Hi I'm looking to buy a ford f150 and i was wondering what do you think is better. A V6 or V8.

I will manily be using it as an everyday truck with a little bit of towing. I am looking at the '97 to '03 era of trucks probably one and a half cab. thanks eveyrone.

 

I've got an 03 with the V-6 and for me it works very well. I drive about 40+ miles one way for work and often have traffic.

The power is fine but not a hot rod. I've towed an older jeep CJ-6 from Flagstaff Az to Corona Ca with no problems (even ran the A/C). Got about 15 1/2 MPG doing it!

If you want milage V-6 works well, If you want seat of the pants thrill ride then no. BUT THEN AGAIN- I'M OLD!!!

I'm sure you will get alot of comments on V-6 vs. V-8 you have opened up a Pandora's box!

Are you buying new or already broke in?

 

pandoras box has been opened many times... heres a basic rundown
V6 Pros:
more Hp per pound. (a v6 puts out more power per pound than a 4.6L v8
better fuel economy
that dumbstruck look when you tell that guy you just whooped with a v8 that yours is a six.
V6 Cons:
limited performance upgrades.
exhaust doesnt sound as deep.

now we all know the classic american v8 has the power, sound and reputation for excellence, but if your not taking this thing to the strip or doing serious hauling(in which you should have a cummins diesel anyways) you should be more than happy with a V6. Ive had the 5.4, 4.9I6, 4.2L V6, 5.9 dodge gas and 5.9 I6 Cummins in my trucks.. they all are great but my favorites and by far best bang for my buck come in with the cummins in first and the 4.2L V6 in rolling now. I can hang with my dads screw 5.4 with a list of mods and whoop my brothers 5.3l chevy.. HOPE THIS HELPS!!

 

I have a 2007 v6. Love it until I really need to stomp it to pass somebody. Then it ain't worth it. But 90% of the time I love it.

 

What year trucks are you looking at? Coming from a person who has owned two 4.2 V6's, I'd go with the V8 if you can swing it. The main reason I went with the 4.2 V6 (twice) was because I was buying a brand new truck and couldn't pass on the super great deal they were offering on them. Since you are looking to possibly get a V6, I'm betting you're looking used (the 4.2 V6 is no longer an option in the new trucks), so I would look for a V8.

Don't get me wrong, I don't regret purchasing a V6 at all. Mine has done everything I have ever asked of it and has been a very reliable motor. I fully expect that I will get over 200K miles out of this 4.2 no problem.

 

The V6 is going to be your grocery getter. If you have lumber to haul around or moving furniture, the V6 does it no problem. The V8 just does everything better. Higher towing, better hauling, etc.

 

The OBS (97-03 and 04 Heritage) V-6 has some guts. The NBS (05-08) is kinda sluggish because the truck weighs a lot more and the electronic throttle isn't as responsive. However, you can get a used V-6 for a lot less than a used V-8 due to demand. If you are looking at new or 09+ there is no V-6 available. Reliability has been excellent since mid-98, the earlier ones had bad intake gaskets.

Gas mileage isn't significantly better. I get around 15 in town and 20 on the highway on E-10. I have no complaints about power, and I've towed up to about 3000#.

 

You know, I've heard the OBS vs. NBS weight issue before. Now I don't have the best perspective. Yes, my Dad's truck (2002) is a 4.2 (same as mine, 2007) but his is an extended cab. So I really can't tell the difference...

As far as power, I understand the comment about having trouble with passing. If you are the type of driver who accelerates hard, you are going to feel this. However, if you are getting the 4.2 for better MPG and can keep your foot out of it (I don't care what you are driving, if you floor it at every green light your MPG is going to suck) it's not going to be an issue.

Lately I've been trying to Hypermile, and have been quite successful with my Camry. I've been doing the same with the truck, I just haven't burned through the whole tank to do the math yet.

I'm rambling on and on here. But what you have to ask yourself is, "If I get the 4.2 for increased MPG, can I do my part of it and drive calmly?"

If your answer is yes, then the 4.2 may be for you.

If no, and you are going to floor it all the time either way, get a 4.6 or a 5.4 so that you have the Horsepower to backup your driving style.

My 0.02 worth.

 

V6: Cheaper to buy and maintain, easier to work on and possibly more reliable (post '98)

V8: More power makes the truck more pleasurable to drive, sounds WAY better

I regularly drive both a V6 ('99 reg cab 4X4) and a V8 ('03 5.4 7700 supercab). They get very similiar mileage (it takes gas to move a heavy truck). I prefer to drive the reg cab because its a more compact package. While the V6 has plenty of power for my use, the smooth V8 power is real nice.

 

the 3 engines (4.2, 4.6 and 5.4) have their place, you however failed to tell us what you want/expect from an F-150.


how do you plan to use it?

what are your driving habits like?

what other options are you looking for in an F-150?

 

Okay here we go. I just came from a V6, litterly I got my V8 Sunday. Right now I know I wont be going back to the V6 soon. The V8 is much better to drive, I dont have to worry about if im going to make it through traffic or not. My V8 also kills my V6 on gas mileage. Stock Vs. Stock it was 17.1 to 20.6. If you just want a basic truck do nothing to it, just drive get the V6 I guess, save you some money.

 

My questions for the OP are this:

Which era are you looking at, '97 to '03 and '04 Heritage, or '04 to '08 new body style?

What are you looking to do with the vehicle? Are you towing or hauling loads? Or is it just a general purpose vehicle with occasional hauling and towing?

With those questions in mind, and my personal experience of owning the 3 different engines in regular cab, short bed trucks of the '97 to '03 era, I will give you my opinion on the engines.

4.2: Great around town/grocery getter. If you take it on the highway at all, or load it down, you WILL feel the lack of power. I swear you could measure the 0 to 60 time when it was loaded on a sundial with a ruler.

4.6: For a good all around engine, this is the one I would choose. It will accelerate well enough loaded or unloaded, decent power, and has very good fuel economy.

5.4: If you want the ultimate F150 engine, this is it, at least in the '97 to '03 era. The '04 to '08 era seem to have variable cam timing/ cam phaser problems, as well as spark plugs that are prone to breaking during removal. On the '04 to '08 5.4s, I have seen bills for the cam phaser problem in the $3000 to $4000 range, and plug replacement costs near $1000 dollars, with one where they had to replace the heads costing nearly $4000. Now you know why I steer clear of the late model 5.4.

So, with the above in mind, I would look for a 4.6 powered vehicle, especially if it an '04 to '08, with the creature features you want, unless the truck is going to be primarily moving loads or towing, then I would look at the 5.4, or go to an F250 or 350 with a Powerstroke diesel.

 

^^ very nice summary, bill.

 

To be honest, I would say that it is preference. Do you like the thought of a v8 or a v6 better. I have a '99 F150 that has the 5.4L with the super cab, and I'll get about 18.6 mpg. The v6 is a '03 with the super cab, and I'll get about 20.5 mpg out of it. For what I do, the v6 will match the v8 in every way in towing, and filling the bed full of firewood. The only difference is the v8 will do more.

If you are going to tow alot, the v8 would be a better choice in my opinion. If the truck is going to basically be a "back and forth" to work truck, then I would opt for the v6.

I don't know who said it, but the v6 does have a passing gear, and it works just fine!

I hope this helped.

 

Same here, I got a 04 Heritage because of price and price alone. A new truck for $16,xxx, with 4X4 and a 5 speed. I've been told that they suck *** with an auto. Also I get like 14-16 mpg