Coming: Ford turbocharged gassers

[SmokeyWren]

Breaking news:

Ford calls their future turbocharged gasoline engines EcoBoost.

Ford Motor Co. will charge a premium of around $700 for its turbocharged engine system when it goes on sale in 2009.

A 3.5-liter V-6 with EcoBoost will arrive next year on the Lincoln MKS sedan and Ford Flex crossover.

The V-6 with EcoBoost is slated for the Ford F-150 in 2010, and the pickup application will produce "significantly more" than 340 hp and 340 pounds-feet of torque… Ford also said that four-cylinder engines with EcoBoost will debut in 2010 in North America and Europe.

Comment:

Ford hype is pushing the "Eco" part of EcoBoost. They say the turbocharged engines get significantly better gas mileage than than standard engines, so you'll get your $700 back in 30,000 miles of gas savings. I suspect that's only if you drive as though you have a raw egg on the go pedal - and never break the egg.

In other breaking news, Ford is drastically reducing the number of combinations of options you can order. For the 2008 F-150, there were billions (with a B) of combos available. For 2009, there are only millions. They have learned from Toyota and Honda to include the available options in trim levels, and to eliminate slow-selling options. For example, there will be no manual transmissions offered in the 2009 F-150. You hand-shaker fans simply didn't buy enough of them when they were available.

For another peak at the future of ordering a new Ford, consider my 2005 Honda Odyssey (minivan) model EX-L R&N. It has zero options. And yet it has almost everything, including leather, navigation system, DVD entertainment, XM satellite radio, hole in the roof, power almost everything, automatic front and rear AC, gee-whiz sterio and speakers, etc. The only thing it doesn't have is run-flat tires and a power tailgate - and maybe a few gizmos I don't care about. To get power tailgate and run-flat tires I had to order the next-up model, the Touring. I wanted power tailgate, but not run-flat tires. Tough. So I don't have power tailgate.

[checkthisout]

They learned from Honda and Toyota or they are simply cutting back to make their budget match their sales numbers......

They are still promising a Diesel F150 in 2010......

[roofeditor]

Option is a big jump in bucks and was not worth it for us.

Back to ford and turbos, I hope they are including direct-injection because there is possibly 15% in mpg available there and more than that in HP....plus emissions are much better with direct injection. Look at last years caddy CTS and then look at this years with direct injection.

Turbo, direct injection, variable valve opening, and V-8/V-4 shut down can put a lot of hp and mpg in there. Also 6 speed auto trannies with double overdrive like the Toyota's are a big help.

Now if only ford found light high strength steel and put the darn things on a diet they might be going some place.

The GMC hybrids are claiming 20 highway and 21 city I think? That's with a hot rod version of the 6.0. If the GMC had a smaller V-8 like 4.4 with, direct injection, turbo, variable valve opening, variable cylinders AND the hybrid, they might be in the high 20's approaching 30 for a full size PU.

Weight and C/Drag are always the enemy of PU's. Even look at the MPG of the Odyssey and the Pilot/Ridgline, quite a difference considering the same engine and all that.

My dream PU is a small diesel with hybrid for off the line torque and shut down in traffic. That is a 30 plus mpg PU!

It's all out there they just have to put the parts in the same design.

[LMJD]

Turbo, direct injection, variable valve opening, and V-8/V-4 shut down can put a lot of hp and mpg in there. Also 6 speed auto trannies with double overdrive like the Toyota's are a big help.

Right, my wife and I both get 19.9 to 22.8 strictly highway driving with both our new Toyota Tundras partially due to the 6 speed auto and variable valve timing. That's not bad for a 381HP engine with 400 Ft.Lbs. torque, truck weight 5400 pounds (4X4s). I had to floorboard mine twice Sunday to get around a couple of motorhomes on a two land road and Holy Crap, it drops down about 3 gears an it's like being shot out of a slingshot, 80-90 MPH before you know it.

I think this year's run of Chevy 1/2 tons are window stickered at 20MPG highway too, I think they were about 18 last year. I have two friends that bought new Chevys and they're real happy with them. I don't know about Ford's turbo/gas engine deal. Other than those Buick GTs (or whatever they're called), most all the "general use" big three turboed gas engines had a high failure rate.

[checkthisout]

Originally Posted by LMJD

Right, my wife and I both get 19.9 to 22.8 strictly highway driving with both our new Toyota Tundras partially due to the 6 speed auto and variable valve timing. That's not bad for a 381HP engine with 400 Ft.Lbs. torque, truck weight 5400 pounds (4X4s). I had to floorboard mine twice Sunday to get around a couple of motorhomes on a two land road and Holy Crap, it drops down about 3 gears an it's like being shot out of a slingshot, 80-90 MPH before you know it.

I think this year's run of Chevy 1/2 tons are window stickered at 20MPG highway too, I think they were about 18 last year. I have two friends that bought new Chevys and they're real happy with them. I don't know about Ford's turbo/gas engine deal. Other than those Buick GTs (or whatever they're called), most all the "general use" big three turboed gas engines had a high failure rate.

They make good engines now. The big 3 don't struggle with quality like they used to.

If I didn't know for a fact that you were an honest man, I would call you a liar if you told me your Yota was getting 22.9 MPG consistently on the Highway.

My good friend is getting 13 MPG with his in mixed driving.