MPG Challenge: How Thirsty Is the New Ford F-150 Diesel Empty and Towing? 

Here is a 2017 Ford F150 3.5L EcoBoost V6 on the same highway loop with the same trailer. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VCcHjRasllc.html

Just bought a 2021 Chevy 1500 4x4 CC with the 3.0 Duramax and absolutely love it. Just filled up for the first time with 689 miles on the tank averaging 28.1. The best mileage I saw was 41.8 average over 50 miles and was still climbing before I hit traffic. Absolutely love the sound and power, not to mention the efficiency!

Cool thanks TFL

I have waited so long for this video, thank you.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around a nearly $70k half ton truck!

I love my ecodiesel!

68k makes the f250 a lot more interesting.

Good job guys keep it up

Love my 15 limited ecodiesel! I get 23-26 avg mpg per tank. Haven't had a hwy trip since it's warmed up so it'll be higher than that

So glad I got my 18 5.0 end of 2017 and didn't wait for the diesel like I was going to. Phew.

I have had 3 Ecodiesel trucks. My best mpg was 40. I am presently sitting at 27 mpg which is combined but mostly city driving. It tows well. I have had no issues at all with any of them. It starts well in the cold not plugged in. Looking forward to the 2020 with Ecodiesel.

i love what you guys do, it seems more and more that your should buy the truck you like the looks of, they are all basically the same

As an owner of a ‘15 ram ED limited, I will say age mattered for both mine and my dads. My dad pulled his hard the first 12k miles moving and it seemed to break the turbo in quicker than mine. I’m finally got similar mileage to him after 30k miles with not pulling as much (I pull a 4K wind anchor boat, he moved pulling a 7k enclosed trailer a lot). Miles on the gear does matter. My Audi A4 turbo got better with some miles too... I ordered an F150 psd in January and got confirmation yesterday that it will finally be built in early August. So much for May! The seats, arm rest height, headlights, and tow mirrors are what got me to switch. I love the ram but the ford seats are a definite step up for me personally at 6’4”. The other thing that got me on the ram was the pcm flash when we changed oil weights. It changes the shift points and really squeezed the balls on this truck. I lost 3-4 mpg pulling my boat and now never hit 8th at 65-72 on the interstate. It ran this all day before the flash updates. Dealer and a few other owners shared my complaints with a ram rep on losing some power and turning more rpms due to the oil shear issue. Will give the new body ram and updated ED a year then either give it a whirl or hopefully the new 2500 with new CTD is out with the pro series ZF 8 speed like it should’ve been 2-3 years ago. The only reason I ordered an F150 in the first year out is it’s not really a new motor, trans, or truck for that matter...so tried and true. Both are and will be great trucks. I’ll add...I’m keeping the ecodiesel Jeep... :)

Great Video. From the mathematics I have performed, you are going to have a hard time overcoming the $3000 premium with this small of an increase in fuel economy over the 3.5L Ecoboost gasoline version with the Max Tow Package after you factor in the seasonal premiums for diesel fuel when compared to 87 octane (reccomended inthe F150 Owners Manual for the 3.5L EcoBoost), fill-ups of DEF which is not needed in a gasoline(petrol) engine, and cost of maintenance items like more frequent fuel filter replacements. Plus in cold climate, anti-gel additive is needed in the winter.

My 2006 F 250 6.0 (#7000+ w/full tank) has gotten 24+ mpg on a 444 mile trip from Murphy, NC to Jasper,AL. Pulling a 10,000# 5th wheel we get 12-13 mpg.

Incredible ❤️😉 24 highway. Love my 2012 F150 lariet 6.2

Well at least I have some close completion to pick on now woohoo !

$68k for a 1/2 ton truck 😂😂😂

You guys should scope out State Highway 83 from Colorado Springs to Denver for a towing comparison. It's a great view and has plenty of alternate routes to choose from for tougher test.

I wouldn't say well done ford, a lighter truck coming out 4 years later and it still wasnt able to beat its competitor..

When I saw a new F150 XLT priced for 51k, i walked away from the dealership...

It's worth noting that the EPA rating for engines for Hwy MPG is actually done at 55-60 MPH speed, not 70. If you guys were to slow it down to even 60-65, you would eclipse that 25 MPG mark easily.

EPA has the Ford 3.0 l. 2 wheel drive at 22 city and 30 highway , the Ram Ecodiesel is 20 and 27.

What did Ford say about the reduced power mode in the downhill ike video with this 3.0 Powerstroke?

Do you use the cruise control during your testing? I have a 2017 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 with the Hemi. My mileage is always better with the cruise control. The computer is better than my right foot....

Was totally expecting the MPG numbers to be better than Dodge, if only by a little. Impressed by FCA. Wonder if it’s an apples to apples comparison on drive train and rear axle cause that’d make the difference.

As I said earlier my 2018 3.5EB xlt has no problem getting 10.5 towing 6,700lbs at 65 mph in tow mode. Unless I'm going up a fairly steep grade she purs at 1800 rpm. I've done 2 cross country trips pulling my travel trailer and sure I can drive faster but keep in mind some trailer tires (like mine) are only rated for 65 mph. It's also my daily driver and gets 22 mpg combined in eco mode - more hwy miles than city. I drove from NYC to Allentown PA unloaded and got 24.5 mpg in eco mode (all interstate miles avg speed 68). The numbers are based on the pump not the trip computer which is always higher. For my application towing 75% the new ford diesel is just not worth the extra money and annual expense. Plus the tow numbers are not that impressive compared to the 3.5 max tow package. My last oil change at the dealer was $52 and included tire rotation and lube.

Excellent video, can't wait to see the new Chevy 1500 diesel compared to the rest. So I can choose which one to buy. 👍

Which rear end does the ram come with ? Can you order a lower one like the ones on the gm 3.21

Do you set cruise control or do you limit the top speed at 70 with the key in the computer?

Have you done this test, empty and 7K lb. towing, with the F-150 diesel that has the 3.31 axle ratio yet?

At 1:42, I can hear the Predator stalking them!

A Supercharged F150, 5.0 would be nice to see. Roush possibly. To see it towing capabilities.

What is the GVWR on the 2018 F-150 powerstroke vs the 2016 Ram 1500 eco diesel?

My question is for the trucks and how they are equipped. What was the rear end ratio of the Ram? What was the bed length of each truck? Were they both 4x4s? No, I didn’t watch the Ram video (yet). I am really interested in the Ford as the Ram didn’t impress me in person. As another commenter asked here, is the software updated to reflect the fallout of DieselGate? Or is it older? Lastly what is the weight of each truck when fully fueled and filled with DEF fluid BUT with no other cargo, people or trailer?

I heard rumors of a hybrid f150 for 2020. I hope the hybrid is also diesel for the sake of superb mileage.

I am a Ram guy and when I was in the market for a truck, I looked for the EcoDiesel. Not a single Ram dealer was willing to make a deal, even on leftover 2017’s and some bad diesel press in 2018.. Ford was always my last choice. The baby Powerstroke was not out yet, but I got a good deal on a 2.7 EcoBoost and couldn’t be happier. Love diesels, but the extra cost even on a 2500 is just too much for me. Even used trucks are over priced these days. Still want to drive a baby Powerstroke, but $60k is insane.

Was there an explanation from Ford about the limp mode on the downhill Ike Gauntlet test? Unless I missed it.

i see this test and then wonder how are people claiming this truck gets like 30-35mpg and over 800 miles on the tank? i remember some person did a video or post someplace in California and they claimed 850 miles on a tank and like 30mpg with no issue. makes you wonder if they did more downhill runs vs uphill, maybe ran it at 60mph instead of your average 70-80mph highway speed and ofcourse 2wd on a smaller cab truck. lol i know my big ole Ram 2500 has gotten mid 20s before on country roads, and ofcourse in the mountains it gets better with just coasting down the hills. i feel these guys do the best testing ever, with keeping the same routes, same exact speed and actually test the big 4 door cabs, 4x4 drive trucks people actually get.

Now we have to wait and see what the 3.0L in the Chevy/GM can bring to the game. Oh and Andre, NHRDA's Diesels on the Mountain at Bandimere Speedway is happening this weekend. I mean if you like the smell of diesel fumes and burnt rubber lol.

When are you gonna test the 2018 f150 with 5.0and 10 speed on the Ike ? Mpg and tow.

Here's my situation - I plan to pull a small RV trailer that weighs about 3000lbs and travel 5 or 6 times per year on vacation. I plan to keep my next truck a good 10 years + so I'm thinking that the F150 Diesel could be better than the gas eco-boost in this regard due to less maintenance costs and fuel efficiency. What's your take on this?

This is interesting data for a new truck buyer,..but Oh My the cost of acquisition!

I love the Ram trucks and I really don't like the Fords but I was sure the F150 had this in the bag. The 10-speed has a taller top gear than the 8-speed in the Ram. I guess it really doesn't matter in the long run, any time you can use your half ton truck as a dailiy driver and score 26 - 30 MPG it's win win.

What was the wind speed ? Not fair test unless you do them on the same day. I know when there is a head wind it will kill mpg

Which Ram are they talking about? Where is the video?

I would like you to do a test going 55mph thats the towing speed limit here in California

The trip is at 96.3. Did you reset late?

I'd take the 2.7 EB...

It'll be interesting to see what happens with these trucks and longevity. I had some issues with my Ram EcoDiesel and actually traded in for a Hemi 1500

How many miles are on the trucks when you test them

How often do have to use the DEF?

Ram is the class leader.

My 2016 Titan xd cummins diesel towing 7000 lbs can manage 11 mpg very staple towing cause truck weights around 7300 lbs and for fully loaded cost less with 5 years 100000 miles bumper to bumper warranty ride comfort good too going long distance

15 years ago when the diesel option was a couple grand and diesel fuel was cheaper it was a no brainer. Now the engines are ridiculously expensive, the maintenance costs are ridiculously expensive, diesel fuel is more expensive than gas, and they are more popular than ever.

Can't wait to get my hands on one

Ok, just to put it out there, what did the Canyon Colorado Duramax get on its loop????

The Chevy Silverado 1500 durmax is next and for sure we well see ranger powerstrock vs Colorado durmax.

I have 2010 f 150 I can use diesel or i can’t can you let me know please

Anyone else notice the odometer “rolls” over? Nice touch.

Sooo it gets like 2mpg better than you would get in a gas truck? Can’t say that I’m very impressed...

Nathan seems annoyed

Better, but not by enough. I get 22 to 23mpg at 70mph in my titan. When I have towed thing I get about 10.5mpg.

You know it’s a good video when each brand loyalists are going at it in the comments.

Awesome real world testing, but I am curious to see the same test at sea level, what do we have to do to make this happen TFL?

Imagine if they could show us results with a 'delete' & economy tune on everything....

New vehicles have become prohibitively expensive. I wouldn't ever dream of spending $65,000 on a vehicle that wasn't a bucket list item.

Do empty testing for the HD trucks

Isn't that about the same numbers chevy 5.3 got?

there has to be an ideal air temperature to run at, too low makes the engine burn more fuel to keep warm and to high has less oxygen to burn...id like to see a test with the same truck at varying temperatures...my guess is there would be about 2 mpg difference

You should be able to get the 3.0 powerstroke in the superduty trucks it makes moor power then the 5.4 friton v8

Now if FCA will get the 2019 Ecodiesel out to the dealership's

Did anything actually change on ecodiesel after it returned on sale from the EPA issue? Curious what the difference is with eco mode off on this truck. Good test guys.

for the price and fuel mileage id get a f250 my 2015 gets about 14 empty and 11 towing. its poor fuel mileage but I can tow anything I need to.plus the f150 diesel only has a life of 150k miles . according to a ford spokesperson

My ecodiesel didn't get good mileage until I got a few thousand miles on it. We went from NH to FL and averaged about 29-30 mpg with four people and all of our gear.

So the ram eco deisel isn't the Cummins?

Not a big enough stretch in fuel economy to justify buying the diesel over gas. Price per mile still ends up still giving the Ecoboost the advantage. For $68k you can get the same cab space and truck much better suited for towing in the F-250. I love diesels, but to make it worth the upgrade cost it'd need numbers similar to the Colorado.

Holy shit 68k?!?!

It seems no one has mentioned the service costs of the Ford F150 diesel. Quite a bit higher thus slowing the recoup time compared to gas engines.

I'm not impressed with the highway empty number. Was hoping it would be upper 20s. Is it possible for you to run a test with a 2wd truck?

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE FORD DURING TESTING DURING THE TOW TEST. AT THE GUANLET ? It shut down in both occasions ??

I know emissions are important but there has to be a balance between economy (burning more fossil fuels) and emissions output. My Duramax LBZ (pre-emission) with minor mods just pulled #3000 round trip of over 600 miles at interstate speeds and averaged 19.5 mpg. Averaged 13.5 round trip across the country in the mountains pulling 7k with hours of idling time due to have pets in the truck. It would have been better with stock highway tires and a 2wd truck of course.

When is ford coming out with the new 7.0 gas motor?

I'm disappointed that it didn't beat the ram. I would still buy one but not for 70000. I would want the XLT 8 foot bed super cab with the HD package

With a 2,73 Axel it would we the perfect Truck for Europe.

My Ram Ecodiesel gets way more mpgs if you can just hold it at 65 mph. Like 34 mpg.

I wonder if the Ford was doing a DPF burnoff that caused the MPG to be lower. It would be great if a burnoff could be done prior to each test. I don't think the vehicles have manual burnoff option though.

I have a 2016 Ecodiesel, 4x4, crew cab with a 3.55 rear. The truck has about 74k trouble free miles. My best mpg, calculated not using the computer was between Phoenix and Moab going no faster than 70 mph, was 30.29 mpg. At 80-85mph I consistently get 25-26mpg on the highway. I live in Breckenridge Colorado so no flat roads!

I always put an extra 15 liters into my truck after it click off

Probably the least enthusiastic video I've ever seen from TFL... This truck isn't going to have much of a market as it is right now.

Everyone hating on the Ford mpg. If you are 1-2 mpg between competition I would consider it the same. My friends dodge eco diesel blew it's engine towing 3 quads and hunting gear. Had ALOT of trouble getting warranty because dealer said wasn't meant for towing only getting better mpg's. Hope the new Ford engine will be better than that. Time will tell.

Why does the trip show 2 miles less than your 98?

A 10 mph wind could easily be the difference in fuel mileage between the ram and Ford. Just watch fuelly.com website once trucks are on the road to get a broader spectrum of results. Many other websites and testers have posted numbers higher than this TFL test.

Happy to see the new F150 diesel can’t out mpg my ecodiesel.

When you guys said the f150 was 68k I couldn't watch the rest of the video. Gotta be kidding me.

Pretty good, and good for Ford. I'm happy to see they learned from Dodge the advantage of placing a smaller diesel in the 150 like Ram did in their 1500 - 4 years ago. My eco-diesel does a little better than this at around 27.5-28.5 empty and around 17.5-18.5 hauling a 5000K trailer - but it's a 2-WD, not 4-WD. Same rear-end ratio and cab configuration. My Ram is a 2015.

Kind of a bummer. The power on these engines bores me to death anyways but if it could get 27+ doing 70+ I might live with it. Guess we shall see how new eco diesel and duramax do.

When romans not around the ford seems to lose a lot more, i think hes a bit bias against dodge. Hed make up some sort of excuse as to why the ford lost..."oh yeah umm guys i ate a really big breakfast, thats why it got less mpg...ford still wins". Cummins is simply the way to go, they are freakin phenomenal motors and they have been for a very very long time.

when i heard ford was coming out with a powerstroke in a f150 i was exspecting at least more torque than eco boost ha not even close what a waste of money for a weaker engine

Wow. So much for "class leading efficiency", Ford. 🤣😂