2013 Ford 3/4 ton vs ton GAS

Grit dog wrote:
If you have the choice, get the 1 ton.
If you're dead set on a 6.2 Ford gasser to pull a decent size 5ver, please do yourself a favor and drive one with a good load behind it before buying.
It's a pretty anemic engine, power wise. Like plan on 2nd gear wound up at 5000rpms going 40 mph up EVERY hill, even the little ones.

Before someone refutes this, realize I just took my new (company truck) F250, 6.2, 3.73's from WA to AK towing a 2 place enclosed sled trailer with about 1000lbs in the truck bed. Less than 5k lbs total load and trailer.
Alot of the northern roads were bad so took it slow for the most part.
Got 8mpg and it was gutless going up hills. Little hills were an immediate drop to 3rd gear. Bigger hills were 2nd gear wound up. And no high altitude either. All 4k ft or bleow.

Same drive again with my diesel, grossing close to 18k between the camper and a trailer. Much worse aerodynamics, waay more weight, got 12.2mpg overall and only had to drop 'er out of 6th gear due to EGT's or road too curvy to go 60mph.

Grit Dog, I don't believe that you have PERSONALLY drove a 2011 and up Ford with the 6.2. If you really did and the truck was NEW you need to understand that these newer engines really do not develop their full potential right off the lot.

They NEED some miles to break in and loosen up a bit (my 2013 which now has 6K is getting 1 mpg BETTER than it did when I first drove it off the dealer lot.

Empty MPG is now 15.1 and just got back from a trip towing my 26ft TT which is about 6500 lbs with gear. Plus 4 bicycles, a 120 lb generator plus firewood and basic tools in the back of the truck. Not to mention 3 passengers plus other personal items in the truck. I am figuring I was easily hauling 7,500 lbs. Low MPG was 9.5 and high MPG was 10.1 towing the whole thing on some very long 8%-9% grades maintaining 65-70 MPH going UP those grades in 4th gear.

I am SUPER impressed with this engine, the improvement from my older 2006 3V 300HP 5.4 is night and day. My 2006 was getting low of 8.6 MPG to a high of 9.1 MPG on the SAME route and that was maintaining 60-65 MPH and 2 gear out of the 5 speed trans.

To say the 6.2 is anemic is simply wrong. What you fail to understand is many of the newer engines actually have TOO much power (HP AND TORQUE) that the computer is DESIGNED to "dial back" the power under certain conditions, if they didn't you WOULD be burning off a lot of tire each and every time you start moving. One of these is off the line drag racing.

Driving them like you stole it also does not help any gas mileage.

There are many reasons as to why someone would not want to own a diesel. I will give you some of mine.

Simply put, the initial added cost to the purchase price. I can not justify spending an additional $6K-$10K PREMIUM for a truck.

There is NO PAYBACK, PERIOD for buying a diesel even if you sold it you will never ever get that $6K-$10 extra back at used prices, you might squeak and extra $2K out of at resale time but that is not enough for me to justify it.

Diesel COSTS MORE than 87 gas.

Mileage, sorry, hate to break it to you but the newer smogged diesels are barely getting 15 MPG empty and perhaps 11-12 MPG towing. Simply not enough there for me to justfy.

Smogged diesels require adding additional DEF fluid, another COST to figure in. No savings there..

Diesels require more expensive oil changes.

Newer smogged diesels REQUIRE more frequent fuel filter changes PLUS the added bonus of emptying a water separator (wasting more fuel in the process).

Newer diesels feature a very "sensitive" fuel system to contaminants which can easily blow out if you FAIL to follow the above routine for the fuel filters and water separator or if you accidentally put DEF into the fuel. A $10K REPAIR and may not be covered under warranty.

Diesels are not good for short trips, especially with the smogged ones, they need 20 miles or miles to properly regen.

No advantages to me..