New F-150 - V6 w/Ecoboost?

Tons of posts on this subject. It will not get any better towing mpg people who have them like them.

The advantage the Ecoboost has over regular V8s is that it has lots of torque, even at low RPM, so it pulls hills really good without winding up to 4,000+ RPMs. If you plan to stay mostly in Louisiana, there probably isn't much advantage. If you plan to go to Colorado, big advantage. Fuel economy will probably be very similar between the 2 engines.

Video showing Ecoboost's pulling power

We have a 2012 EB and we do LOVE it. Towing mpg is about 10 mpg, but non-towing, we get at least 18 on the highway. We have the MAX tow and the HD package, along with a crew cab 4X4 and that affects the mpg, so if you don't have those, you will get even better.

We tow MUCH more than you plan to tow.

The 5.0 engine is a good one for towing but can't measure up to the Ecoboost. I"ve towed 10,500 lb. over 7% grades in 4th gear at over 10,000 feet elevation. DO remember though there is more to a good towing truck than it's power plant. Payload, GVWR and gearing are also important so look at the whole package, not just the engine, before making a decision. If it was ALL about power there would be a lot more top fuel dragsters towing trailers :)
Good luck / Skip

I would keep what you have and save a bunch of money. My V8 does just fine at 11,000 feet BTW.

skipnchar wrote:
The 5.0 engine is a good one for towing but can't measure up to the Ecoboost. I"ve towed 10,500 lb. over 7% grades in 4th gear at over 10,000 feet elevation. DO remember though there is more to a good towing truck than it's power plant. Payload, GVWR and gearing are also important so look at the whole package, not just the engine, before making a decision. If it was ALL about power there would be a lot more top fuel dragsters towing trailers :)
Good luck / Skip

Agreed .. and make sure you get LT tires. Many times they have P rated tires on the lot and I've towed with both. We used to have some sway concerns that were caused by the softer sidewalls on the P tires.
Love towing now with the ecoboost and LT tires.

I drove smaller SUV for quite a while but then wanted to tow something very similar to the TT you describe. (5000lbs dry 28 ft) but didn't want to have two vehicles. I decided o the ecoboost because when not towing the gas milage is better than a V8 but towing it is delightful!!

It will do it better than the 5.0L

I have an Ecoboost now and agree, it does tow great. That being said, my previous F150 had the 5.4 V8 and had no problem towing our trailer either, (5,000) even in the mountains. And my V8 actually got better mileage by about 2 mpg both towing and unloaded. The Ecoboost cost an additional $2,500 including rebates, and gets a little worse fuel mileage. If I was towing a heavier trailer maybe I would appreciate the extra torque, but for me, the Ecoboost additional cost was not justified for my needs. Maybe I'll recover something when it comes time to trade it.
I haven't owned a 5.0, but from what I remember it had very similar power numbers to the older 5.4. I'll sure be looking closer when is time for a new truck.

Thanks for all the great input! We went and looked this afternoon, and found we waited too long. There aren't enough 2013s left that we like. He saw the perfect one this morning, but it was already claimed.
He wants the King Ranch version. :R
Good to hear that the V8 does well at elevations. We're going to Arkansas in May, and that will be a little more elevation that we're used to. Maybe next year, and we'll look at those V6 Eco-boost then.
Thanks!
Mary