F150 owners -v6 enough?

Monofletch

Monofletch

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Jan 14, 2010
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I am dreaming of an f150. Is the v6 enough engine if I don't intend on pulling a trailer?
Thanks
 
I think Ford just had a class action suit brought against them from some new V6 owners claiming stalling when accelerating, and other power problems. Might want to re-search that before making a purchase.

Blessings,

Omar
 
For the 2013's?
I Googled it and found 2011 Ecotec v6 issues.
 
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I don't know crap about the newer trucks. last F150 I had was a 2000 with the 5.4L Triton V8. I loved that truck, then a telephone poll got it. :( So I'll just keep my post about the overall power. If you don't plan on hauling a trailer or a big ole boat, a V6 will do just fine. It will be more than capable of most weekend tasks. You won't be doing any racing in it, but it will get you to Home Depot and back with a bed full of stuff.
 
Old Ford F150 owner[ I'm old] the truck is a '99 Lariat 5.4 Triton V8 - >220 K miles, now our old country/Grandma truck. No complaints and I drive a couple of times a month - runs strong, sounds good [Borla exhaust,just because].

I'm guessing that Ford's EcoBoost V6 will, in time, prove to be an OK engine however I'll take a wait and see approach and would not buy a used EcoBoost as I am sure that not every owner will have had REQUIRED, REGULAR engine maintenance/service performed.

I may try a Toyota double cab V6 truck just for grins when the F150 dies. Our 2010 RAV4 V6 has more horsepower than the F150 but suspect I'm finished with V8s.

Regular F150 V6, yep, Ecoboost V6 - not yet..for me.

Best.
 
I have a 2012 F-150 with the Ecoboost V-6. It has plenty of power and thusfar has been problem-free (bought it in January 2012). However, it doesn't give good mileage. I'm averaging about 12.3-12.6 MPG, and I'm guessing the V-8 would be in the same ballpark. Mine is a Platinum trim with 4x4, skid plate, tailgate step, grill guard, tonneau cover, etc., so I imagine the added weight probably offsets the MPG benefits of the V-6, but I was still hoping for better mileage.
 
MajorLonghorn said:
I have a 2012 F-150 with the Ecoboost V-6. It has plenty of power and thusfar has been problem-free (bought it in January 2012). However, it doesn't give good mileage. I'm averaging about 12.3-12.6 MPG, and I'm guessing the V-8 would be in the same ballpark. Mine is a Platinum trim with 4x4, skid plate, tailgate step, grill guard, tonneau cover, etc., so I imagine the added weight probably offsets the MPG benefits of the V-6, but I was still hoping for better mileage.
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That's kinda the strange thing about V6 vs V8 trucks. The V8 gives you a lot more power, but your mpg is only slightly less. A V8 will certainly cost more though.
 
I have to chuckle when I see labels such as "Eco-Boost", when they all still burn gas. (And no, I don't believe CO2 is driving climate change.)
 
For a new truck with a V6 I would be looking much closer at the Ram with the 3.6l Pentastar V6 with the 8 speed transmission. That is what my new Charger has in it and it's been great so far. Plenty of power and pretty impressive for a V6 in such a big car. 300hp with almost that much torque i don't remember the exact tq number. I'm getting around 20 mpg in town and 30 mpg on the highway and I think the trucks with the same motor are getting a mile or 2 less in town and about 25 mpg on the highway roughly. I've had 2 brand new Fords on of them being an F150 and I wont be buying that brand again anytime soon. I don't want to Ford bash but I just had to many issues with the ones I had. I've had multiple Toyota's, Hondas, Dodges, Chevys, Fords, Mazda and I'm sure I'm forgetting something else and so far my top 2 would be Toyota and Dodge for fit and finish and just overall satisfaction. The only brand that has ever had oil leaks and major issues with less than a 1,000 miles on them for me has been the Fords I owned. I just always seem to get the lemons I think though because I have a lot of friends that swear by Ford and never have issues with them. :) Just test drive them all and see which one fits you the best.

To answer your question though if your not doing much heavy towing or need to feel the power of a v8 then the v6 will be just fine!
 
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Can't tell you about newer v-6 I had 2004 4.2 V-6 5 speed manual had all the power I needed in a half ton truck and pulled a pop up camper just fine averaged 20 mpg would still be driving it except the harmonic balancer came apart and screwed the crank shaft
I didn't have the cash to get something to get me to work and fix it too . Other than that I had done basic maintenance on it changed the brakes twice altinator once and a battery in 186K
 
I don't know about reliability, but that Ecoboost twin turbo V-6 certainly has some ass. My buddy just got a 4X4 F150 with it, and I can't imagine there are many V-8 trucks with the grunt it has, short of a diesel.
 
I traded a 2012 V6 Tacoma 4x4 with the 6 speed manual in on my Charger. It didn't do much better on gas than a lot of the full size v8 trucks really. Was a good truck though and I would still have it but had to get something that could easily haul my 1 year old and the truck just wasn't cutting it when we all wanted to go out of town or something.
 
+1 on the Ram. Drove one the other night and man was I impressed (not just because my wife works for a group of Dodge dealers...) That said, +1,000,000 for a Toyota. They just go forever and nothing breaks. My dad still drives my old '01 Tundra, nearly 200,000 miles and it is, no BS, exactly the same as the day I bought it. Everything works, no rattles, no issues. You might be able to get into one of the V6 Tundra "work trucks" for less than a Tacoma, especially at the end of this model year (body is changing). Toyota has a huge compact truck following, but they are still waaay behind the US manufacturers on full size, hence less demand.
 
I think many people fail to realize how far the small displacement motors have come in the past ten years. Even motors that do not put up huge numbers are helped by a transmission designed to use the power it does make more effectively when you do need it; and run at low RPMs when you don’t.

A company I worked for in the past used six cylinder long bed Silverado’s exclusively for their work trucks. They bought them new and immediately put a set of airbags on the back to keep the truck from looking overloaded going down the road. These trucks had a rack over the bed full of pipes and ladders; and the eight-foot bed carried toolboxes full of tools and other items (they were plumbers).

When I was in the market for a new truck last year, I bought a v6 because I knew I was just going to use it mainly for commuting and the occasional trip to the Home Depot. I got the truck way cheaper than a v8 and I will never need that much power anyway.
As an aside: I owned a new Tacoma and while I can’t attest to their reliability (I only owned it for a year) I will say that they have excellent resale value, however, I found the truck’s interior to be subpar in finish and durability compared to new Fords or Chevys. The plastics on the dash and door had a lightweight-cheap feel to it and scratched super easily.
 
Go with a V8. My county work truck just went down and had 327 K on it.
 
I started a thread a while back about Toyota Tacoma vs. Tundra. My questions were about overall satisfaction, power, fuel economy and all the usual questions. I still have not purchased yet...mainly because I have not seen the exact model I wanted in stock. In the process of doing more research, I started to realize that the fuel economy ratings on the full size trucks were real close to the Tacoma with a V6. That started me considering a full size truck.

I now have a hard time justifying the price of a Tacoma when I can get into a half-ton GMC/Chevy or Ford for the same amount of money with comparable fuel economy rating with a GM 5.3 V8 or a Ford 5.0 V8. I believe both GM and Ford offer a six speed auto transmission with those V8 engines which is helping the economy rating numbers.

I would consider a Tundra but the price is too high. I know I could get a stripped down Tundra but that's not what I want.

Overall, looking at the fuel economy ratings both manufacturers list, the V8 engines listed above seem to be the most practical option if they are getting what they are rated for.

John
 
Thanks for that post John. The v6 Ford should get quite a bit better than the v8 (on paper anyway). I am pointing toward a v6 STX 4x4. It's affordable and practical since I don't own a boat or trailer.
 
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