I’m putting together my order for a 22 F150 Lariat 4x4 with the Powerboost and the 502A pkg., trailer tow, 360 camera, trailer tow mirrors, 20” wheels, power deployed running boards, retractable tonneau cover, B&O unleashed system, bed utility pkg, and the 360 Co-pilot assist 2.0.

I’ve never driven a Powerboost and am now wondering how it drives. By that I mean how does the engine transfer to battery and when and can you tell inside the cab when the transfer happens? The auto start/stop feature I couldn’t deal with. But does the Powerboost constantly go between battery and engine and can you hear/feel it? Those of you with the Powerboost, how do you like it and would you do it again or just go with the 3.5 twin turbo or 5.0 ?

I read in one of the car magazine reviews that the brakes on the Powerboost were not as good as the other ICE models. Anyone experiencing that ? Finally, does anyone know if they come with the power steering assist that is standard in the Limited models ? I just want to make sure I am covering all the bases and understand the various options and what they provide. As always thanks for the assistance all.

 

It's fast AF - will beat a Raptor in most cases (other than off the line). The auto start/stop is far more transparent with this system than with a "regular" auto stop/start in a pure ICE vehicle. You can tell when it's in electric mode when the RPMs go to zero. There are also a number of monitor displays that can show you more details about the drive system, efficiency, etc. There can be a little bit of rougher shifting sometimes if the transition b/n electric and ICE happens at "just the right moment", but it's negligible.

The Powerboost comes with a 30.6 gallon tank, which is roughly 550-600 miles highway range and about 340 miles range when I'm towing my 5000 lb Airstream.

In terms of why I chose it versus the other engine options was simple: the 7.2KW ProPower system. If you're getting a Powerboost, you should absolutely, positively get that option. Awesome for using tools (even something like a power washer), great for tailgating, and I can run my Airstream 100% off power from the truck, and even then I'm only at about 50-60% of the rating of the 7.2KW system.

The main downside of the Powerboost system is that you'll have a lower payload capacity due to the weight of the battery, motor, and supporting hardware.

For me, it is the perfect option for the way I'll be using my truck.

 

I don’t find the power transfer annoying at all. It generally runs on the ICE under most circumstances, except low speed maneuvering or coasting. I can tell the transition if paying attention, but most of the time I’m just driving the truck without being aware of what mode its in, and the transitions are seamless from my perspective. As noted above, every now and again when you catch it just right with shifting and going from electric to hybrid, with a sudden torque demand, I can note it takes a brief time for power to come on, but I don’t find it irritating. I find it a very satisfactory power train.

 

As others have mentioned Ford has done a good job with the PB setup. I have a 21 Lariat 501A job 2 truck. I have a few minor behavioral bugs that on occasion would be noticeable when accelerating. After an update to the drive modules on the truck those gremlins have disappeared. The beaut of this truck is that as a rolling computing platform many issues (that are not mechanical failures) can be addressed with software upgrades.f

I traded in a 2018 F150 Lariat w/3.5EB and i am extremely happy with my choice.

 

Sounds like I have the exact truck you are looking to order, and I wouldn't pick any other engine than the PB if I did it again.

The transition is smooth as others noted, and it's extra nice if you are sitting and waiting in a parking lot or whatever because your A/C will keep running for up to ten minutes (depending on battery state of charge) where with auto Stop/Start trucks it would have to kick on the engine whenever the cabin temp started to rise.

Fuel mileage is great too. It suffers in the winter, like most all vehicles, but in 50+ degree temps I can get 24+ MPG all day long in stop and go city driving or long distance highway driving. It has more power than you reasonably need in a 1/2 ton, and as was noted it will absolutely destroy a Raptor. But so will the 3.5L and even the 2.7L will give it a run for its money. The Raptor has power, but it has a lot more weight and rolling mass with the larger tires. Still, being faster than a Raptor and better mileage than a Raptor is nice, especially since so few Raptor owners even use the truck for the one thing it would do better than the truck you are looking to buy.

Anyway, Powerboost is fantastic. I used to think the 2.7L was the best all-around F-150 engine, but it's now the PB, hands down. The only area it doesn't shine is the hit you take to payload compared to a 5.0L or 3.5L EB F-150. Since your truck is almost exactly what I have, I can tell you your payload will be about 1400lbs even. A comparably equipped 5.0L or 3.5L F-150 would be closer to 1500-1600. If that isn't a major concern for your intended usage, then PB all the way.

 

I was lucky enough to test drive it twice about 6 months apart. When it first came out top sales guy had his own and then last early fall there were actually a handful gathering dust on the lots. First test drive was glitchy with a Plat and the second with a XLT was less bells and whistles to distract from noticing the raw power coupled with elevated MPG.

Any glitches in the tranny are not noticeable to me especially since I drive a relatively new Colorado at work and every week or so it surprises me with a clunky downshift. Braking is different but we have had a hybrid in the family for 8 years and it has trained us well in hybrid braking with its regenerative efficiency comments.

 

How often it’s going to switch is going to depend on your driving style and drive mode but under normal traffic conditions it’s hard to keep it pure electric for a long time. It will switch out of electric any time the load on the powertrain is too much for the electric motor to handle which will be a lot of the time. Most times I get a minute or two of electric to break up mostly gas driving unless I hyper-mile.

Echo mode changes shift points and timing so it seems to want to be in electric mode more. Sport mode puts the gas motor on almost all the time.

The times when the transition is annoying are when the gas motor kicks on to recharge the battery at a standstill or at parking lot speeds. A few times maneuvering at low speeds it’s caught me off guard and made me think I bumped something. Takes some getting used to. First happened on the lot when the salesman was explaining things. It felt so abrupt I started to ask him WTF was wrong with the truck and should we stop the paperwork. Not violent mind you but you really feel that bump in the seat of your pants when the ICE kicks on.

I’ve gotten used to it though. The rest of the time the transmission, gas and electric motors
work like butter.

Brakes feel fine. Zero regrets, very happy with it. Feels Monstrous in sport mode. I generally average 18-19 but could get 21-22 overall if I tried. At 2 months and 1800 miles I have settled into a routine over a given tank of staying in echo mode when hard acceleration isn’t practical like residential streets or stop and go. Then sport mode when I can open it up a bit. I find doing this I always get over 18 without too much effort.

 

I have a very similar config as you do. I love it so far. I can feel the slight change when it goes between ICE and EV mostly because I was watching for it, but my passengers usually don't notice, and sometimes I even miss it. I will look down and notice the tach at 0 and realize I missed the transition to EV. It Mostly runs in EV mode at low speeds ( less than 30MPH) and coasting at higher speeds. and so far 100% in reverse. It took about 5 days before I stopped even paying attention, and it started to just feel natural.

Re: the brakes. They seem to work as I expected, plus you have some automatic regenerative braking through the electric motor as you slow that also provides additional braking action not available in a straight ICE Vehicle, similar to a big truck jake brake. After leaving my 23-year-old F150, the PB brakes actually seem a bit touchy, a little tap and your stopping now. Took me a few days to lighten my touch on the pedal. No complaints about the brakes. One difference is the power for power brakes is electric powered so that they work when the ICE is off and I think it feels like a quicker brake response to me.

Now, as far as the Power boost VS a 3.5 twin turbo or 5.0. First, YOU HAVE THE V6 3.5L twin turbo BUT you also have the 47HP electric motor. They work in one of three ways, depending on your need. All electric , all ICE or both the ICE and electric working together. I am coming from an F150 with the 5.4L V8 and you put the powerboost in sport mode and give it full pedal, and it will put you back into your seat and step up and go with that instant electric torque. It is out preforming the 5.4L and its 12 MPG by a longshot.

The powerboost puts out a combined 430HP and 570 lb.-ft of torque. The 5.0L ONLY gives you 400 HP and 410 lb.-ft of torque. The powerboost is the most powerful non-special F150s, ( outside the full EV Lighting). MORE power than the 5.0L and gives you BETTER gas millage than the stand alone 3.5L or the 5.0L.

MORE power, BETTER gas mileage, 5 to 600 miles of range on a tank of gas and all the benefits of the power inverter, I don't see why the average F150 owner would want anything else. I love my new powerboost F150.

 

EXACTLY what Rick stated.

 

Rick is spot on. I have had my PB for about 10 months. Other than the Blue Cruise fiasco (which has NOTHING unique to do with the PB), I love the truck. Depending on your situation, I will say that it takes some getting use to if you want to shoot for better mileage. Just for reference, I have the 3.73 rear differential as I assume that might make a difference.

I live in the country and most of my driving is at highway speeds which in TX can range from 60 to 75. The electric impact of the PB is not really noticed out on the highway as it usually only kicks in under 55, and probably more like under 45 unless you are braking/slowing down when it does tend to switch over to electric drive and turns off the ICE. For the first 6-7 months, I drove the truck in normal driving mode at the posted speed limits and achieved MPG of roughly 19-20 and seems to reflect what many others are reporting for their "real world" PB mileage. I did some research and read that the EPA MPG estimates (24/24 for my window sticker) are generated with the vehicle at a max of 60 mph for the highway driving. I decided to try my luck at driving no more than 65 whenever possible which isn't easy on the roads I travel as many are 70, and tried to remember to switch to Eco drive mode. On my first attempt, I was able to achieve 25.7mpg hand calculated. My electric miles on that tank of gas didn't really change as it was still ~10-12%, so the only improvement came from the lower speed. I have run another tank of fuel through and still achieved roughly 23.6mpg but it had been really really windy on a few of my drives and that killed the mileage. The latest tank is at 24.3mpg

This is just my experience with the truck. Others may have a different story, but I was really surprised. I was more trying to replicate the EPA mileage range as I thought 24 was going to be impossible achieve. By more closely replicating their testing scenario from a speed perspective, I exceeded their results. When I fill up, I have seen the initial range estimate go up from 581-600 miles to 680-715 miles and it holds for the tank.

Good luck with your choice!!