I get about 14 MPG in the city with 3.5 EB 2WD SCREW 10-speed. I hoped for more, but I'm really not surprised. I was curious what the 2018 V8 w/ 10-speed would do around town. Honestly, I'd expect slightly better fuel economy with the V8 all else being equal. Thanks for the data point.

 

That seems real low for the 3.5 RWD. Has it always been that low?

 

At 700 miles on the truck I'm averaging 18.2, figured by math and not the truck. The guage is estimating 19.3. I do drive conservatively but I am still usually the first one moving from the light. You'd have to rod the heelck out of the truck to get as low as 13, IMO. Maybe different tires too, forgot about that as mine is stock.

Mileage appears to be be still going up as it settles in, so hoping for higher 18s or low 19s.

 

I was in this same position last Friday. I dropped my Explorer off for warranty work. Ended up making a deal on a 2017 F150. Researched like crazy over the weekend to make sure I was getting a fair deal and the options were what I wanted/needed.

Needless to say I opted for the 3.5 ecoboost as it has the most power you could want. And wow - this truck is like a rocket ship!

It's also paired up with a 10 speed auto. I'm not sure yet what difference that'll make for me personally as I only have a 70 miles on the truck (picked it up tuesday).

Like said above - if motors felt great to you then aim for the color/features you want! I wanted the power which I lacked over 2 years with in my Explorer so that drove me to get as much power as I could. Didn't think I'd miss the power but I did. Kicked myself about a year after owning the explorer saying "I should have got the sport model!"

Also the dual moon roof - a HUGE must have for me. i was lucky to find the color I wanted with the engine/tranny & sun roof I desired.

If you go XLT - please note that only the SPORT trim (color matched bumpers) has the flow through center console. XLT with chrome (standard) doesn't offer a flow through console. Just that center fold down seat - which i think is tacky for a $50k vehicle.

 

That seems way low. I have 3.5 EB 4wd 10 speed and I get about 17 mpg in town and I drive rather aggressive and have a lot of stop lights in 45-50 mph zones. So it is speed up stop speed up stop. Highway I get around 22.

 

The truck calculates ~16.2 MPG for my city commute. I calculate 14 MPG based on the odometer and gallons between fill-ups.

It's possible it will improve. The truck only has ~1300 miles, but the duty cycle is rough. For comparison, my Trailblazer got 12 MPG and my Passat turbo got maybe 15 MPG.

I set Trip 2 to calculate one of my rare highway excursions last weekend - about 60 miles round trip. It was reassuring to see the truck report ~25.2 MPG average at the end.

 

Check the payload numbers. (Yellow sticker on the driver door frame). I was ready to buy a 2.7 supercab until I looked at the sticker on a V-8 supercab sitting right next to it. 2,312 for the 5.0 versus 1,860 for the 2.7. Neither one had any suspension upgrades or tow package and they were equipped with the same options. If you are serious about hauling, the extra few hundred pounds might matter. Those are Ford's ratings, not mine.

 

I have the 3.5 eco and really like it especially when towing the trailer up a mountain. Driving around town and on the freeway are great also, there are only two types of driving where I would prefer the 5.0. If you are driving at low speeds at light throttle in the hills on neighborhood streets it feels a little like it is lugging, the fix is to put it in sport mode. The other is driving on windy roads when you are on and off the throttle, it seems like the power comes on too quickly accelerating out of a corner, the 5.0 builds torque a lot more slowly and evenly over a wider rpm range which should make for smoother acceleration. If it were me and I wasn't towing a heavy trailer I would probably go for the 5.0 but if you ever plan on towing a heavy trailer especially if it is in the mountains that low end torque is amazing.

 

eco mode and adaptive cruise

 

As many have said, it really comes down to personal preference - but - I will share my very recent experience.

I am an old fart and when I decided to move from my 2011 Expedition (~150,000 miles) to a 2017 F150 , I decided to go with the V8 which I purchased in late May with 3.31 rear end. I had my reason/opinions, but will spare you those. It was a beautiful truck (Ruby Red).

Unfortunately, Hurricane Harvey hit and the 2017 was almost completely under water in the garage.

I was fortunate to find a 2018 on the lot last week, with ecoboost and 3.55. A friend highly recommended I consider the eco this go round.

I am a conservative driver, but I can say that at the moment (especially in city driving,) the ecoboost with the 3.55 is great/fun to drive. I had a 2014 5.0 Mustang so I do appreciate a nice, throaty V-8. Although, after driving the 2018 around the last week, I am really enjoying the ecoboost.

FWIW