Maybe there's no comparison and the Eco is just better in every way, but maybe you guys have something to note about the differences, that's why I am asking.

Heres the reason. I am looking at buying a truck here about as soon as possible, but I am also not in too much of a hurry.

Today, I went and drove a used 5.0 4x4 2011 Crew. It was cool, but then I drove a new 2012 SuperCab 4x4 Ecoboost. And all I have to say is OHHH MYYYY GAWWWD!

I went and got a credit approval and everything for the Eco truck and they were supposedly going to give me this Grey 4x4 XLT Eco for $100 over invoice. I think the total purchase price was going to be $37,937.02 OTD. But in the end, leasing was not an option for me and the $527.47 monthly payment was personally too much for me.


So, now I am impressed by this truck, but I am coming to realize that about the only thing that I am going to feel that I can make an acceptable payment on is a 2010 truck with the 5.4L.

Now, I have had a 2004 FX4 with a 5.4 and it wasnt totally impressive. Nice truck, but really nothing special. Can you guys tell me how the newer 5.4 is at least. I am kind of getting the idea that its in general a better motor than the 2004 was.

Help me out here, please.

BTW, does anyone have some general MPG estimates for a 2010 5.4L?

 

I have a '10 with the 5.4. I have not driven the eco or the 5.0 and cannot make a comparison. My last truck was a Dakota with the 3.7 so of course I think the 5.4 is great. Mileage has been as low as 12mpg towing a 23' trailer, combined city-hw 16-19 depending on the weather etc. I've seen as high as 23 in the summer cruise locked at 60 mph on the highway but normally about 20 according to the lie-o-meter. Good luck with your decision. .

 

My 2 cents.... I dont think there is much difference at all between the 04 5.4 and 10 5.4 except for the problems are fixed (phasers, spark plugs).

The big difference will be the 2010's 6 speed auto tranny also found in the 09's. Other than that there really is not much of a difference between an 09 or a 12. (I know there are some)

What gears do you have in the 04? If you have 3.55 try to find a 09+ with 373 or higher. There isn't a ton of difference but it will give you more of what you are looking for.

As for the comparison of the 5.4 vs 5.0 vs eco there is really chance for the 5.4. The 5.4 is outmatch in every category but it is a solid engine and it will serve you well. You may find it more cost effective to supercharge a 5.4 rather than buying one of these newer trucks.

 

My '04 had 3.73s. I know its an outmatch thing.

Sorry, typing this wasted as heck, but thought process is sort of working.

my 04 got 12 everyday. chock it up to a big hill out of town on the way to work, but the way gasoline is going, i would hope the newer trucks would get better. Plus, if I wanted to put some bigger tires on it and a lift, I am coming to think that the 5.4 would be better than an ecoboost.

 

It wouldn't. Both will lose around 2-3 MPGs w/ bigger tires. But the low end torque of the Ecoboost will turn those tires much easier.
Both engines will lose a little bit of power but the 5.4 will be more of a dog with bigger tires. Unless you regear and/or do some other mods to it. My stock EB w/34's has more power than my 5.4 did with 33's, tuner, CAI and exhaust.
But if the 5.4 is in your budget and the EB isn't get the 5.4. Keep it real and don't spend more than you can afford to spend.

 

It depends on what you want to do with it. Supercharging a truck in my opinion is stupid. It's a truck... If you want to go fast, buy a mustang. If you want more power and don't want to take it in your *** for a new boosted v6, consider diesel.

A used truck is the way to go.

 

Do yourself a favor and don't settle.. In a year or two there will be a ton of these trucks for sale with next to nothing for mileage on them and at the fraction of the cost when they were new. I know how hard it is to wait but i just feel if you settle for something other than what you really want you will always be thinking in the back of your mind "WHAT IF".... Good luck, Kevin

 

I had and 04 Lariat supercrew 4x4 with the 5.4 and find that the 09 and 10 seem to be alot better than that. I think the tranny's in the newer ones make them far better than the 04. I have customers with these trucks and see no reason not to buy one.

I like them better than the 5l they don't rev as high to make the power. 5.0l is a nice engine don't get me wrong but I prefer the 5.4 IF I was buying a used truck.

I have the Eco and I like it because of the low end torque and it's quiet.

 

I was in the exact same boat as you are. There is a difference in what I can pay vs. what I will pay for a vehicle. Rule #1 with me is to not buy a brand new vehicle. I am not bashing those who do, this is my opinion and my opinion only. I looked hard at the 2011's when they came out. Against my own best judgement, but I did. They are very nice and have all the bells and whistles. Walked off of 2 or 3 lots because of the same reason you did. I allow myself only so much for a vehicle payment. I can go higher, but choose not to. After about 6 to 9 months I stumbled on a 10 month old 2010 XLT Supercrew 4X4. The list difference was about $10K between the two. I pulled up the original factory sticker on the 2010. It listed for $39,380.00 when it was brand new. Now it was listed at $29,250.00. Only had 19,000 miles on it. Worked out and I could not be happier. Everything I wanted and I let someone else eat the depreciation. That was 10 grand right there. Long story short, yes the 2011's and up are nicer, but I wound up with a very nice truck for a lot less money. Again I am not flaming people who buy a brand new truck. It is just how I choose to spend my money. I also bought my wife a 2011 Escape Limited 4X4 V6 the exact same way. It was not over 6 months old and the difference was a tad over $8500 on that one with 5200 miles on it.

 

I just ordered a 2012 screw ecoboost loaded, list was $44,150, it had $5,250 in rebates then negotiated them down another $4,000 and I was able to get exactly what I wanted. Did I pay more than waiting and buying used next year,yes I did, but I know how I drive my truck and maintain it. I can't say that on a used truck. So I think the little bit extra I pay was well worth the difference.

 

Last July, I bought my 2011 XLT 4x2, 5.0 for $10,000 off. The sticker was 37,400. I could not have bought used for much less than that and would have no idea what I was getting. I put lots of miiles on my truck, so need one I can count on. I have 19,500 trouble free miles in 7 months.

 

How's that saying go....pay me know or pay me later, but you are going to pay me. It's all a matter of what you are comfortable with and makes you happy. I myself like to buy new because I can get the truck the way I want it.

 

It sounds like you like your truck that is great. Consider that after the 2011's came out you could have bought a brand new 2010 for $10k incentives off sticker, before haggling and would have been able to put the 19k miles on your brand new truck for the same payment you have for your used one. Before I bought my 2011 I was debating buying the 2010 or waiting for the 2011. Either one would have been a brand new truck. A couple of the dealerships here were offering 10k off any truck on the lot after the 2011's started shipping. The only reason I didn't jump on a 2010 was they didn't have anything I wanted.

 

Could not find a new 2010 anywhere with what I wanted on it. Left overs if you will, were all that were on the lots. Again, the same boat as you. The original sticker price plus taxes, and rape me fees would have listed it at about $41K I guess before you start the haggle crap. The $29,250 was the starting point for me (minus the taxes & fees of coarse) in haggling. I traded in a 2003 FX4. With what incentives and rebates they were offering around here on the '11's vs buying a new '10 that was not quite what I was looking for helped me make my decision. Believe me I looked 9 ways to Sunday on new '10 vs new '11 vs the truck that I have now from every Ford dealer within 50 miles of here. Add a trade in and good credit, & it was not even close in real numbers.

 

Supercharging a truck is about the most idiot thing anyone could do. Why on earth would someone want more power and potentially better gas mileage? Idiots...all of em!