If you had to choose… (truck shopping)

I blew up my Ecoboost, so I'm truck shopping.

I'll admit, I've been a little spoiled in my 2012 Platinum Ecoboost. But a new motor is gonna set me back about $12K, and that's too much on a truck with 250K on the clock.

I need something quickly.  I drive 1000 miles per week, so reliability is very important. Towing matters. I can't afford nearly new. Help me think this through...

2 excellent condition trucks. Both clean bodies, rust free. Both from private sellers.
 

First up, a 2011 F150.  Platinum. It's the 302 (5.0L). Very low mileage (88K). Rebuilt title, but good price. $15,500

Next up, a 2013 F150. XLT. Clean title. High mileage (185K), but a brand new dealer installed 3.3L Ecoboost and turbos with less than 300 miles on them. Transferable warranty. $20,000.
 

Part of me is tempted by the power of the new EB, but the XLT trim isn't gonna feel as good. Of course, if I ever needed to swap the motor on the 5.0L, it would only cost about $4K. Longevity and cost of long term repairs matter when you drive as much as me. 
 

Which would you pick?

Third option...

Perfect condition 2013 F150 Platinum  Ecoboost.  Identical to my old truck (including color).  135K.    CarMax is selling it. $28,000 out the door. 

I spend a LOT of time in my truck, so it matters that it's a nice place to be. But first and foremost it is a WORK truck, and it MUST be reliable. I don't have to have all the bells and whistles. 

Does your 12k new motor include new turbos, etc? What's the condition of your existing truck compared to the 2013?

I'd probably roll the dice with the 2011 V8 truck myself.

In reply to Olemiss540 :

I'd say probably not. I'd be into $14k with the turbos. 
 

My truck was excellent. The 2013 EB is better. 

I'm thinking the 2011 Platinum has a few years before it starts asking you for much tlc. Also the 5.0 power is really impressive even if the mpg is not. PLus, that saves you 5k for repairs later on, and it would take you a long while to make up that 5k savings with the ecboost mpg advantage.

Sort of an off topic question here. What failure did your Ecoboost have ? Did it let go internally or what ? Either way, that's horrible news. I just wonder what sort of failure it had. 

In reply to dannyp84 :

Fuel economy is not a consideration for me. My company pays for all my fuel, including personal use. 
 

It will matter in a few years when I retire, but I'll be driving something different then. 

In reply to Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) :

My motor was excellent. Just did the timing chains, and had a really good look at the internals.  Unfortunately the turbos were not. One blew up and threw shrapnel into the motor, which threw a rod through the pan. 

In reply to SV reX :

Man that sucks. Sorry to hear it. 

I've actually even considered a couple 5.4L trucks. The buy-in is really low, and the motor replacement is 1/4 of the cost of the EB

If you're not paying for gas, then the only downside of the V8 is environmental.

The rebuilt title will hurt resale, but you'll likely keep it so long and so many miles that its affect to resale will be almost non existent. 

Of course, I'd like more of the story on what totaled it originally. Then, I'd inspect to verify the story.  If it's flood then hard pass. 

If moving forward, pre- check with your insurance guy about the R-title and if they'll cover it. 

In reply to John Welsh :

Owner thinks it was hit on the right side and repaired. He said it was missing a running board when he got it. Apparently all good now. 

In reply to SV reX :

Because of the Aluminum body , I'd go for that. But you don't have rust issues. The other advantage it has is weight.  You seriously feel it accelerate,  hard. Add Flex fuel and it's impressive. 
  I also like the newer 4 cam  5 liter over the 302  pushrod engine. 
   Some of those whistles and bells make economic sense.  Blind spot or advance cruise means lower chance  of an accident.  Lower cost insurance. 
 The arm rest on the newer ones is a great work platform for note writing or just writing, typing etc. 

The model ended in 2008 so may too old for you and 5.4L but...look for Lincoln Mark LT the fanciest F150 you could buy in that era. 

Personally given your experience with Ecoboost and the experiences of myself and others I know have had with Ecoboost motors, I would go with a V8.

We put all our guys in mid-level vehicles because customer perception matters and if you show up with a Platinum or a Raptor its tough to tell them times are tough.  It needs to be nice enough to take someone to lunch, have enough comforts to go down the road, and not look out of place on a job site.  

The XLT trim F150 2021+ is really a nice place to spend time.  Has everything a guy needs less the leather, but thats a $800 kit away.  The new dash, console, and infotainment is worth it alone.  

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/a4a1d2c0-8fed-4289-9ba1-6480c0024a6e/

This truck right here would be a "shut up and take my money" deal.  For an extra $5k, its well worth it to show up in something nearly a decade newer with all the improvements a decade gets you.  

In reply to John Welsh :

And yes, you're right. The title hurts resale, but the way I drive depreciation is gonna suck no matter what I do. 

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

The XLT I'm looking at was actually upgraded to leather (but it's not as nice leather as a Platinum). 
 

Though I'm not interested in a project, it would also be possible to pull the interior from my Platinum and swap it. 

In reply to 93gsxturbo :

Yes, a decade makes a big difference. It also makes a difference that that truck is in Nebraska, and the other ones I mentioned I could have today or tomorrow. 

I should have mentioned...

My old truck had $6000 work of cap and tool bins on a 5 1/2' bed. There is a big advantage to me looking at 2009-2014 F150s, because I could just swap it over. 

93EXCivic said:

Personally given your experience with Ecoboost and the experiences of myself and others I know have had with Ecoboost motors, I would go with a V8.

I loved my Ecoboost, but you are not wrong. 
 

Although, my experience has made me think twice about ALL turbo cars, not just the EB. 
 

We don't think too much about how dangerous it is to have fast spinny things in the engine intake track. 

Is there anything you can do to mitigate turbo failure? At 329K miles, I bought a new turbo assembly for my TDI after I noticed oil in the outlet pipe during the 300K timing belt change. An indication the turbo seals were on their way out and total failure was imminent.   I generally accept that something spinning at really high RPM at high heat for hours on end is going to be a wear item.