The F-150 currently offers four engines, including a 3.3-liter V6, a 2.7-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, a 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, and a 5.0-liter V8.
The base 3.3-liter V6 makes 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 makes 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 in our test model makes 375 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. The 5.0-liter V8 makes 395 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque.
Later this spring, the F-150 will be available with a new 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V6. It is expected to make 250 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque.
The base 3.3-liter V6 pairs with a 6-speed automatic transmission. All other engines come with a 10-speed automatic. Power gets sent to the rear wheels or available 4-wheel drive (4WD).
The dash-mounted shift-on-the-fly dial in our test truck featured 2-hi, 4-auto, 4-hi, and 4-lo. As a refresher for first-time truck-or-SUV buyers, 2-hi is rear-wheel drive (RWD), and unless you work for a Canadian logging outfit, this is what you will use most of the time.
4-auto is useful when a light covering of snow or ice is on the ground. In older trucks, there's always that big decision on when to put it into 4WD. 4-auto does the thinking for you, deciding when to kick in its extra traction.
When you actually start getting into the dirt and mud is when you'll use 4-hi. Finally, 4-lo is for the serious stuff, such as fording water, crawling over rocks and blasting through deep sand or snow.
On top of even those powertrain modes, the F-150 has a drive-mode selector. It features Tow/Haul, Snow/Wet, Sport, and Eco drive modes. Each has its own unique tuning for the steering feel, throttle response and shift mapping.
The problem is just finding the button. It’s down on the side of the shifter, as are the manual shift controls. It would make a lot more sense for the manual buttons to be paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The drive mode button would also be better located on the center console, in the center stack, or on the steering wheel—pretty much anywhere other than hidden next to the shifter.
There’s been a lot of talk about aluminum in trucks in the last few years, with rivals like Chevrolet attempting to knock Ford for its use of the lightweight material. But the use of aluminum in the F-150 shaves hundreds of pounds. And that weight savings makes the F-150 very nimble. As a result, it drives more like a large SUV than a truck.
Of course, the F-150 Raptor is a completely different beast. It features beefed-up shocks, and its EcoBoost V6 makes an absurd 450 horsepower. All of this is so the Raptor can travel at highway speeds over dirt, sand or gravel.
Of course, if fuel economy is a concern, there are better options than the Raptor, which returns just 15 mpg city, 18 highway, 16 combined.
The most efficient drivetrain configuration in the F-150 is the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with the 10-speed automatic and RWD. It returns 20 mpg city, 26 highway, and 22 combined. Our Limited with the V6 and 4WD returns 17, 23, 19.
The F-150 is capable of fantastic fuel economy, and Ford does not sacrifice power for efficiency, as the 3.5-liter EcoBoost can tow up to 13,200 pounds when properly equipped, which is best-in-class for full-size pickups.
The 5.0-liter V8 tops out at 11,600 pounds, while our 4WD Limited manages a respectable 10,900 pounds. To get the maximum towing capacity, you'll need a very specific equipment setup, hence the old “when properly equipped” disclaimer.