2018 Ford F150 Engine
It's mated to the same 10-speed automatic that the gas-engine Ford F-150 employs and can be had in 4x2 or 4x4 configuration. EPA fuel economy numbers have been released, with Ford saying that the 4x2 trucks earn 22/30/25 mpg city/highway/combined, and the 4x4 gets 20/25/22 mpg. Compare that with the 2018 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, which gets 20/27/23 mpg for the 4x2 and 19/27/22 mpg in 4x4 trim using its eight-speed automatic. The Ford gets the nod in 4x2 configuration and the difference isn't great in 4x4 trim.
It makes us wonder what the Ram might get if it had two more gears to play with (and was made of aluminum). Where it works well is hauling a load or being used as a commuter. A snowy, slippery, twisty drive up a mountain with a load of mulch in the bed revealed a well-balanced truck with plenty of power and easy acceleration when needed. The diesel makes an already impressively engineered, luxurious truck even more of a sweet rig when you're using it as a transporter.
The weight in the bed smooths out frost heaves and any choppiness that the Ford F-150 exhibits while empty. Where the 3.0-liter Power Stroke engine works less well is — surprisingly — towing. Towing up a hill with a 3 to 4 percent grade at 55-60 mph, I routinely slowly lost speed despite having my foot to the floor.
Even with Tow/Haul mode selected, the transmission refused to kick down from 6th gear, despite having another 1,000 rpm before redlining. The struggle was most noticeable in the 3.31-equipped truck, with the 3.55-equipped truck only slightly less out of breath, but until I slipped the transmission selector into manual and dropped a gear myself, no more oomph was to be found.
Once I took over shifting duties, performance felt a little better. In contrast, the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 I recently drove for 250 miles in Ford's new 10-speed-equipped 2018 Expedition SUV had no such deficiencies. Is It Worth It, The diesel is ostensibly aimed at people doing regular towing of a decent-sized boat or camper.
With a maximum towing capacity of 11,400 pounds, I expected it to have more guts than it did for towing. But the Power Stroke struggled to maintain speed with a trailer weighing just more than half its max tow rating up hills that I would best describe as moderate grades.
The engine also lacks an exhaust brake function, either automatic or manually activated, something Ford engineers told me they believe the baby Power Stroke doesn't need as it wouldn't provide much benefit since it's a relatively small engine. That idea confused me a bit, given that GM includes a Tow/Haul-mode-triggered exhaust brake function on the 2.8-liter Duramax four-cylinder diesel found in the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon that works quite well when towing a load.
The Ford F-150 Power Stroke may not be a Ford Super Duty in terms of purpose, but one would think that buyers opting for the F-150 diesel might expect it to have some similarities in towing with its bigger brother. Anyone towing something nearer the 11,400-pound range is likely to already be looking at a Super Duty anyway, if only for the larger brakes that it brings.
Ford sold 896,764 F-Series pickup trucks in 2017. In the U.S., the F-Series is the top-selling truck, as well as the top-selling vehicle overall. This achievement marks 41 straight years as the country’s best-selling pickup, as well as 36 consecutive years as America’s vehicle sales champion. Ford is able to continue this incredible run by improving its truck to class-topping standards year after year.
