Ford F150 3.7 L V6

Hybridhunter wrote:
The ecodiesel is like tithing, you only do it if you are a believer, and the value equation is tied more to beliefs than economics.

Certainly the strangest post I have seen today.

Yes, all three manufactures are producing base motor trucks getting real world 19-22 mixed MPG depending on the driver.

I have read reports of Pentastar Ram and 3.7 F150 owners knocking down 23-34 mpg highway. I've not read too many reports on the 4.3 yet.

I'm not a brand of truck guy, I've owned Rams and Ford trucks, Several Chevy cars and am confident that all three makes a decent product.

The Pentastar is attractive to me more out of all three motors because of design advancement.

Things like the heads have integrated exhaust manifolds and my experience with my heavy Pentastar Van consistently getting 22-23 mpg in mixed driving and 28 mpg highway (yea surprised me too).

Overall, I'm leaning Pentastar Ram but that's based on just research, I will know more when I am looking out over the hood with the pedal mashed to the floor.

I scoped a crew cab Pentastar Ram online at the dealership I bought my wife's Van at. It has the 3.55 gears, 7200 lb towing capacity , and nearly 1800 lbs of payload. This truck would tow a lightweight TT Just fine. (thinking Apex 288BHS coming in at 4842 lbs dry)

I would not hesitate to use the 3.7 F150 or the 3.6 Pentastar or the 4.3 EcoTec GM to pull a trailer like this. They all three have WAY more HP than my old 5.4 97 F150.

The VVT in the EcoTec is still a question mark in my mind. One camshaft and VVT....I'm in wait and see mode. However, I have not read any reports of issues with the single cam VVT.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

I remember the article motortrend did on all 4 F-150 engines in 2011. The one they were most surprised by was the 3.7 V6.

All base model engines are leaps and bounds beyond what they were just a few short years ago.

Hybridhunter wrote:
The 3.7. V6 is a very trouble free engine, (probably the best from that perspective, based on owners reports) and the f150 is a solid truck with good payload (over 1600# on the truck you are looking at IIRC).

The ram is worth a look, keep an eye on it's typically low payload capacity.

From the article you linked in an earlier post in this thread:
Ram 3.6L/8 speed payload - 1656#
F150 3.7L V6 payload - 1544#

Which has the low payload capacity again? :h

You must hate it when fact gets in the way of your anti-Ram bias. Toilet on 4 wheels? Wow...:R

The OP knows all 3 make good vehicles, and is familiar with the pentastar v6 as he owns one. The fact that it out performs Fords V6 while getting better mpg, and that it has more payload capacity may or may not be important to him.

The 3.7. V6 is a very trouble free engine, (probably the best from that perspective, based on owners reports) and the f150 is a solid truck with good payload (over 1600# on the truck you are looking at IIRC). Make sure you get the tow package, and don't accept the lies from sales people that it can be added after. It's about $1000 to do, you can't have the ford brake controller, no heavy duty cooling, and no select shift

The ram is worth a look, keep an eye on it's typically low payload capacity. The ecodiesel is like tithing, you only do it if you are a believer, and the value equation is tied more to beliefs than economics.

I don't care for GM trucks, but it's hard to say that overall the 5 year old f150 is better than the newer GM, but in many ways it is. If you don't mind the torque management, and the slightly soggy throttle response, you get slightly smoother shifting and a calmer ride in return.

Today I went and drove a 3.7L crew cab F150. To say the least I am impressed with this little motor. It was a brand-new 2014 super crew 2wd XLT.

The motor is rev happy and whenever I stomped it from a stop it quickly went to 7000 RPM before it shifted out of first gear. The little motor pulled really hard going from 0 to 60 miles per hour pretty quick. The truck rode very comfortably and I liked the slope of the hood and the view the F150 gave looking over the Hood better. I found it slightly easier to judge tight turns with the F150 than the wide and tall front end of the Silverado.

The truck was right at $29,000 which I think is a little high but it is a brand-new truck. The really sad thing is the same dealership offered me a brand-new Ecoboost max tow package 4 x 4 XLT with cloth interior for $37,000 very tempting, but MPG and being moderately capable is a priority for me. I would really like to stay around 25k (with my trade and Down Payment) these trucks are also available used in the high teens and low 20's...the used trucks are not really a viable option for the Pentastar Ram's and the 2014 4.3 GM trucks yet.

As far as comparing motors between the 4.3l and the 3.7l using the 2014 4.3L Chevrolet truck that I test drove earlier this year as a test bed. There's no doubt that the 4.3 has more torque low-end however once the Revs really picked up the 3.7L Ford definitely pulled harder. That may be because the rear end on the Ford had the 3.73 ratio.

As it stands for me right now

1) Ford F150 Supercrew 3.7
2) Chevy Silverado 4.3

I am open to the Ram, I just have to go test drive one. Based on my price range the EcoDiesel is pretty well out.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

ib516 wrote:
...... pretty weak.

I'd love to read/see the independent test you're referring to.

Ho Hum. I hope I didn't make you look silly there.

What's the title of this thread again? Why is it some guys have to highjack and argue in every thread, and it always comes back to their brand. The 2011 Ram with the base engine was a toilet with 4 wheels, as far as towing anyhow.

Hybridhunter wrote:
Truck Trend 3.7 vs 3.6

Good article, it matches up well to THIS ONE.

Interesting that in your link, the Ram 1500 with the V6 got better mpg, performed better in acceleration tests (despite the 3.55 axle to the Ford's 3.73), and had more payload.

In any case, a V6 powered truck won't suit my needs, but for those who can use a little truck for very light towing, one of the new crop of V6s is a good choice for car type use and/or light trailer towing duty.

Truck Trend 3.7 vs 3.6

It would be nice if folks would park their brand loyal bias at the door.

Yawn. Not hostile. But I do get bothered by ignorant people who take the tripe that TFL posts as fact. Those are probably the most cluseless people on the planet.
But let's hear what these guys say about the 3.7

"GM Insider News wrote:

So now I bet you are thinking I just drove all of Ford's F-150's and just finished driving the weakest engine in Ford’s lineup. So how could it not be the slowest truck I drove today? Did the Dodge's Hemi blow up or transmission fall to the ground? No. The honor of the slowest truck today goes to the Chevrolet Silverado equipped with the 5.3-liter V-8.

The Generation IV OHV Small Block V-8 puts out 315 HP at 5,200 RPM and 338 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,400 RPM. So how could the Silverado be slower then the 3.7-liter V-6 equipped F-150- which makes less HP and even less torque? Did Ford tamper with the vehicle? Did gum get stuck on the tire? The only conclusion I could conjure up with is that it is just weak."

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