News of a truck that gets the same fuel economy as a family sedan, and is capable of pulling 12,000 pounds of trailer, would change the game for American pickups.
Of course, we’ll never get the two of those things together. With trucks, fuel economy and towing capacity are an either/or proposition.
Trucks capable of close to 30 miles per gallon on the highway are now here, and we have trucks that can pull 12,000 pounds, but we will never have a truck that pulls 12,000 pounds while getting anything more than about 9 miles per gallon.
Ford’s new 2015 F-150 solves half the puzzle by getting an impressive 26 mpg on the highway.
With a catch, of course.
The 26-mpg truck is a trim level many people won’t want. It’s the rear-wheel-drive model with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 that delivers 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway, with a combined rating of 22. For comparison, a 2008 F-150 with the 4.6-liter V8 is rated at 14 mpg city/19 highway/16 combined.
The Truth About Cars says,
Aside from the 2.7-liter mill, the F-150 can be had with a standard 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6, 3.5-liter EcoBoost, or 5-liter Ti-VCT V8. Horsepower ranges from 282 for the V6, to 385 for the V8, while torque comes at 253 lb-ft for the former, 420 lb-ft for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost.
As far as towing boats and hay are concerned, the larger EcoBoost 4×2 pulls the most at 12,200 pounds, whereas the 5-liter V8 edges out the EcoBoost with a max payload of 3,300 to 3,270.
The new F-150 can attribute its increase in fuel economy to a massive weight loss helped out by the truck’s new aluminum body. Even with those numbers, the truck still isn’t the most fuel-efficient pickup on the market.
That honor goes to the diesel-equipped Ram 1500, which, in 4×2 trim, produces 240 horsepower, 420 pound-feet of torque and carries an EPA fuel-economy rating of 20 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway, for a combined 23 miles per gallon. Some drivers are saying they consistently see highway numbers in the low 30s.
All the configurations of the new F-150 can be a little confusing, so here’s a handy little chart of how the newest Ford truck can be had.
Is fuel economy important to you when shopping for a truck?
-tgriffith