The Price Of Going Green? Ford F150 EcoBoost Option To Take 163k Miles to Break-Even

While the EcoBoost V6 is a popular option on the new F150, math tells us that these twin-turbo V6's are a bad investment.

First, Ford charges as much as $2400 for the EcoBoost V6 engine option, yet EPA fuel economy estimates show that the EcoBoost only gets 1mpg better fuel economy than the 5.0L V8, which is standard on many F150s.

What's more, the replacement cost of the EcoBoost's twin turbo setup is almost the same amount ($2250). While Ford has tested the EcoBoost turbos and promised at least 150k miles of reliable operation, the turbos *will* fail at some point, and when they do they're very expensive to replace...

Which brings us to the bad investment. If the EcoBoost V6 only saves you 1mpg in gas, and if gas costs $4 a gallon, it takes 163,000 miles of driving to break even on the option cost. If the turbos need replacement, at that point, you'll need to drive another 150,000 miles or so to get your money back.

The point? The EcoBoost is a bit of a rip-off. Ford F150 buyers would be wise to get the 5.0L instead.
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tundrahq - 9/21/2012 2:54:05 PM

+1 Boost

I liked my headline better.

chewy - 9/21/2012 4:28:46 PM

+3 Boost

The Ecoboost is the performance/power/towing option of all the engines available on the F-150. It has more torque than even the 6.2 V8. It has torque way lower in the RPM range than the V8s. If you want the most capable F-150 you would go for the Ecoboost. The improved fuel economy is an extra.

Plus who says the turbo is guaranteed to fail @ 150,000? Who says that the 5.0 (far from a simple motor itself) won't have expenses around that mark anyways.