Hey guys I very well may be in the market for a new truck next week and I know what I want as far as the truck (FX4 Supercrew 6.5' bed) but what I'm undecided on is whether I want the 5.0 or the ecoboost. So for you guys with simlar setups can you please way in on the pros and cons you have seen with your engine choice? Please if you do not have first hand experience with these engines do not weigh in as I only want first hand actual impressions.

 

Don't you like to open up cans of worms? Let the banter begin!

Ecoboost Pro
More torque/horsepower
Better hiway mileage (if not pulling a load)
Slightly more towing capacity

Ecoboost Con
Costs $750
Some are concerned about reliability of turbo
Turbo lag mainly accellerating fast from a dead stop
Only available with 26 gal fuel tank

The opposite should hold true for the 5.0 argument.

 

Depending on who you are in the arguement the quietness of the Eco can be either a pro or con!!
Me...after owning V8s for years I find the quietness a good thing!
And turbo lag is slight at best!!!
5.0L still don't stand a chance!!

 

I don't wanna start a battle, just want to hear your first hand likes and dislikes of the engine you picked. I don't care to hear about the 5.0 doesn't stand a chance or anything of that sort. Thanks guys.

 

i have the 5.0
power is good
mileage is awesome (w/ in 0-.5 mpg of an identicle ecoboost)
quiet (so is the ecoboost)
i found the turbo lag on the ecoboost to annoy the hell out of me on the test drive (worse than my 6.0 diesel)

i went with the 5.0 for 2 main reasons
turbo lag and simplicity of the 5.0. i figured the 5.0 has less possible things to go wrong at 125k+ miles than the ecoboost.

 

I've had my ecoboost since late Feb, I can not find one bad thing about it, I tow a 25' travel trailer, It weighs about 7500 fully loaded. The ecoboost tows fantastic. My 08 with the 5.4 would strugle with the same trailer. I would go with eco......

 

Excellent, thanks guys for the good information, keep it coming.

 

I found that the only time I run into turbo lag is if I try to accelerate quickly from a dead stop, other than that, it's non existent.

I chose the EB 3.5 over the 5.0 mainly because of fuel mileage differences between the 2. It's not much of a difference, (2mpg hwy IIRC) but it's still 10%, it adds up after a while. Mileage I'm seeing so far: 20-23 Hwy (depending on speed) and 13-15 city. City mileage so far for me has been a bit of a disappointment. I'm averaging close to 18 mixed, so it's pretty much on target with the EPA in that respect. Much better than the 13 avg my old 04 5.4 was getting.

I do not tow heavy often, and haven't done so with this truck yet, but I have no doubt it will do just fine. I would not expect to get better mileage out of the EB over the 5.0 while towing. The small gas tank as mentioned earlier is an issue of you do plan to tow long trips on a regular basis.

I am also not concerned about the reliability of this motor. I realize I do not have a lot of time on the truck yet, but for FoMoCo to be pushing this engine in it's best selling platform has to mean something.

 

I test drove both and found the Ecoboost to be far superior. I have no doubt that I made the right decision in getting the Ecoboost, but I do see one negative - I simply HATE that off center front tag mount! Fortunately I am in a state that does not require a front tag mount so I simply removed mine.

 

I bought a 5.0L, I never even test drove the Eco, I kick my *** everyday for not at least taking the Eco for a test drive...

 

Question is do you prefer torque at LOW rpm, quiet and better mpg

OR

Do you want the sound of a V8, older, proven technology and higher rpm torque?

The Eco will never sound like a typical V8. The v8 will not match the Eco in quietness or torque (without many mods).

So it depends on who you are and what you want. Both are better than the 5.4 I had for my 01 annd 05 F150s, but they were still good reliable engines for me. These are just icing and we are discussing really good or even better - but it is subjective depending on how you value each engine's attributes.

 

Additional comment, at 26 gallons the tank is smaller than what I had in my '05 5.4 (also an fx4 screw) but the fuel range is still better! Also regarding comments about moving parts... The 5.0 may actually have more when you take into account two more cylinders? I also find that in stock form the sound between the two is negligible, but the 5.0 definitely has the potential for a nice V8 rumble

 

Dude:
Not stating a dislike or slagging the 5.0....
Test drove multiple F150s the same day,Ecoboost and 5.0s
Drove the same test loop,trying to mimic the same pattern of driving.
Found the turbo lag to be minimal,and the throttle lag of 5.0,waiting for the revs to build to be just as bad or worse.
Again once the turbos spool up the Eco is gone,the 5.0 will be left behind.
Hooking a trailer up to it and doing the same thing would probably make an even bigger difference.
Drive em yourself...you are the only one who can decide what you prefer...

 

I just can't handle the sound of the V6, much less pay $750 extra for it, plus, turbos will require extra maintenance. I drove the 5.0 and like it ok. It was not any better than my 5.4 with a custom tune, but it should get a lot better mpg. The $750 I will save getting the 5.0 will buy a lot of gas at 1 to 2 mpg.

 

That $750 would also buy a nice custom tune to make up for the difference in mpg, plus an exhaust.