13XLTEco

You must be one of those exaggerating kids from the facebook groups. Nobody believes you tow 9K behind a 2.7 with ease. I know too many people with them.

SoPoSassquatch

As a 3.5 owner unless you need the high end towing or the heavy payloads the 2.7 is much more fun and practical as an everyday truck.

FredB

I have 101K on my 2015 2.7, never had a problem with the motor, Still getting 22.7 or so MPG, I pull my boat, and it fine for me.

Ram48

Thanks everyone.
I am an old gear head (71yo) and used to feel that there is no replacement for displacement, until my son bought a turbo car and after driving it became a believer that BOOST is a better way to go. I had a 2013 f-150, 2014 f-150 both with 3.5 turbo motors they are fun, but I no longer tow a race car (hell I have had the 2014 for four years + and never towed a thing) maybe on a rare I occasion may put 1000 lb in the bed or tow a small trailer.
I am going to drive a 2.7 crew cab and let my butt dyno decide for me .

Ram48

I hear ya'
I was like that too but when I traded my Hemi Ram for my first 3.5 turbo I realized the error of my ways lol. The 3.5 was faster and way more fuel efficient, Now I tend to prefer boost over displacement and buying the engine best suited to my needs.

blkZ28spt

So, here's the thing I'm hung up on with this.

Payload.

I'm still shopping new trucks, and everywhere I look, everybody likes the 2.7 and its abilities and its technology and its speed and price and mileage and lack of problems and it's also less expensive, it's awesome.

But

You can't get a SCREW 145" with any kind of options (it's like XL, or XLT 300a tops) with decent payload. The 2.7 trucks even with tow package are all 6600# GVWR and even with the slightly lighter options they are giving up like 300-some lbs of payload to say a 302a with 3.5 or 5.0 (those are almost all 7000# GVWR and barely higher curb weight). You have to drop to a 300a (doesn't even have remote start or heated cloth) to get that SCREW 145" eligible for the 2.7 payload package (not to be confused with HDPP, just a 2.7 exclusive stripped down truck option to get some payload back).

Towing isn't a big deal, but payload comes up from time to time. Having a new F150 with about the same payload as my wife's Odysseey...yeah I don't think so.

Edit: Actual numbers I'm finding, in SCREW 145" (5.5' bed), the optioned up XLTs or Lariat mids with 3.5 and max tow or at least tow package are running around about 1800# payload, but when you go to the 2.7 and 6600# GVWR on even the lighter XLT (302a) you're losing damn near 400 lbs down to like the 1400s.

1400 lbs in a pickup carrying several people + stuff in the bed can go really quickly, especially with the tongue weight of even a smaller trailer.

And the payload police are going to be like...yeah and how did you manage that without grossly exceeding spec? Who and what else was in the truck and what was your truck's GVW? What exactly was it you were pulling, and how far?

sholxgt

The payload issue is legit, but I have to say it really depends on your usage.

Thankfully the payload police just exist on forums. Rarely do they even make an appearance on social media and I've never met one in real life. Real life truck conversations usually go something like..."you won't believe it, but I just towed xxxx or hauled xxxx in my little truck." I can't speak for all parts of the country, but in FL and GA I see countless lawn maintenance, scrap yard, etc trucks running around with their front tires just about off the ground and these are people doing it day in and day out without issues from the actual police. Don't get me wrong, do that with a large commercial truck and the DOT will be there. There is also certainly the possibility of liability issues if you are in an accident and anyone bothers to actually weigh the vehicle and dig into the specs.

Basically, I would never hook up a travel trailer to my truck and head out for a road trip if it wasn't within vehicle specs, but if I need to get a load of gravel for a landscaping project or use my heavy equipment trailer to move something down the road, I won't hesitate to do so. I've done that since 1996 with my first truck as have all of my friends and neighbors.

And...here come the forum payload police. I got to duck for cover. LOL

blkZ28spt

I have overloaded vehicles and had a bad time (not catastrophic, just white knuckle and terribly and unsafe handling). The worse was an overloaded (also improperly loaded) Excursion with trailer on a 700 mile trip. The big hills of the Appalachians were scary. Wish I knew then what I knew now about payload and tongue weight and proper loading (would have been over with what we had anyway, but could have loaded it less bad)

It's a scenario I very much want to avoid. And also don't want to have a truck and be like...nope that **** is too heavy...blank stares wondering when I hit the punchline of the joke in response...

So nearly 400 lbs difference in payload, that's a big deal

sholxgt

I completely agree when it comes to the road trip scenario! I was merely saying that it's nearly a non-issue if you just need to move something local. I would not set out on an adventure with an overloaded vehicle.

For the record, I live in the Appalachians so my "local" is mountain roads. Locals hauling a backhoe with half ton trucks are never our problem here. It's usually someone from the city with a travel trailer that has never seen a curve in the road that cause the issues.

Georgia Terrapin

I, too, live in the same section of the Appalachian Mountains as sholxgt, and I have a 2.7. You'll see my truck specs in the signature line. Lance Armstrong raced here (before the doping scandal broke out), and said we have some of the toughest hills he's ever raced.

My truck is mainly a daily commuter, about 20 miles round trip. I didn't know about 2.7 vs. 3.5 when I bought it, it just met the specs and price point I thought I wanted.

The 2.7 is a scream to drive. I love getting in it every day, and there are some days when I just "need" something from the local store. My wife and I routinely fill the bed with bags of mulch or soil for yard work. I figure 30 bags of dry mulch is ~ 600 lbs and wet might be 800 lbs. With two stall mats in the bed for traction (~ 190 lbs), that's about 800 - 1,000 lbs in the bed (1,600 lb payload). Rides like a dream and we intentionally take the slow back roads which are winding and very steep.

I've probably towed a dozen times. Twice towed a 1999 Subaru Outback, and the rest 6x12 U-Hauls (probably overloaded). Highways, hills, no issues other than my backing-up skills. Once last week, 280 miles, much of them at 65 - 70 mph. Again this Memorial Day weekend.

There's something about watching the underdog accomplish big things -- maybe that's it. But if you're just driving around, the 2.7 will serve you well, you'll have fun, and in theory you might save a dollar on gas. Don't forget "Sport Mode." ;-)

Regards,
GT