Ford Motor Company has made great strides in the past decade in offering smaller, more efficient engines that provide capabilities comparable to larger, less efficient engines. The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 has done a fine job serving as the premium work-horse engine while still getting very good fuel economy.
More recently, the new 2.7L EcoBoost V6 offers comparable power to the competitors mid-range V8 engines, but it does so while being the most efficient half-ton gas truck engine in America.
However, even with the 2.7L EcoBoost getting very good fuel economy, there are still buyers out there who want something that is even more efficient. This is why trucks like the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma sell so well, as they appeal to buyers who want some trucking abilities with even better fuel economy figures. These are the people who used to buy the Ford Ranger, but Ford now insists that the F-150 can do anything that the Ranger did.
Enter the powerful 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine in the Ford Mustang. If it was retuned to offer a more truck-friendly torque curve, this engine would likely be the least powerful engine in the F-150 lineup, but it would almost certainly be the most fuel efficient half ton truck ever.
For our Question of the Week, we want to know if you would consider an F-150 with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine that delivers at least 300 horsepower and at least 300 lb-ft of torque.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
