BC Coyote

Hey guys,
Although I have just joined, I have been an F150 owner since 2014 and have always found myself on these forums. F150Forum is an amazing resource and I have to credit the community for the many resolutions and inspirations I have befitted from. I have just picked up a 2017 Lariat and am feeling really good about it after my first real drive. WARNING this is a long one, so the TLDR is that I PERSONALLY PREFER the 5.0 Coyote over the Ecoboost. This is not another "Ecoboost vs. Coyote” thread, actually maybe it is… haha, but really it’s just my personal experience that I’d like to share.

For the last three years, I had been driving a 2012 Platinum Screw 3.5 Ecoboost 4x4 with 3.31 gears. Although I enjoyed the truck, I started having some issues in my last year of ownership. I’m a pretty diligent owner but certainly not as mechanically inclined as many others on these forums. I brought my car in regularly for maintenance and oil changes. Always paid for premium synthetic and never filled her with anything under 91 octane. During a long drive, when travelling through a section of big uphill, I had experienced the infamous Ecoboost limp mode. Pulled the truck over, turned it off and waited. Upon restart, there were no signs of incident and the truck ran fine. Brought it to the dealer, but no error codes and therefore “no problem”. Fast forward a year later and the same issue occurs during the same passage (an annual trip through the mountains). This time the check engine light comes on and doesn’t turn off even after restart. I bring her to the dealer and they charge me for new plugs and tell me that the "problem is solved". But while I’m there, I couldn’t help but entertain the idea of a new 13th gen aluminum F150… I get a good trade in value for my 2012 with a decent discount on a 2017 and it didn’t take much more than that to get me in a new truck.

Able to trade in my 2012, I did not bother to test fate and find out whether or not my Ecoboost issues had been resolved. Perhaps undeserved, my confidence with the Ecoboost was shaken and given my mechanical ignorance, I decided on what I believe to be a simpler engine, the 5.0 V8. Yes, I know that the current gen Ecoboost is a totally different architecture. Yes, I know the Ecoboost has proven to be a reliable power plant. Yes, I know the Ecoboost beats the V8 in torque by a significant margin. But my mind was made and I am glad it was!

I ended up with a 2017 Lariat Screw 5.0 4x4 with 3.73 gears. I know there are improvements in the V8 redesign but the outgoing Coyote is no slouch and I decided on “tried and true” instead. I know there is the new 10 speed, but I honestly feel the move to that transmission is matter of economy rather than performance, especially after my recent drive. I chose 3.73 gears as I enjoy driving the truck FAST and hoped to compensate for the torque loss I’d experience coming from the Ecoboost.

I was obviously impressed with my first drive, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken it home. The truck feels great. It is nimble and refined, especially compared to the 2012. The 6 speed at 3.73 mates perfectly with the 5.0 Coyote. The truck LOVES being pushed hard into the higher revs. It feels every bit as fast as my Ecoboost. I know that it has everything to do with the significant loss in weight coming from 12th gen to 13th aluminum, the gear ratio change, and older gen Ecoboost. But this isn’t meant to be an apples to apples comparison. This is my personal experience. The Ecoboost may have felt a touch quicker off the line, getting into the power band much sooner, but the V8 isn’t far behind and roars to life once it gets to 3,000 and keeps pulling. It is a different experience and I’d sum it up as Ecoboost for the performance enthusiast, and Coyote for the driving enthusiast.

Having such a positive city driving experience, I was excited to get it on a real highway. Living in Vancouver, we have a nice stretch of road called the “Sea-to-Sky” highway. It is a beautiful drive through the mountains with winding roads and many ups and downs to really enjoy your vehicle (different than the one where I had issues with the Ecoboost). I started off right away on manual mode, keeping revs up around 2,500-3,500 rpm and shifting around 5,500. The truck pulls HARD! and loves revving high and sounds so sweet while doing so. The power band is excellent and the truck just blasts up hills. I never felt that I was lacking in gears. Shifting happened often enough to be engaging but never so much that it becomes annoying. I can’t imagine what the 10 speed would be like, as I found myself to be in 3rd-5th gear most the time. This drive is really the reason I decided to write this essay. Later on during the ride, I put the truck back into drive and let the auto transmission do the shifting. Boy, did it ever feel LAZY. The auto transmission held 1,500-2,000 rpm most the time and got GREAT fuel economy, but the 5.0 Coyote is a dog outside of its power band. I can totally see how many people who have tried the V8 don’t like it when comparing to the Ecoboost. Ford has programmed for fuel efficiency, and unfortunately the Coyote doesn’t wake up until you get higher in the revs, but does it ever wake up! Now, the Ecoboost did also make this drive without ANY issue, but it definitely wasn’t as fun. It’s pretty uneventful as the Ecoboost reaches it’s torque so quickly and just holds. Yes, I know that early torque that just holds is exactly what you want, and I found it very impressive as it holds gear climbing the steepest grades! but my drives felt so stale and “to the point”. I know that it is a truck, but it felt almost TOO utilitarian.

At the end of the day, I’m super happy with my truck. I picked the V8 Coyote for the perceived reliability, and fell in love with it for the driving excitement that the engine mated to the 6 speed and 3.73 gear offers! I’ve already changed some parts and made some upgrades. Looking forward to many more to optimize it for my driving. In closing, no offence to the Ecoboost guys, just my own experience. Both power plants are great, where the Coyote is Mad Max, just a bad ****, kicking a** and taking names, the Ecoboost is Terminator, a straight up machine and invincible.

FieroGT

Thank You for this. We have a 2011 Ecoboost and have experienced similar issues. Have an 18 5.0 that should be here this week. Good to hear you are so pleased.

69587

Go get the Omega tune from tuningbyoz.com. Ken is a master mind with the 5.0. You'll never stop smiling. The tune will clean up a lot of that throttle lag crap too. Ford really screwed the dog with this motor. With the correct tune it's a night and day difference. Enjoy the new ride!

idrive

iTrader: (3)

How many miles were on your truck when you traded?

2015rubyFX4

I too am a 5.0 fan. As good as the EB's are I prefer v8 power. That omega tune sound tempting

Bigcat1185

iTrader: (1)

A+

nampa45

Great write-up, and nice looking truck. I have a 2017 with the 5.0 and really enjoy the V8 mated to the 6 speed transmission, just my own opinion, they are all great engines and everyone has their personal choice of what engine they prefer.

tareed94

I went from a 2007 with the 5.4 to a 2016 with the 5.0, night and day difference. If you really want to get wild with it, throw a 2.9L Whipple on it. For about $8,000 you can put about 650HP to the wheels and about 630ftlb of torque. Guys on here have done that and then have put about 30,000 miles on the engine. No problems at all. A tune, larger throttle body, and maybe even intake manifold will net around 50hp if I'm thinking right.

SPOAT

Thx for the write-up.

I put my 5.0 in Sport mode when in the mountains. Love to hear her sing. Fantastic motor! Takes my breath away.

You have to use the Sport mode to really see how the motor performs. The standard mode is like a economical mode for fuel economy. Which isn't a bad thing.

Apples

Outstanding first post. Very fair, too. Engine preference *is* subjective.

I am delighted with my '16 XLT SuperCrew 5.0 6R80 truck and driveline. It's fantastic.