Lets hear about those 3.7L's
02-01-2016, 11:28 PM
#551
4Runner Driver
Add to the list of things I really like about my 3.7:
Towing.
Granted, I bought a truck optioned for it (3.73s and towing package), but having pulled a trailer every weekend for the past two months (18' tandem-axle utility trailer) hauling tools, equipment, scrap metal, trash, and just about anything else... I'm blown away by just how good this little engine is. My 4.7L Ram might have accelerated a little better, but it drank twice as much gas while towing compared to not towing. My 4.8L GMC sometimes felt like it was working just a little too hard.
My 3.7 loses all of 1-3 mpg when towing, and nothing I've thrown at it so far has made it labor to get the job done, and I've had a CGVW of over 9000 lbs at the scale hauling scrap metal. (heaviest "confirmed" load I've pulled, I've pulled a few that I'm fairly sure where heavier, including my Mustang on the trailer, but didn't go across a scale)
If you were ruling out a 3.7L truck because you tow, DON'T. They pull just fine if it's got the right options.
Towing.
Granted, I bought a truck optioned for it (3.73s and towing package), but having pulled a trailer every weekend for the past two months (18' tandem-axle utility trailer) hauling tools, equipment, scrap metal, trash, and just about anything else... I'm blown away by just how good this little engine is. My 4.7L Ram might have accelerated a little better, but it drank twice as much gas while towing compared to not towing. My 4.8L GMC sometimes felt like it was working just a little too hard.
My 3.7 loses all of 1-3 mpg when towing, and nothing I've thrown at it so far has made it labor to get the job done, and I've had a CGVW of over 9000 lbs at the scale hauling scrap metal. (heaviest "confirmed" load I've pulled, I've pulled a few that I'm fairly sure where heavier, including my Mustang on the trailer, but didn't go across a scale)
If you were ruling out a 3.7L truck because you tow, DON'T. They pull just fine if it's got the right options.
02-24-2016, 08:25 PM
#553
Senior Member
I've had my 2012 F-150 XLT Supercab with the 3.7 3.73's and towing package for almost 3 1/2 years now. I've put 90,000km (56,000) trouble free miles on it, and l love it. I does everything that l want it to do without any issue. I've average just over 19MPG (US) over that whole time, and that includes winter driving with snow tires and winter gas, and being stuck in heavy traffic. I love my truck 
02-24-2016, 09:36 PM
#554
I checked out the 2.7 an it likes 91 octane so kept my one 3.7 L. It's too Good of a truck to let go.
02-25-2016, 03:04 PM
#555
Junior Member
I picked up my 2013 XLT Supercab 3.7L about a month ago. Traded a 2001 F-250 Crew Cab 7.3L diesel. Loved the old truck, but love the new one, too. Engine is plenty powerful for what I do.
03-01-2016, 01:05 PM
#556
Crotchety Old Man
Hi guys, finally joined this forum, after reading about 300 pages of various 09-14 F150 stuff.
Apologies for the long post, but it contains info about my truck, how it is used, and the real world fuel economy and performance I get.
I own/operate a small residential heating and air conditioning company in Manitoba, Canada.
I have a 2014 SCAB 3.7 4x4 with 3.73 gears and the factory Hankook Dynapro AT P235/75/17 (31x9.25" tires) 36 Gallon fuel tank. All of our 87 octane has "up to 10% ethanol"
I use my truck primarily for work, due to years of driving E250s with the 2valve 4.6. Words can not convey my disdain for the E-series vans.
I always have a cab-height fiberglass cap on the box with a low profile light duty roof rack. The roof rack is empty unless I need to carry ladders or PVC piping (10% of the time there is something on the roof rack) I'd guess the cap weighs at least 200#s
I carry about 100#s of tools in the back seat. I have about 250-300#s of tools and parts in the back during the winter, and about 50-100#s more stuff in the summer.
The average winter temps this year have been rather warm, around -15c or 5F.
With the winter load in my truck in the city I generally obtain 17L/100KM or 13.8 US MPG. Our city is a complete joke, with non synchronized traffic lights, no freeways, and a perimeter highway that has very few interchanges, and instead has intersections. There is A LOT of stop and go. In town speed limits are generally 50 or 60km/h or around 30-35MPH.
If I have a bit more perimeter driving or some highway driving thrown in (80-100km/h or 50-60MPH), I can get about 15-16L/100 or 14.7-15.7 US MPG.
I have yet to actually take a trip long enough with the huge 36 gallon tank to get a decent read on highway MPG. I did one when the truck was <3000km so the engine was not even broken in yet. Like others, I did notice and increase after about 5000km on the truck.
In the summer, even with the summer load generally being heavier, I average around 15L/100km city or 15.7 US MPG. If I have some perimeter or highway driving mixed in, around 13.5-14L/100 or 16.8-17.4 US MPG. Summer temps are around 80deg F, with ultra high humidity. As mentioned earlier, these engines need to warm up. In our weather, short trips and idling just kills the economy, as often my engine hasn't hit operating temp by the time I reach my call.
All of our terrain is VERY flat, as it's a prairie town, so I haven't had the truck in hills, or towed with it yet. It does NOT have the factory tow package.
This truck gets about 2-3 US MPG better than the 2011 E series I drove prior to starting my own company. Not to mention I do not have to listen to everything rattling around in the back of the van, and as it is 4x4 I do not have to get stuck on the slightest amount of snow like the E series vans I drove did.
I have still been disappointed with the fuel economy, but not surprised. What DOES surprise me, is the fuel economy figures that other people with the same configuration are getting.
A regular cab short box 4x4 (If I didn't need the truck for work, that would be my choice) I could see, as it weighs a lot less. But the SCAB 4x4 3.73 gears? Wow. I guess the weight does it.
Performance wise, I have not been a large fan of the engine, as it lacks off the line low end torque and power. Having owned/driven GM v6 cars (3.1, 3.8) and Jeep 4.0i6 and 4.7v8, and a 2008 Ford Ranger SCAB 4.0v6, I am used to low end torque and broad feeling power bands.
There has been enough power to do the jobs I do, provided I rev the engine up, and from what I am reading, it is designed for the revs. It's just something I haven't really gotten used to even after almost 2 years.
Apologies for the long post, but it contains info about my truck, how it is used, and the real world fuel economy and performance I get.
I own/operate a small residential heating and air conditioning company in Manitoba, Canada.
I have a 2014 SCAB 3.7 4x4 with 3.73 gears and the factory Hankook Dynapro AT P235/75/17 (31x9.25" tires) 36 Gallon fuel tank. All of our 87 octane has "up to 10% ethanol"
I use my truck primarily for work, due to years of driving E250s with the 2valve 4.6. Words can not convey my disdain for the E-series vans.
I always have a cab-height fiberglass cap on the box with a low profile light duty roof rack. The roof rack is empty unless I need to carry ladders or PVC piping (10% of the time there is something on the roof rack) I'd guess the cap weighs at least 200#s
I carry about 100#s of tools in the back seat. I have about 250-300#s of tools and parts in the back during the winter, and about 50-100#s more stuff in the summer.
The average winter temps this year have been rather warm, around -15c or 5F.
With the winter load in my truck in the city I generally obtain 17L/100KM or 13.8 US MPG. Our city is a complete joke, with non synchronized traffic lights, no freeways, and a perimeter highway that has very few interchanges, and instead has intersections. There is A LOT of stop and go. In town speed limits are generally 50 or 60km/h or around 30-35MPH.
If I have a bit more perimeter driving or some highway driving thrown in (80-100km/h or 50-60MPH), I can get about 15-16L/100 or 14.7-15.7 US MPG.
I have yet to actually take a trip long enough with the huge 36 gallon tank to get a decent read on highway MPG. I did one when the truck was <3000km so the engine was not even broken in yet. Like others, I did notice and increase after about 5000km on the truck.
In the summer, even with the summer load generally being heavier, I average around 15L/100km city or 15.7 US MPG. If I have some perimeter or highway driving mixed in, around 13.5-14L/100 or 16.8-17.4 US MPG. Summer temps are around 80deg F, with ultra high humidity. As mentioned earlier, these engines need to warm up. In our weather, short trips and idling just kills the economy, as often my engine hasn't hit operating temp by the time I reach my call.
All of our terrain is VERY flat, as it's a prairie town, so I haven't had the truck in hills, or towed with it yet. It does NOT have the factory tow package.
This truck gets about 2-3 US MPG better than the 2011 E series I drove prior to starting my own company. Not to mention I do not have to listen to everything rattling around in the back of the van, and as it is 4x4 I do not have to get stuck on the slightest amount of snow like the E series vans I drove did.
I have still been disappointed with the fuel economy, but not surprised. What DOES surprise me, is the fuel economy figures that other people with the same configuration are getting.
A regular cab short box 4x4 (If I didn't need the truck for work, that would be my choice) I could see, as it weighs a lot less. But the SCAB 4x4 3.73 gears? Wow. I guess the weight does it.
Performance wise, I have not been a large fan of the engine, as it lacks off the line low end torque and power. Having owned/driven GM v6 cars (3.1, 3.8) and Jeep 4.0i6 and 4.7v8, and a 2008 Ford Ranger SCAB 4.0v6, I am used to low end torque and broad feeling power bands.
There has been enough power to do the jobs I do, provided I rev the engine up, and from what I am reading, it is designed for the revs. It's just something I haven't really gotten used to even after almost 2 years.
The following users liked this post:
isthatahemi (03-01-2016)
03-02-2016, 09:09 PM
#557
The motor likes temps above 50 degrees F.
03-06-2016, 11:13 PM
#558
4Runner Driver
Mine's the exact opposite. When it's 60 degrees or cooler outside, it feels like it's picked up some power, and the fuel economy is MUCH better. I towed with it on a hot day for the first time this past weekend, and while it was still adequate, I was wondering "where did the horsepower go?" Sun went down, and it was back to happy times.
I filled up with E85 for the first time this past week. NEVER doing that again. City MPG went from 19 to 9 (much worse than I expected). Highway went from 16 to 12 (about what I expected), didn't even want to try towing with it, so I left the trailer at home this weekend when I went out to my place in the sticks to do some work.
I filled up with E85 for the first time this past week. NEVER doing that again. City MPG went from 19 to 9 (much worse than I expected). Highway went from 16 to 12 (about what I expected), didn't even want to try towing with it, so I left the trailer at home this weekend when I went out to my place in the sticks to do some work.
07-18-2016, 11:35 PM
#559
Crotchety Old Man
UPDATE:
You yanks and your freeways must be how you get the good mileage. (substitute yanks for any citizen of a real city that doesnt have a stop light every hundred yards)
Drove from Winnipeg to Kenora and back on less than half a tank, with 90% of my regular weight in the truck, AND towing my #2500 pop up camper.
13.5 l/100km which I think is about 17.5 MPG. With tow/haul mode on. Its not awesome, but its the longest run I have had to date, and the best mileage.
Trouble with the giant fuel tank is you can do a nice highway trip and see great numbers then still have lots of stop and go city driving on the same tank that brings your average down.
Getting LT235/80/17 BFG KO2s on tomorrow. Will see how they effect mileage. Looking for a tuner as well. I am thinking Fords programming is limiting this engines potential.
You yanks and your freeways must be how you get the good mileage. (substitute yanks for any citizen of a real city that doesnt have a stop light every hundred yards)
Drove from Winnipeg to Kenora and back on less than half a tank, with 90% of my regular weight in the truck, AND towing my #2500 pop up camper.
13.5 l/100km which I think is about 17.5 MPG. With tow/haul mode on. Its not awesome, but its the longest run I have had to date, and the best mileage.
Trouble with the giant fuel tank is you can do a nice highway trip and see great numbers then still have lots of stop and go city driving on the same tank that brings your average down.
Getting LT235/80/17 BFG KO2s on tomorrow. Will see how they effect mileage. Looking for a tuner as well. I am thinking Fords programming is limiting this engines potential.
07-27-2016, 11:17 PM
#560
Crotchety Old Man
Just got an SCT tuner with the generic 3.7 tune. Looking forward to a trip to the mountains towing my pop up camper. No factory tow package, lt235/80/17 bfg at ko2. Hoping the tuner makes a noticable difference.