18 in the CCSB 4x4.

I'm leaning toward the 6.2 ford for my next work truck.


YMMV

 

[duckhunter71]

I drove a 2014 Sierra crew cab 4x4 earlier this week. It was a nice truck, but I personally prefer the Ford. I have a friend with the EcoBoost who loves it and my dad has the 5.0. Both are great engines.

I liked the seating position and visibility of the Ford better than the GMC and also felt like the Ford had a better interior. I don't think you can go wrong with either truck, but I know which one I'd be happiest with!