If you are hard of hearing the 3.5 is a good choice.

 

Welcome to the club. You will love the KR.

 

Test drive, test drive, test drive... It's the only way to decide. It really comes down to which feels best to YOU. Both engines will handle anything you could throw at them. But their personalities are very different, thus the importance of a thorough test drive of similar trucks, with each engine you are considering.

Should be very clear after that.

 

I test drove both and liked and got the V8 over the EB.

 

I ordered my '18 Lariat 3.5eco last spring and it came in last July, so I haven't had quite a year yet. It was built exactly to my spec. I went into the whole process thinking I only wanted the 5.0, not because of the sound, but just what I was use to since i had been driving my last F150 for 20 years with the 5.4 V8. Before I ordered, I did test drive all three engines, 5.0, 3.5, then the 2.7, to just confirm in my head I wanted the 5.0.. I test drove the 5.0 first. It felt good (really good compared to my old 5.4 motor), sounded good, but sound was important to me. I noted you really had to get it up in the revs before all the power kicked in, which is not necessarily a bad thing. As soon as I got back from the first test drive, i quickly got into a 3.5eco. Almost immediately I noticed a difference. The power came on down low in the rpm's like a diesel. It was quieter then the 5.0 which I liked. It felt like driving a diesel, that extra 70 lbs. of torque makes a difference. I rolled onto the throttle pulling out into traffic, my wife looked at me who was riding and immediately shook her head yes to this motor. She could even tell the difference riding.
I later test drove the 2.7eco,, but was still sold on the 3.5eco. If it was only between the 2.7eco or the 5.0, I would have went with the 2.7, but between the two Eco's, the 3.5 wins for me. Plus I don't think you can even get a 2.7 with the King Ranch, so you don't have to worry about that. Also, out of all the motors, I felt like the 10 speed transmission synced better with the 3.5eco. It felt more refined with 3.5 and 10 speed together. The 10 speed is a different animal, from anything else you have driven. My work car is a 3.5eco AWD Explorer Interceptor 6 speed tranny, so I'm always switching between the two and the differences are reminded to me on a daily basis.

A bonus is I have the aluminum oil pan. Unbeknownst to me of the plastic oil pan saga. I happened to get lucky at the order timing of my truck and it was built with the aluminum oil pan. I'm not sure if new 3.5eco are still coming with aluminum oil pans or if that was a temporary thing. Just test drive different motors before you pull the trigger. I'm glad i did.

 

Test drive them back to back. When I bought my 2019, I was set on the V8. Took a V8 for a test drive and was like "drives like a V8." Even went as far as to start the paperwork on the sale when I decided that maybe I should try the 3.5 Eco before moving forward with the sale. Took a 3.5 equipped truck out and was like "Wow!" IMHO, much peppier and more immediate power. I was sold. Yeah, it doesn't sound as good as a V8, but the performance makes up for that and more. Try both and see what you think.