EcoBoost Called Best F-150 Engine by Popular Mechanics

F-150 3.5-liter V6 offers the greatest power and capabilities with a relatively small price tag.

The current Ford F-150 is offered with five excellent engines, including the 3.3-liter base V6, the 5.0-liter V8, the new 3.0-liter PowerStroke V6 diesel and a pair of EcoBoost V6 gas engines, one measuring 2.7-liters while the other is the 3.5-liter mill that effectively introduced the world to EcoBoost technology. Each engine offers different advantages in power, price and efficiency, but according to Ezra Dyer of Popular Mechanics, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is the best power plant for the modern Ford F-150.

In a recent article, Dyer explained why he thinks that the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is the best and it isn’t just based on power.

F-150 Bang for the Buck

Dyer begins by pointing out that while the 3.3-liter V6 is offered in the lower-priced F-150 models, the 2.7-liter EcoBoost is the base on the Lariat that was the premise for his article. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost offers 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque and in that level of the half-ton pickup, the 5.0-liter V8 costs $1,000, the diesel costs $4,000 and the 3.5-liter EcoBoost costs $1,600. If you step up to the King Ranch or Platinum models, the V8 is standard, the diesel only costs $3,000 and the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is just $600.

For those prices, the 5.0-liter V8 offers 70 more horsepower and slightly less torque for $1,000 compared to the 2.7-liter V6. The diesel offers 250 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque, but at $3,000 to $4,000, it is considerably more expensive. Meanwhile, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost offers 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque for just $1,600 more than the 2.7-liter mill in the Lariat or $600 more than the V8 in the King Ranch and Platinum.

In addition to offering the most torque and just a touch less horsepower than the V8, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is the strongest engine in terms of towing ratings, offering a whopping 13,200 pounds of pulling capacity.

Longevity and Improvements

In addition to offering the most torque, the highest towing capacity and the second-highest horsepower rating aside from the Raptor, the 3.5-liter V6 has proven itself as a great engine in a long list of vehicles. Dyer references the quality of the engine in his 2010 Lincoln MKT, but he has also pulled a 30-foot camper with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost-powered F-150 and he has driven the new Ford GT supercar, which uses a variation of the engine used in the truck and SUVs.

Since being introduced for the 2010 model year in a variety of vehicles from Ford and Lincoln, followed by the F-150 EcoBoost debut in 2011, the 3.5-liter, twin turbocharged V6 has progressive gotten stronger, more capable and more efficient. Meanwhile, in addition to being the strongest engine in most of the vehicles in which it is offered, it has become the most popular in all of those models with relatively few issues.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine has proven itself in a variety of models from Ford and Lincoln, but when it comes to America’s bestselling vehicle, the largest EcoBoost is the best option for the money. Whether you are towing, hauling, racing or looking for the best gas fuel economy during you daily drive, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost offers the greatest combination of power and efficiency of any engine in the class.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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