F150 deisel anyone own one?

[Chillypilot]

Looking for some real world opinions on the f150 diesel.

 

[Chillypilot]

Bump, no one has one? I thought everyone had an opinion on this site.?

 

[Babin Farms]

My opinion is overpriced. If your going to get a diesel might as well be a 2500 or larger. Go big or go home, right???

 

[2kwik4u]

I think @Dixie Highway has one.

 

[Matt Phillips]

All 3 of the US Automakers have a 3.0 diesel out now so it's a matter of what you like/dislike in each. I've sort of been toying with the Ram 1500 Diesel and they come stock with a tow rating of about 10,000lbs and depending on options, you can crank it up to about 12,500. Either way that 5500lbs on your 2009 would be handled with ease.

I have the diesel in my cayenne and it does fine with towing. I definitely know the boat is back there and overall I get about 15mpg on the freeway. I also tow up to Lake Tahoe which is a combo of 600', 4000', and then on to 7400' passes. On the last pass which has some 6% grades, she will slow down to 35-40mph...but it's also a twisty 2-lane road and ya really can't tow any faster than that. On thing to note about the Diesels is they are a little slower off the line until their turbos spool up, but I put mine at 2200rpm and it pulls just fine. The benefit though is if you're running empty on the highway, they will sip the fuel. My Cayenne without towing going to/From Tahoe will average 29-31 out of the entire trip.

 

[SamN44]

I have a 2018 F150 3.5L Ecoboost. I researched the diesel before I bought mine and after a year and a half of ownership I would never choose a diesel or naturally aspirated engine ever again. When I bought my boat I had a 9 hour drive home and I cruised at 80 at just over 2k rpm and we got 12-14mpg. Diesel power delivery and torque, but without having to manage DEF or fear of taking short trips because soot will clog the DPF. I can daily drive it like a normal car.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I have a 2017 Ford Expedition with the 3.5L Ecoboost and tow package. Don't even know my boat is back there up grade or on the freeway/road.

 

[Matt Phillips]

If you go with Diesel, don't be afraid of DEF and clogged particle filters. If you do nothing but short drives all the time, then your particle filter can clog however, if you get it out on the freeway with any regularity, then it'll get the exhaust hot enough to burn it out.

As for DEF, it's easy. DEF Usually comes in quart-sized or 2.5 gallon containers and is available at practically any auto parts store (or even gas stations that sell Diesel). My Cayenne needs a DEF refill about every 5-7k miles (depending on driving style and so forth). The light will illuminate on the dash and it gives 1,000 miles to fill the tank. Stop and buy a 2.5 Gallon box and pour the entire thing in. You're good to go.

One advantage with Diesel is your 30-60-90k services will be cheaper as there's no spark plugs to change.

If you're looking at buying a new F150, you may want to wait a week or so....as Ford is suppose to announce the 2021 F150 which will have new changes to it on June 25th....so only a week away. 2021 Ford F-150 Spied With A New Grille, Again

 

[Dixie Highway]

I do have one, and quite honestly I love the thing. I’ve had nothing but Ford trucks for many years now, from Expeditions with the 5.4 Triton, to F-150’s (2014 and 2018) with 5.0’s. I’ve put over 250,000 miles on them in the past 4 years, and love the 5.0’s. This 3.0 Power Stroke is a whole new animal. Those 5 liter trucks were fast, fast, fast. Towed my boat no problem, I used to get 10-11 mpg on somewhat flat ground (Chicago to Pensacola). This diesel has 50 more ft-lbs torque, it’ll jump off the line like nobody’s business loaded or unloaded. It wouldn’t beat a V-8 truck, but it’s sufficiently quick for daily driving. I got 14 mpg on the same Chicago to Florida trip this May (I tow about 70 mph). DEF fluid, there’s a gauge in the dash. Not a huge deal, 5 gals lasts 3000 miles or better if you aren’t towing. Not really related, but this new one is a fully loaded Lariat, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, etc. so it’s a nice interior compared to my previous XLT’s. Oh, cruising empty on the highway I do about 25 mpg average compared to 18-19 in the 5.0’s. All crew cab 4x4’s too. 3.31 gears on all 3 I believe.

 

[Chillypilot]

Thanks everyone! I have a 2012 f150 5.0l.now and looking for a little more fuel economy. I'm looking at 2018 king ranch with a diesel. I only two a couple of times a year for 1.5 hours at a time as I wet slip. Hoping the diesel will pull a little better and give me a little nicer and economical ride on my one hour commute. Besides diesels are cool
Thanks for all the responses!

 

[Dixie Highway]

I think you’ll love it. I looked and looked for a King Ranch (best interior ever), couldn’t find one with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist without the 3.5 Ecoboost (and the other specific options I desired), so I ended up in a Lariat. Enjoy!!

 

[Babin Farms]

After daily driving diesels for 20+yrs I went back to a gas truck. Yeah, I don't have the torque that I've been accustom to but my truck I have now still gets the job done. I wanted to get away from the emissions equipment that is very problematic. I work on equipment daily and is all I know is that it's a lot easier, quicker and cheaper getting an older diesel fixed than a newer one. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE diesel engines but when your on the maintenance end you look at things a little different.

 

[Rockfords Fosgate]

I've owned F150s with the 2017/3.5TT and 2019/3.0 diesel. Both engines are great in their own right. 3.5 is a rocketship but mine started to have cam issues and I started having major concerns about the long term reliability. The diesel has pretty good (not great) low end grunt, but quickly runs out of juice as you run up the RPMs. That truck also had issues I could not live with. Ford dealers are a nightmare. I now have a Tundra.

 

[Rockfords Fosgate]

If you end up getting an F150, do yourself a favor and get an ODB unit that can use FORSCAN. You will want to turn off that obnoxious autostop/start as soon as possible.

 

[Babin Farms]

The diesel has pretty good (not great) low end grunt, but quickly runs out of juice as you run up the RPMs. That truck also had issues I could not live with. Ford dealers are a nightmare. I now have a Tundra.

Seeing it's a smaller diesel engine it's not going to have a ton of low end torque but it's going to be better than the gas engine and as far as higher RPM range, the diesels in these pickups are designed to run low to mid range rpm for peak efficiency. A lot of towability with the new trucks is the transmission. Put whatever you want in front of them but it all come down to how well the transmissions gearing is suited for towing.

 

[Rockfords Fosgate]

IMO, the 3.5TT offers a lot more tow-ability than the 3.0D. When you factor in acceleration, passing, stop and go traffic, highway speeds, etc...it is the far more capable solution. If you are strictly talking ability to pull a boat out of the ramp, then yes they are the same. Then again with enough tongue weight and proper gearing - a lowly 1992 2wd 4cyl ranger could likely pull any Yamaha boat out of the water.

WRT the trannies, I had the 10 speed in both trucks. pros: Great mileage, smooth shifting. cons: low speed clunking, its an incessant 'gear hunter' when towing unless you force a top gear

 

[CanTex]

In my household we have a 2016 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel (my daily driver) and a 2019 Ram 1500 5.7 hemi (wife's daily driver). I have 98k miles on the eco, it has treated me well, but several issues are inherently diesel related. I know you asked about the ford, but figured I could give you some first hand experiences of living with both a 3.0L diesel, and a 5.7L gasser.
* My diesel gets 25+ mpg at 55-65mph freeway, drops to 21 mpg at speeds above 75mph. Gas gets about 18 mpg in similar situation.
* Diesel (mine anyway) very bad turbo lag - I have to be cautious when passing on single lane highways or entering an intersection. Gas acceleration so much better...light years better.
* Diesel gets 10k miles between oil changes, gas i think is 8k. Cost for diesel oil change ~$180 at local shop (takes 10 qts), gas I forget the price but was definitely lower.
* Cost at the pump (in Texas), diesel has averaged about $0.40 more per gallon then 87 octane - no significant savings when factoring mpg.
* My boat (4300 lbs dry) has only been towed by the diesel, mpg was lower teens on a several hundred mile trip. Towing up hills diesel is a winner (my opinion), diesel puts out high torque at a much lower rpm.

Factoring in all of the above, the eco works for me and is just about "broken in". If I had to replace the eco tomorrow, not sure I'd go diesel if the turbo lag has not been sorted or improved.
Test drive both back to back and see what you like and fits your needs.

 

[Dixie Highway]

The Ford is very different in the turbo lag department. The lag to me feels on par with the 3.5 Ecoboost, which is negligible. Some of the points mentioned above...the Ford 3.0 Powerstroke takes 6 quarts of oil, not really any different than a gas. I do my own maintenance so no diesel premium being charged for that. As far as 3.5 EB vs 3.0 PS fueling goes, the biggest downfall to the EB is that in order to get the mpg and power ratings, you need premium. Here in N. IL right now diesel is on par with regular unleaded, and $.50-$.60/gal cheaper than premium. I will say that the 10 speed does like to shift (that's the point, otherwise they'd still be making 4 speeds) but with the 3.0 it is MUCH less "shifty" than it was with the 5.0 while towing. Long term we will see how it ends up, but for now I'm perfectly happy with the 3.0. I'd go back to a 5.0 V-8 before a 3.5 EB, but that's just my opinion. The 5.0 is faster than a 3.5 in the 1/4, less complicated, and sounds WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY better.

 

[Speedling]

I do have one, and quite honestly I love the thing. I’ve had nothing but Ford trucks for many years now, from Expeditions with the 5.4 Triton, to F-150’s (2014 and 2018) with 5.0’s. I’ve put over 250,000 miles on them in the past 4 years, and love the 5.0’s. This 3.0 Power Stroke is a whole new animal. Those 5 liter trucks were fast, fast, fast. Towed my boat no problem, I used to get 10-11 mpg on somewhat flat ground (Chicago to Pensacola). This diesel has 50 more ft-lbs torque, it’ll jump off the line like nobody’s business loaded or unloaded. It wouldn’t beat a V-8 truck, but it’s sufficiently quick for daily driving. I got 14 mpg on the same Chicago to Florida trip this May (I tow about 70 mph). DEF fluid, there’s a gauge in the dash. Not a huge deal, 5 gals lasts 3000 miles or better if you aren’t towing. Not really related, but this new one is a fully loaded Lariat, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, etc. so it’s a nice interior compared to my previous XLT’s. Oh, cruising empty on the highway I do about 25 mpg average compared to 18-19 in the 5.0’s. All crew cab 4x4’s too. 3.31 gears on all 3 I believe.

I too went from 5.4 to 5.0 and love it! My 5.4 i would get like 12 city 15 highway. 2016 5.0 i get 19 highway! A coworker has the 2019 with 10 speed and eco mode he got 27 mpg resetting it on highway!
My overall average is currently 15.6 overall but after the 5.4 with 3.31 gears going to a 5.0 with a tow package coming with 3.73 gears i can't help but punch it from time to time! In sport mode it will chirp tires hitting second gear!

 

[2kwik4u]

.......the Ford 3.0 Powerstroke takes 6 quarts of oil, not really any different than a gas........

That's really not bad. The 5.3 V8 in my GMC takes 8 quarts.