2014 F150 Ecoboost Review

Tystevens wrote:


But just a couple issues w/ your observations. According to power curves of the EB and 5.0, the EB is generating around 100 more hp at just about every point between 1800 and 3000 rpms or so. Of course, 'feel' is subjective, but I don't understand how the EB could feel less powerful under 3k rpms. Seems you have it backwards -- the EB is far more powerful than the 5.0 under 3k rpm, at which point the 5.0 starts to catch up.

Although I haven't driven a 5.0 for any meaningful amount of time, that is certainly the case when compared to my GM 5.3. I feel like I have to push a lot harder on the right pedal when I get out of my F150 and in to the family Suburban, that is for sure. Just my own observations.

Well I can believe that for the 5.3L suburban as that was one of the slowest vehicles I've ever driven but it does it's purpose well.

I thought the same about the Eco until I read 2 of pickuptrucks.com articles with dyno results comparing the 2, that explained exactly what I was experiencing.

The Eco, even according to Ford, doesn't produce it's low end power at lower gears. It's the upper gears since they have enough loading for the turbos.

With a standard apples to apples dyno, the Eco had less low end power than the 5.0L but had higher upper end rpm torque than the 5.0L. Confused Pickuptrucks.com to why so a Ford engineer was called out and new testing came out.

This new test wasn't apples to apples but was tuned so the Eco could get it's rated output but was tuned to affect the test of a normally aspirated engine negatively.

Hours and hours to get it to provide the results Ford stated and with it needing to be loaded at lower gears to get the low end torque. Just as if you power braked it to get the turbos going. Just starting from a stop normally isn't going to produce the low end power Ford stated. The turbos must be loaded in advance. As I said, with upper gears, the loading is already there and why the Eco does so well in 4th gear and above.

This is exactly what I felt all my Eco drives.

The 2014 Eco felt less powerful than the 2013 Eco but I feel they did some manipulations to get the condensation to stop accumulating in the inter-cooler by reducing the efficiency of it as they did in the past with blocking part of it with deflectors.

I'm sure the torque and HP peaks are as they were but with reduced power in other parts of the power curve.

I don't think either engine is any better for towing than the other, I just feel it's what you would rather have.

I like instantaneous power off the line as well as good power at the mid and top. I just like the way the 5.0L behaves while others prefer the Eco's behavior better.

Pickuptrucks.com's earlier test that was apples to apples without Ecoboost tuning. HERE

Pickuptrucks.com's later test that was apples to oranges that favored the Ecoboost with tuning especially for the Eco over the 5.0 N/A engine. HERE