My 2016 Ram is going to be bought back under the Lemon Law, so i'm in the market for a new truck. Naturally, i'm afraid of the Ram brand. I am actually reluctant to buy any new truck right now, they all seem to be hit and miss.

Would you buy another Ford, and what engine would you go with if buying a 2017??? I'm looking at a crew cab STX, can't decide on the engine to go with though.

 

I had a 2005 5.4 for 135,000 miles,loved it. Had a 2011 5.0 for 85,000 miles and it was great. I now have 54,000 on my 2014 5.0. No trouble with any of them and would buy another new 5.0.

 

Yes, but I would by an xlt at the end of the year and get the $52k truck for $37k instead of the $45k xl truck I bought for $34k.
As for the engine, here is how I would break it down:
- If the v8 sound matters, you aren't frequently towing over 7k pounds, and the best mpg doesn't matter - 5.0.
- If you want a fast truck, the best mpg, and aren't towing over 8k pounds - 2.7
- Towing over 8k pounds and want similar performance to the 2.7 - 3.5 ecoboost.
- If good all around performance as all you need on a budget, and you aren't towing over 4.5k - get the base 3.5.

 

Don't forget the 36 gallon tank.

 

Well, I've owned a 2010 Screw XLT 5.4L 4WD w/3.55 gears, a 2012 Screw XLT 5.0L 4WD w/3.73 gears, and now my 2016 XLT 5.0L 4WD w/3.73 gears and can honestly say the 2012 is a much better truck.

It was more quiet, more solid, no rattles/squeaks, better paint job, better fit and finish, and more enjoyable to drive. I miss it and wouldn't had traded it if I had a long term 2016 to drive around.

That said the 2016 has much more payload, seems to have more towing stability but that could be the change of hitch systems, has much much, more power, and has more bells and whistles. BUT I miss my 2012 every time I drive it.

I will say that the 2016 feels like a muscle car. With 660 lbs less weight, lower rpm peak for torque, and higher horsepower. The 2016 is so much quicker and more powerful than the 2012 with the same engine, body, trim, drivetrain, and gears. The new 5.0L and lower truck weight is HUGE when it comes to making the truck more powerful.

The engine choices are pretty clear.

The 2.7L is for people who drive the truck as a car and don't use it for towing or any type of work. It gets great mileage, has decent horsepower, and good torque, but lacks the heavier duty chassis/suspension of the 5.0L and 3.5L Ecoboost. It can be ordered with a built up chassis suspension, but then you're better off getting the more powerful 5.0L and 3.5L Ecoboosts.

The 3.5L Ecoboost has good horsepower, great torque, but has lousy gas mileage, and is a bit unresponsive. It has a good tow/haul ratings with high towing and payload ratings. If a small turbo motor is what you like then this is a good choice.

The 5.0L has great horsepower, very good torque, good mileage (even with 3.73 gears I'm getting 22 mpg on the expressway), and is very responsive unlike the turbo motors. Has great power for towing with high tow ratings and high payload ratings. The larger engine offers great engine braking when towing that the smaller turbo engines can't offer. The 5.0L is the best engine offering IMO and offers great power for every possible task you can think of. I pull a 6500 lbs 29' travel trailer and this truck pulls it so easy.

Both the 3.5L Ecoboost and 5.0L have the same tow ratings and payload ratings when configured correctly. My truck has a 5110 lbs weight, 1890 lbs payload, and a 16,200 lbs GCWR. That equates to a 10,940 lbs tow rating. The 3.5L Ecoboost with the Max Tow package's heavier hitch, and heavier accessories equates to about 600 lbs more tow rating with a GCWR of 16,900 lbs.

The 2.7L has a much lower tow ratings and because of the small displacement, you'll be hard pressed to get much engine braking out of that little engine. I wouldn't want an engine that can't provide good engine braking when towing a large, heavy trailer.

IMO, the 3.5L Ecoboost or 5.0L are the engines you want. I did have an issue how ford used fake engine noise through the stereo for the 3.5L Ecoboost. That' something that's just embarrassing. The truck would be so much more respectable without this.




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Sorry, but this is almost 100% wrong. The only difference will be the axle, unless you go for the heavy duty payload package. The HDPP is available on the 2.7 also. Ford markets the 2.7 as an inferior engine to the 5.0 and 3.5 eco, when in fact it outperforms both unloaded (3.5 eco 6 speed) and only loses out to the 3.5 eco when towing heavy loads. The 5.0 is a great engine and has a higher tow rating on paper, but tests have shown the 2.7 to do even better right up to its max rating. Don't let the Ford marketing cool-aid fool you!

 

The 2.7L only performs well in much lighter Scab configurations and even then, it's still 6.5 seconds 0 - 60 when Truck Trend tested it. Much slower than heavier Crew Cab 4WD configuration trucks with the 5.0L and 3.5L Ecoboost motors.

The 3.5L Ecoboost and 5.0L have proven to be much more powerful drivetrains, but the 2.7L has it's place as well as an economical replacement for a car or crossover that can handle light loads and small trailers.

The 2.7L Ecoboost is not available with the HDPP package, only the 3.5L Ecoboost and 5.0L trucks get that suspension upgrade. The 2.7L Ecoboost gets the 2.7L Payload package which the GVWR is still 100 lbs shy (6900 lbs) of the GVWR of the 5.0L and 3.5L Ecoboost trucks (7000 lbs) in Crew Cab 4WD configurations. The HDPP adds either 650 lbs (7650 lbs) or 750 lbs (7750 lbs) to the standard GVWR of the 5.0L or Ecoboost trucks in a Crew Cab 4WD configuration.

 

You do know that TFL Truck pulled a 7000+# trailer up the Ike Gauntlet at the speed limit with a 2.7? The 5.0 couldn't do it with a 9000# trailer.

http://www.tfltruck.com/2015/02/2015...-towing-video/

 

How long has the 2.7 been around in the trucks? I don't want to buy a crew cab that has too little of a motor. I also don't like engine's that aren't proven. Just guessing any repairs on turbo's would be expensive out of warranty. I average around 20,000 miles per year driving. The towing I do currently is light, a Side by Side on a 16 ft. trailer, but that can always change.

 

Sure. F150 is ok and the Tundra has a good Rep too (I know they are good I owned one). Haven't had the best luck with Dodge, kinda 'throw away' in my opinion. Limited experience with GM.

Any of the engines will do the job you need. The 3.5n/a and 5.0 is going to be a simplistic design if you are worried.

 

Get the 5.0 unless you are like most of the people here that buy a new truck every couple of years and who when they say "off road", they mean a paved parking lot, and by "hauling heavy payload", they mean their wife and kids...

If you are going to keep your truck for more than 3 years, you don't want a turbo motor...

 

If I were in the market for a new 2017 F150, it would be a Supercrew with the 5.0 V8 and the optional 3.55 axle. There's a lot to be said for the 4 pulses of power from a V8 vs the 3 from a V6 for every engine revolution. Overall, the driving experience will be more relaxing. The EcoBoost that are in the current trucks is a dandy engine, no doubt. Those previously in my opinion were a wreck waiting to happen with the direct injection. The new EB 3.5 carrys sequential and direct injection which cures the build up of deposits in the intake system. But the engine has no history which is why I would avoid one. The 2.7 is not an option for me. The engine has been far from great and the introduction of it has been a bumpy ride. Currently they are having issues with the valve seats dropping out causing catastrophic engine failure. They are a known gas eater by comparison to the other offerings. You can get the same real world gas mileage with the V8 as long as you have a clue how to drive. There are far less sensors and plumbing to make it work and fewer parts to fail that you ultimately will have to maintain and fix in later years. The 5.0 V8 is the winner for me, hands down, end of conversation.

 

What year Tundra and why did you get rid of it if you don't mind sharing?

 

I had an 08. Treated pretty harshly by the previous owner (ranch truck) and me (general contractor).

It had 95k miles and no problems ever. Dealer service was great, $35 oil changes and $180 per axle complete brake job.

The earlier trucks 07-09 had more doodads on the SR5 package.

Still felt tight but had a good year and wanted another truck. The Tundra did seem to handle woops like RR crossings better and had a tighter turning radius.

I think Tundra was 12.5mpg mixed and f150 15mpg. Tundra had E mud tires on it and back then I use to let it idle a lot everyday. 5.7L is the way to go on the Tundra.

 

Thanks Joe T.