2011 Ford F-150

The 2011 F-150 will get 4 new engines: two V8s and two V6s. New is relative--they are new towards the F-150 but are already doing duty in other Fords and Lincolns. The bottom engine is the naturally aspirated, 302-hp, 278-lb-ft, three.7-liter V6. Subsequent would be the twin-turbocharged, 365-hp, 420-lb-ft EcoBoost V6. The 5.0-liter V8 within the Mustang will get some truck modifications and makes 360 hp at 5,500 rpm and 380 lb-ft at four,250 rpm. Finally, the 6.2-liter V8 from your Raptor comes straight into the F-150 unchanged, creating 411 hp at 5,500 rpm and 434 lb-ft at four,500 rpm. All engines are mated for the similar six-speed automated; only the torque converter is changed for every application. All shifters come with an improved tow/haul mode normal and an optional SelectShift button on the lever to lock out upper gears or for quick-shifting manual operation.

Other alterations for 2011 consist of electronic power-assisted steering, which increases overall steering-system efficiency (less parasitic drag and as a result from 4 to six percent better mpg); a new gauge cluster with a four.2-inch display; and, uh, some new colors.

What's it like to drive?

Most noteworthy here could be the turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Of course, this can be a desperate grab for enhanced corporate average fuel economy, as could be the six-speed automatic. But even though increased fuel efficiency is so clearly the cause for this engine lineup, Ford would not say what type of mileage any of these powertrains returns. Ford won’t even say what it expects them to get, despite touting the 1.six million miles of new-model testing, throughout which, presumably, no one particular ever wrote down a figure. EPA numbers are supposed to arrive out in a few weeks. We acquired an instant mileage rating of 19.4 mpg after about 20 unencumbered miles from the 3.7-liter (15.9 mpg when we were playing around with the seven,000-rpm redline, which was entertaining)..! In a single extremely unrealistic 45-mph coasting mileage competition, we obtained 29.3 mpg in the 3.5-liter EcoBoost, but you can not get anyplace near that. We received 17.7 mpg from the 5.0 V8 at 70 mph and--sorry--no mileage report from your six.2 V8.

For performance, again, the EcoBoost was the star with the show. You may well not anticipate very much from a V6, but man, oh guy, you’d be hard-pressed to uncover any wimpiness in this mill. We towed a 6,700-pound trailer clear across Texas (well, from Denton County to up there around Decatur and back) and by no means wanted for a lot more torque. Thanks on the forced induction, energy and torque rose from seemingly anywhere on the tach. If you’re going to carry out classic truck tasks with 1 of these--towing, hauling, cattle irritating--you is not going to be disappointed with this engine. Even the base three.7-liter V6 was strong and surprisingly fun. Our favorites were the 5.0 V8 and also the six.2 V8, not in that order. But none of your engines was genuinely lacking in truckliness, and none would be likely to disappoint classic truck purchasers.

Do I want it?

A half-million American truck purchasers can’t be wrong. FRD sells far more vans than another entity (except those months when GMC and Chevrolet combined outsell it).!.! The idea would be to give truck potential buyers what they want, and Ford’s gamble is that they want far better mileage devoid of sacrificing towing and hauling capability. FRD analysis says that prospective buyers of other trucks would switch to Ford if FRD offered a lot more mileage. Whatever that mileage is.

Like the EPA figures (or even FRD mileage estimates), pricing was not officially released. But spec sheets inside the trucks gave surprisingly certain figures. A three.7-liter F-150 XLT 4x2 Crew Cab had a foundation price tag of $32,785 and $35,875 as driven. Make that a SuperCrew, and foundation selling price was $37,785. A Platinum edition 4x4 Crew cab with 3.5-liter EcoBoost was $47,720 trust and $51,450 as driven. We didn’t get every other costs. Appear for full pricing closer to launch, which is at the finish of this year, or February for the EcoBoost.

FRD would like to sell 50 percent of its F-150 line with V6 engines. That’s up considerably within the 15 percent V6s it sold last time a person was inside the lineup, which was 2008. With V6s this excellent, they absolutely have a likelihood to do it.