Hi all. I'm new on this board and not sure if this query belongs in this forum. I'm a former F-150 owner who has always had V8's in my trucks. My last F-150 was the 5.0L and I loved it. But I also have a lot of experience with diesels and I'm considering opting for the new Power Stroke 3.0L over ane Ecoboost for my next F-150. I know this engine has not been out that long, but I'm interested in hearing feedback from anyone who has one, especially if you've also had a Gen 1 Ecoboost. Any insights are much appreciated.

 

As with anything new without a track record is like rolling the dice at the casino...

 

TFL Truck wasn't very impressed with a preproduction model.

Why not just get another 5.0?

 

I'd rather have a smaller diesel. The 6.7L is overkill for a lot of people and eats an ungodly amount of fuel. The new 3.0L diesel will be nice. It's like having a small Ranger vs an F-150. Not everybody needs a large pickup. Not everyone needs to haul 18,000 lbs. I've only seen the new diesel once at a dealer when I happened to be there by chance. They were demoing it to employees at the dealership while I was there. I just wish they would make a pickup as small as the old Ford Rangers and put something like a 2.4L diesel in that and let it get over 30 MPG.

 

Well, the new world Ranger will be coming here soon, with a 2.3 Ecoboost gas engine.

https://www.ford.com/trucks/ranger/2019/

 

Yeah, but it will be bigger than the old Ranger. I'd rather have a smaller truck with a powerful diesel. So they are going to basically put the Mustang Ecoboost engine into a pickup truck. If you use a Cobb tuner on it once the vehicle comes out, it will have a lot of nice low end torque.

 

I would assume that it will already be tuned for torque in the Ranger.

 

Not really, my 2017 6.7 is getting better mileage than my 2011 3.5 EB did.

The 3.0 isn't new. It has been in production in Europe for a long time. It was originally slated to be installed in the F150 around 2009 and pulled at the last minute. It was replaced with the 3.5 EB because it was more economical at the time.

 

https://www.greencarreports.com/news...w-f-150-diesel

4 wheel drive models rated at 25 mpg highway vs 24 for the 2.7 and 23 for the 3.5. $4000 dollar engine option over the standard 2.7 and $2400 over the 3.5. The 3.5 has a higher tow rating. Diesel fuel averages .25 / gallon more than Gas.

Hmmm... So... why would I want one?

 

So far, I have driven the F150 with the 5.0, 3.5, 3.5EB, and the 2.7EB. If I had to lay the cards out, I would only go for the 5.0.

With that being said, I've also driven the F250/350 with both the gas and the diesel. The 6.7l blows the gas engine away in terms of fuel economy and performance.

Dollars to dollars, cents to cents, to me, a F250/350 diesel is the only way to go if you even think about hauling heavy stuff.

Would I think a diesel variant of the F150 would be feasible? Yes -- ONLY if they got rid of the 3.5EB and dropped in the diesel. Otherwise, it's one of those red-headed stepchild ideas that makes absolutely no sense.

Do I like the F150, yes, they are a heck of a good truck. However, after driving the all 3 F-Series (F-450+ don't count!) for many thousands of miles (including owning one), I just don't like the gas engines and how the trucks handle with gas engines. Something about the low torque of a diesel just satisfies me, especially when pulling a heavy load. But that is me and my opinion. Food for thought.

What I don't like is the extra cost of the diesel engine, fuel and maintenance.

At the end of the day, I can get a F150 or a F250/350 diesel for roughly the same price and I mean within a $5k mark. To me, to be within $5k is trivial for a large expense, especially if you keep the truck for a long time.