I love to talk technology of any kind with friends, so when Tom Seeley of Pine Ford in La Porte began telling me about the Ford F150 with EcoBoost®Technology and what the new engine went through in testing, my curiosity was piqued.
The whole premise behind the F150 with EcoBoost® Technologhy is to put a really efficient 6-cylinder engine into this big rig and have it perform as responsibly as an 8-cylinder but with much better fuel economy. With the EcoBoost® engine the F150 has an EPA-estimated 16 mpg for city driving, 22 mpg for highway, and 18 combined mpg.
Not being a natural pickup driver, my wife and kids were surprised when I came home with the sweet silver F150 that I said I’d give a test dive to in order to see what that kind of power and tech in a pickup truck would really be like.
Climbing into the truck, I realized what a different perspective I had compared to the low to the ground, go-cart level ride I’m used to in the Chevy Volt that I drive.
The F150 had a commanding view and a spacious interior. It made me feel a bit like I was driving a small house. Firing up the engine, pulling out onto Route 2 and stepping on the gas showed the quick response of the pickup which was surprising to me.
People often say jokingly to me, “How do you possibly cover and publish so many good news stories covering NWI?”
Thankfully, the bed of the Ford F150 fits at least five Lifers comfortably, and it clearly has room for half a dozen more. In day-to-day driving on the highway and around town the ride feels a lot more like a sedan even though you’re driving a pretty big truck and the accompaniments inside make a gadget geek go crazy. You’ve got AM/FM/XM radio, MP3, GPS, Bluetooth, phone connectivity –all the bells and whistles. My personal and particular favorite feature are the cooled front seats.
Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs made an awesome video talking about the testing and technology that the EcoBoost® engine went through when it was being developed by Ford. It’s a really interesting video to watch.
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The EcoBoost® engine went through over 1,900 hours of testing at full-boost conditions, as well as thermal testing that simulated 10 years of operation in the harshest of environments. The engineers at Ford used direct-injection technology as well as turbocharging in diesel engine development to create the innovative EcoBoost® engine option that delivers the optimum combination of efficiency, capability, and torque.
Direct injection produces a cooler, denser charge that generates more power per drop of fuel, while the two small air-to-air intercooled turbochargers spool up much more quickly than a single large turbo. The result is instantaneous low-end torque responsiveness with virtually no turbo lag.
Seeley said, “People are continually surprised by how quick and powerful this V6 EcoBoost® engine is. We have customers looking for the full power capability of a large truck with the efficiency and handling of a smaller vehicle. The EcoBoost® in the F150 delivers it all.”
Inside it’s cavernous; Easily has room for three burly guys or for many, three overgrown teenagers in the back. My wife and I find that there is an elegant style up front.
While my wife and kids still don’t think I’m a pickup truck guy, for at least a couple of days I got to pretend to be one. Thanks to Tom and Pine Ford for letting me take the F150 for a spin. If I’m ever going to go big and bold, this is the ride for me.