Love This Engine

The 2.7 Ecoboost.

Some of the truck talk around here lately has gotten onto the fuel economy stuff and talking about the 2.7T Ford/Chevy and boosted vs V8 truck engines and whatnot. So it got me wanting to put mine to the test.

Here's the big dumb lug of a truck my 'nano' engine is stuffed into, although it also now has elephant-ear tow mirrors hanging out in the wind too.

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While I've pulled 23-25mpg along the same roads just driving the truck in a normal non-aggressive manner, I decided to put a little more effort into focusing on driving for economy just to see what this rig is actually capable of. The measured segment was 43.8 miles of rolling hills each way. However, there was to be NO crazy hypermiling techniques involved. While I was far from the fastest vehicle on the road, I was also not the slowest and did not inhibit anybody's progress. This is I-5 through the Seattle-Tacoma metro area, and it's all 60mph posted. The rule I set for myself was to not exceed 65mph on the downhills, nor fall below 60mph on the uphills. The trip down this morning was with minimal traffic, but I still wasn't quite sure just what to expect. Color me impressed:

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The return trip this evening ran into some dense traffic as we approached downtown Seattle, resulting in a couple miles of slow-and-go followed by a 1/2 mile or so of stop-and-go. I don't think I was going to quite hit the same mpg as in the morning regardless, but economy definitely took an additional hit from that too. It still impressed me though:

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So that's a 27.5+ mpg average over 86+ miles. 

Viva la 2.7 EB! 

That's super impressive for such heft. 

I've had 2000's Ford Focus 4 speed automatics that return less than 23 mpg from their weezy 2.0Ls.

The 2.7 is a really good motor in the trucks. Good power and great MPGs. 

If you had told me 20yrs ago a crew cab truck would one day make 325hp/400tq and get 25+ mpg from the factory I would have thought you were crazy. 
 

Modern trucks and SUVs can deliver amazing MPGs. I friend told us she regularly pulls mid 30's from her CX-5, really impressive stuff 

In reply to Driven5 :

I drove one of the shop pickups (2 door, 4 x 4) with the 2.7 for a week while my car was down for repairs. Got almost 26 mpg for about 500 miles of mixed driving.  I was impressed with the power as well.  It had about 65 K on it at the time and is now closing in on 150 K of not easy miles with multiple drivers with no major issues. 

As someone who's currently shopping used trucks, that engine is high on my list. Unfortunately the majority of used F150s have the 3.5EB which I don't really want. I think I'd rather go 5.0 at that point.  
 

Very impressive numbers! Thanks for sharing your feedback. 

Considerably better than the numbers we get with the 3.5 thought I wonder if there's a gearing difference with the fx4 package. In gentle country driving{55mph limits} I generally see 21.5 unladen. 

In reply to buzzboy :

The 10 speed has the same gearing across engines. The only gearing difference is in the final drive. Depending on configuration, the available radios are:

2.7 - 3.55 or 3.73

3.5 - 3.15, 3.31, 3.55, or 3.73

5.0 - 3.15, 3.31, 3.55, or 3.73.

Mine has the '2.7L Payload Package', which includes the 9.75" axle (standard on the 3.5L) and the 3.73 locker... Which probably isn't doing me any favors here.

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IN reply to WillG80:

​​​Most 2.7's come with a 'super 8.8' which apparently reduces the actual payload and towing vs the equivalent 3.5/5.0 truck. I think the 2.7 PP gets the payload within ~100 lb, but it's rather uncommon. With these trucks in real world use, many (most?) people are likely to max out payload capacity before towing capacity. Always check the door sticker for the 'occupants and cargo should never exceed' weight for the individual as-built (optioned) payload. The charts only show for base trim with zero option trucks. One fully loaded, except no payload package, 2.7 Lariat I looked at had a payload less than 1400 lb... Which was only like 60 lb more than my minivan. LOL. Even with FX4 (skid plates), tail gate step, and 36 gallon tank, my 2.7PP XLT has a nearly 1700 lb payload. 

Note that (as I read it) if the truck doesn't have the actual 'tow package' rather than just the 'class IV hitch', easiest identified by the trailer backup controller knob below the 4WD knob, it has a reduced (from the towing capacity chart) tow rating of 5k for the 2.7 and 7k for the 3.5/5.0. It would seem this is due to the upgraded front sway bar it gets you.

Also note that GM doesn't play these unnecessarily complex package/rating games.

In reply to Driven5 :

I too have the back up controller below the 4x4 knob.  And the super 8.8 with my 5.0 

 I thought that would hurt my fuel mileage  too.  It doesn't.  Cold weather does though. It's -1 right now and I'll probably average 20.   With E85  I'll be at 18. 
  Once temps get up to 50 or above I'll be back to 24-25 or 22-23 with E85 

     Pulling a heavy load up long grades that E85 really comes into its own.  Temps stay really cool and the added power!!!! Wow it's really nice.  ( silly nice ) 

In reply to frenchyd :

The 5.0 with the 10 speed has an average of 16.22mpg on fuelly (web site aggregating user data on full ups and miles driven). It's hard to believe a near 56% increase in fuel economy. What is your lifetime average? Any actual long term data or are you going by the instantaneous mpg readout on flat level freeway?

I have the 3.5L version and found that the calculated mileage was fairly consistently about 10-20% "optimistic." This bugs me because I know that Ford engineers are better/more accurate than this, but oh well. Maybe they "sharpened their pencils" after my 2013 was built, but do your test again using the gas station pump's reading and your odometer and see how similar it is.

In reply to WillG80 :

FWIW- I ended up with the 3.5 and it's been fantastic. Ours is super heavy (loaded lariat with the sunroof and power tailgate) but
I've hit 25mpg on road trips hauling our family. We have the 3.15 gears (vs the 3.55 with the FX4 package) which helps some. 
84FSP and I averaged 16mpg towing our 94 Integra challenge car 1600 miles round trip to the '22 challenge. And those numbers were not babying it. 

dculberson said:

In reply to frenchyd :

The 5.0 with the 10 speed has an average of 16.22mpg on fuelly (web site aggregating user data on full ups and miles driven). It's hard to believe a near 56% increase in fuel economy. What is your lifetime average? Any actual long term data or are you going by the instantaneous mpg readout on flat level freeway?

First I cheat.  I drive a regular cab short box.  Not the crew cab moose that you can't park anyplace ( including my garage).    You should have pictures of it. Ask I'll take some.   If I only recorded 16 mpg  I'd be very unhappy  my 1997 Chevy never got down to 16.  ( 350, 4x4  short box step side regular cab ) 
  Second my fuel mileage might be a little better because 90% of the miles on my truck are around 40 mph  1 mile is 25 mph and 3 miles are 60 mph. I push speed a little bit. Rarely 5 over. 10 over everybody has to be passing me to go that much over. That's typically the speed they write tickets at. 
          I think I'm at 88,000 and that's pretty close to lifetime mileage.  Like I said it drops a few in the winter and comes back as temps increase.  Yes I keep tire pressure up and maintain it decently.  It seems to get about 1/2 mpg better withMoble 1  than Fords semi synthetic. 
      Yes I have gotten better gas mileage  on the freeways.   For example some  states sell  non oxygenated fuel still and that seems to add a couple of MPG. 
    On the other hand I always seem to get better fuel mileage than others.  
  My wife's Honda CRV  she gets 22 with it and I get 27-28.   My buddy Joe when he's driving my truck gets several less mpg than I do. Oh and I have the 6 speed  not the 10 speed. 

kb58 said:

I have the 3.5L version and found that the calculated mileage was fairly consistently about 10-20% "optimistic." This bugs me because I know that Ford engineers are better/more accurate than this, but oh well. Maybe they "sharpened their pencils" after my 2013 was built, but do your test again using the gas station pump's reading and your odometer and see how similar it is.

I was highly doubtful that I'd see a 2.8-5.6 mpg difference on the highway, but decided to test it out anyway.

The results were less-than-one mpg (<3.5%) optimistic. Apparently there is a setting somewhere that I can use to further dial it in too.  

You get better mpg with that motor in your hefty truck than I did when I had the same engine in a Fusion Sport.  That may have had something to do with my right foot though.    I agree the engine is terrific!  I had a dyno tune done on mine and it turned that family sedan into a killer.

The wife's '21 Traverse with the N/A 3.6 and 9 speed has gotten over 27 mpg on all-highway tanks.  Pretty good for a 3 row, 4400 pound, 310 HP SUV.

Modern ICE's sure are marvels.  

Me too! I have the 2.7 in my current 2021 F150 work truck. I have had the 5.0 and the 3.5 ecoboost in previous work trucks and the 2.7 is by far the best. It gets great mileage, about 19-20 in winter and 23-24 in the summer for me. It has enough power when you need it and it pairs really well with the 10 speed transmission.

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

Maybe this belongs in the minor confessions thread, but:

I don't know for sure what confluence of factors came together to get me the rest of that 3-4 mpg improvement, but I'm not convinced it was solely from a relatively minor driving style change. Last nights drive reinforced that. But since I was already plenty impressed with this engine and the fuel economy it was getting before, the fact that it's even possible to hit those numbers under any circumstances that didn't include 'downhill with a tailwind, both ways' blew my mind. I've made some mental notes to keep in mind if/when this happens again.

How much shifting does the transmission do under normal driving with the cruise set? That was the one thing that drove me batty about the Ridgeline. It shifted constantly and I live in one of the flattest parts of the country. 

The reason I went to a diesel was to get rid of the constant shifting. The Toureg will climb the continental divide in 8th without breaking a sweat. The Ridgeline would have been 5-3-4-5-4-5-3-4-5 all the way to the top. God forbid you put an enclosed trailer behind it. 

In reply to Toyman! :

I haven't used the cruise, headed into the mountains, nor towed with it yet, but it will typically just hold 10th gear on the highway and can even smoothly accelerate up mild grades wile doing so. It does this better in eco mode than normal mode though. Even when it does downshift, it's pretty good about finding the right gear for the output you need and holding there.

2017 I was at AMS airport at the Heineken bar right in the middle of tbt international side of the airport.  Struck up a conversation with a younger guy. He was an engineer for ford.  Anyways we were talking about engine development which I did at one time and he did currently.   He said the best engine in fords lineup was the 400hp 3.0 ecoboost in the mkz.   2nd best was the 2.7.  Said they are way overbuilt and more reliable than the 3.5. 
 

annecdotal evidence says he was correct. 

Toyman! said:

How much shifting does the transmission do under normal driving with the cruise set? That was the one thing that drove me batty about the Ridgeline. It shifted constantly and I live in one of the flattest parts of the country. 

The reason I went to a diesel was to get rid of the constant shifting. The Toureg will climb the continental divide in 8th without breaking a sweat. The Ridgeline would have been 5-3-4-5-4-5-3-4-5 all the way to the top. God forbid you put an enclosed trailer behind it. 

I have a side-side comparison for that. I also live in one of the flattest parts of the country. My wife drives a '19 Ridgeline and it does shift more than my '21 F150 but it isn't bad. I primarily use the Ridgeline to tow our 4000 lb camper but I keep it in D4 whenever I'm towing so it just stays in 4th. The F150 is really good at picking the correct gear so you don't really notice the shifts.

In reply to karplus2 :

If the 06 Ridgeline had a D4 I would have kept it. It had D3 which was useless.

I have mostly driven our 3.5 truck in Cruise Control, including towing a trailer. It shifts smooth and quick enough I don't really notice it. They have done wonders with the 10 speed over the older 6(?) speed.

buzzboy said:

I have mostly driven our 3.5 truck in Cruise Control, including towing a trailer. It shifts smooth and quick enough I don't really notice it. They have done wonders with the 10 speed over the older 6(?) speed.

I do love the 2.7 but perhaps it's really the 10 speed I love the most? I have never been much of an automatic transmission fan. I never really paid attention to it in my F150 until driving home last night and I realized I never pay attention to it because it is always doing what I feel like it should be doing. It's always in the gear it needs to be and the shifts are super smooth. I watched it shift from 6-10 with the only indication that it had changed gears being the gear indicator on the dash.