Is 2022 F-150 V8 Engine Better? Not According to the Numbers
The V8 engine has been the mainstay of full-size pickup trucks for decades, whether it be the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, or Ram 1500. Everything else was considered weak sauce. But that’s because of the better horsepower and torque ratings the V8 featured over lesser engines. But if you take a look at the current crop of V8s from Ford, Chevy, and Ram, versus the V6 and straight-six, it’s a new story.
How many F-150 engine options are there?
Ford offers five different engine options for the 2022 F-150 truck. They are the 3.3-liter Ti-VCT V6, the 2.7 EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, the 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8, 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, and the PowerBoost hybrid version of the 3.5-liter V6.
What has changed so dramatically over the years is that with the ability to reach higher RPMs than a V8, and two small turbochargers, the V6 engine smokes the V8s. Let’s take a look at the Ford power and torque ratings for each of them.
The least powerful of the bunch is the 3.3-liter V6. It features 290 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. With those ratings, it can tow up to 8,200 lbs, with 19 mpg City and 24 mpg Highway figures. Keep in mind that the 2010 F-150 5-liter V8 featured 248 hp.
Is the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 better than the 3.3-liter V6?
Surpassing all of the 3.3-liter V6 numbers is the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 packs 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. It has a towing capacity of over 10,000 lbs. Its economy numbers are 20 mpg City and 26 mpg Highway. Again, higher rpm capabilities combined with the two turbochargers net a more powerful engine output.
Next up is the 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 engine. This stands for “twin independent variable cam timing.” Two camshafts are used to vary the timing of both the exhaust and intake valves independent of each other. This improves engine efficiency and helps reduce emissions.
What about the F-150 V8 engine?
The 5.0-liter Ti-VCT has 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. This is a substantial increase in hp, but only slightly better in the torque department. Both City and Highway mpg are slightly down with 17 and 24 respectively. But towing capacity is cranked up to 13,000 lbs.
The next two engines are Ford’s best performing and highest capacity engines, and they’re both V6s. First is the 3.5-liter hybrid PowerBoost twin-turbo V6. It adds another 20 hp for 430 hp total and 570 lb-ft of torque. But the towing drops slightly to 12,700 lbs. Mileage increases to an even 25 mpg in City and Highway driving for both.
Is the EcoBoost the same as the PowerBoost 3.5-liter?
The 3.5-liter EcoBoost is essentially the same as the PowerBoost with the exception of the hybrid feature. It numbers max at 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. That torque rating is slightly down from the PowerBoost number.
Economy numbers are also slightly less at 15 mpg in City and 18 Highway mpg. And the towing capacity is also less at 8,200 lbs. So there are some tradeoffs between maximum horsepower versus mileage and towing capacity.
And if you’re wondering where the diesel engines went, you have to move up to Ford Super Duty trucks. There, you’ll have the added option of the 6.7-liter PowerStroke turbodiesel V8. The smaller PowerStroke V8 is no longer available. Shrinking demand is what Ford says is the reason.
