After 140k miles I'm ready to retire my trusty '05 scab and get a 2017. 90% of the miles will be commuting (25 miles RT on suburban streets and freeways with a few long sustained grades in this hilly area of SoCal). The other 10% will be freeways around the LA area, and 1000-1500 mile road trips 3-4x a year (avid mountain biker). I rarely have passengers except the road trips, the only towing is the occasional U-Haul, and the unpaved roads to trailheads don't require 4WD. The mix will change after I retire in 5-7 years. Conclusion is 2WD and the 3.15 axle will do the job. But I still have questions after a lot of reading that might be answered from everyone's personal ownership experiences.

Drivetrain / MPG: I'm a "gearhead" and engineer, and the 2.7 EB is impressive. It will more than meet my needs. But the new 3.5 w/ the 10 speed is a very sweet combo! (First year for the 10 speed and the updated 3.5l is a concern) The EPA rating is 1mpg less, and the "real world" mpg difference seems to be even bigger. I'm surprised...of course bigger motors use more fuel but all things being equal in suburban driving and on hilly streets I'd guess the 3.5 spends less time in boost. Cruising at 70-75 on the interstate, I'd assume the 3.5 is turning lower RPMs due to the 10-speed's higher ratio. Any insight on why the 2.7 delivers better mpg? Is it difficult to keep your foot out of the turbo by driving normally and conservatively?

Audio: The Sony option on the Lariat doesn't seem to be that great, but clean DYI options through Crutchfield, etc. don't exist except speaker upgrades. I don't need audiophile quality but don't want to spend big $$ for a tin can on a string! What's experiences with the base AM/FM, XM option, and the Sony system?

Spray-on bed liner / floor mats: Aftermarket (LineX, Husky) or factory?

Upholstery: If the cloth upholstery on my '05 gets wet or damp from rain, clothes, or leaking Camelbak (mountain biking, remember) it leaves a ring.....very dumb for a truck. Anyone seen this with the XLT sport cloth seats? How about durability and cleanability of the Lariat's leather front and vinyl rear seats?

"Productivity screen": I really like the 8" screen that's Lariat-only Comments on the 4.2" vs. the 8", for info provided and ease of use? Maybe the 4.2 will be fine once the novelty wears off.....

Right now the best bet is XLT with 301+ stand alone options, or 302. Or Lariat w/ 501. Sport package with either, plus Sync 3, Nav, backup cam, and options that help with biking (bed lighting, box link, mirror spotlights, etc). I shy away from convenience features like power/heated seats that I never use.

There is very little inventory of 2WD scab Lariats for some reason. XLT has good availability. Comments and advice from your actual experience will be much-appreciated and help me "settle" for a XLT or factory order a Lariat 3.5L. Thanks in advance!

 

I would wait till 2018, because the 10 speed will be standard with the 2.7T, 3.5T, and 5.0. The base 3.3 will still have a 6 speed.

 

I'll try to address some of your questions.

Drivetrain: I have a 4x4 screw with 20's, 3.73's and the 2.7. I only have 1400 miles on the truck and the city mpg is amazing. 19-20 is typical. Unfortunately highway is missing the mark, but I'm sure the gears, tires, and wheels aren't helping! Why is it so good? People are misinformed about what the turbo's are doing. Most think if the truck isn't making boost, then the turbo's are doing nothing. Not true!! Turbo's start making boost when they can't pump air without resistance. At lower rpm's the turbo's are using the waste exhaust heat to spin the turbine and feed the cylinders improving overall efficiency. I doubt the 2.7 will do much better around town with the 10 speed, but will certainly do better on the highway if you had the need to tow. With 3.15's, I doubt it will change that much... unless speed limits continue to climb.

Bedliner - Aftermarket is better, but factory will work just fine for most.

Seat fabric on mine has the same issue you are describing. I doubt any fabric will perform differently.

The 8" screen isn't Lariat only. Around here most 17 XLT's are the 8." I wish mine had one because unless it is daylight out and clear, the tiny 4" screen is almost worthless and a liability IMO.

The best deal going right now are the STX trucks. 8" screens, 20" wheels, vinyl floors (a plus IMO), and "sport" cloth seats.

Happy hunting!

 

@glc The 2018 with 2.7EB + 10 speed will be a sweet combo...I also like the styling. That said, it's an ideal time for me to pull the trigger and I already waited first to see how the change to aluminum worked out as well as the 2.7EB.

@white elephant Good points on the turbo. It's not good to hear the cloth upholstery hasn't improved. I think something in the foam padding soaks through the fabric to the outside. Sport Cloth is black so it might hide things better than the light gray in my '05.

The 8-inch "productivity screen" is between the tach and speedometer, AFAIK it's Lariat-only. The XLT and XL are 2.3" with 4.2" included in packages. The center console 8" screen is available in all versions and I agree it's a "must have". I assume your IP has the 4.2" screen with 4 physical gauges above it. The 8" has the gauges in graphics, and the screen displays more info with less menu-ing around. Comments on the 4.2" in the IP?

 

I just purchased a 2017 3.5/10 speed and am very happy with it! The fuel mileage has been spectacualr especially being a 4x4 truck, with max tow. So far with 500 miles and 410 of those are in town miles its averaging 20.2 mpg. Right now after filling up this AM and close to 30 miles of in town driving its showing almost 24 mpg.






The 8 inch screen is available from the XL STX Appearance package all the way to the top of the line trim level. My Xlt 302a package has the 8 inch Screen, with Navigation, heated seats, trailer brake controller, pro back up assist along with many other options.


When i was looking i had all intentions of driving all 3 engine choices. I started out with a 5.0 STX with 3.31 gears and it seemed pretty nice, i made the mistake of driving the 3.5/10 speed 2nd and after that i had no more thought on which engine to get. Didnt even want to drive the 2.7 eb.

This is my secobd ecoboost in 4 years and imo they are great choices to go with

 

Ah, that 4.2" screen. I have not been in a truck that has one, but I think the small screen can show everything the big one can minus boost. I'm sure if I saw one I might like it better, but not enough to pay for it.

I told myself I would wait for a 3.5 with a ten speed, but the 2.7 exceeds all my needs and got me the bigger cab for the family a year sooner at a price I couldn't beat.
The numbers on your 3.5 are impressive. Amazing that a truck with that capability can be that efficient!

 

For clarity/FYI, my question was about the 8" display in the gauge cluster (not the NAV/Sync "infotainment" display). Your great photos are the 4.2" gauge display. The four "analog" gauges directly above your display get replaced with graphical versions on the 8" and more info like DTE next to the fuel level. I test drove both and the 8" is nice.

I feel your pain!! The 2.7eb felt like a dragster compared to my 5.4 V8. The 3.5eb was next. The 2.7 actually felt a bit quicker off the line but the 10-speed in the 3.5 was just better than the 6-speed. Since I never tow or haul, the 3.5 is totally unnecessary...but still.....