I've been on the hunt for an EcoBoost.

Today we had good snow here where I live and it put me in the mind of when I had an older Volvo 745 wagon with the turbo. Although I just loved that car (that's another story) it was just plain crappy in low traction conditions (admittedly it was an auto trans). Especially in snow, to get traction, I would try to gently apply throttle, but then the turbo would kick in an spin the rear wheels (in many ways like an old pickup, all the weight was in the front and nothing in the rear).

Now to my question, do the EBs come into power gradually, or in a burst, once they spool up?
Not exactly and apples to apples comparison, I realize. I'm looking at 4x4 truck vs an old (not well balance - weight wise) car.

Just wondering how your EBs do in low traction situations, where a light throttle would be handy?

Again, thanks for your patience with my silly questions.

 

Yes you will break traction with too much pedal in snow and wet roads. Depending on what year you’re looking at there are different engine/trans modes to help with that which changes timing and shift points. Eco mode in early versions Snow/Ice in later models.

 

Modern F150 transmissions have drive modes, for instance wet/snow mode changes the throttle response and gear selection to give gutless roll outs from a stop.

 

You have traction control and other helps. You'll be fine.

 

I’ve driven my 2017 Lariat Eco in all manner of snow and poor road conditions. I’ve found running excellent tires is the biggest factor how well the truck performs. If the snow is really deep I just drive my 2016 JKU which is built and lifted with 35’s and can’t be stopped short of actually high centering it. Obviously if you go heavy on the go pedal in slippery conditions you’re going to spinning regardless of having it in 4WD. IMO there is no substitute for good driving technique in snowing conditions.

 

I agree, good tires, a bit of weight in the rear. I rarely even put in 4wd or auto for that matter.

 

4X4 is a must for actual wintry conditions. You need good tires. The wet\snow mode makes the truck feel dog slow, which is the point. It slows down throttle response. Weight in the back is helpful, but make sure the weight won't become a missile in the event of an accident. You don't want a 50 pound tube of sand flying through the rear window!

Also, my experience is that you have to turn off traction control if you are trying to get up a steep grade or on bad surface in order to allow some tire spin. Otherwise, the traction control just stops all 4 tires from spinning and then you don't go anywhere. I found this out the hard way trying to go up a steep icy driveway and the truck just stopped and I actually slid back down into the road, almost causing an accident. I think the traction control does aid you in not having the rear kick out if you are just driving on slippery surfaces.

Keeping the windshield and lights and mirrors as clean and ice and snow free as possible is just as important to safe travel in these conditions as traction (IMO).

 

I had a MB 300SD turbo that was excellent in snow.

 

Agree with the other posters. 4Auto is the nicest feature in low traction situation. Good tires will make the biggest difference. Throttle response is decent and predictable. I go between the Mrs's 5.0 and my Ecoboost.

 

The only good thing about winter is winter driving...in my Ecoboost