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Old 08-03-2014, 07:20 AM   #1
Redtail Cruiser
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Default New "Moose" in the stable

Bill, just noticed that you upgraded your TV recently. Please share with us your first impressions of the new "Moose" in your stable?
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Old 08-03-2014, 09:07 AM   #2
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Tim -

It sounds remarkably similar to yours. 2014 F-150 Lariat, 4X4, [5.0 L] V-8, Supercab (not crew cab), standard bed. Yesterday we had a bed liner, tri-fold (3 1/2 folds, actually) hard tonneau cover, and retractable step installed.

As I have posted before, I considered my 2002, and then my 2007, 4.6 L V-8 Explorers to be ideal tow vehicles for us. I would have bought another Explorer without hesitation if Ford had not gone through the nonsense of jacking up the Explorer nameplate and sliding a Taurus under it. That made it too small for me to be comfortable. We got interested in a Dodge Durango, but it was pricey and had a few drawbacks that made me hesitate. So we shopped - and discovered that there is no ideal tow vehicle any more, at least according to my list of needs, at a price I considered reasonable. I know that everyone has a different definition of acceptable and ideal, and I don't want to start a debate or range war here. I'd be glad to discuss our motivations and choices offline with anyone.

In the end, the closest we could come was a pickup. We didn't have time to order exactly what we wanted from the factory - the dealer said 8 weeks minimum. So we had him look around the Northeast - New York and New England - to find something. We had to make a number of compromises, but we found one we could be happy with.

I have two first impressions. First, I can't believe how much technology has been added to the cab and the rest of the truck. The integrated brake controller is said to be wonderful, dual LCD touch screens is certainly different, and the addition of a Tow-Haul mode is something I've wanted for years. Bluetooth turned out to more interesting than I thought. Second, the thing is HUGE. (Hence the name "The Moose".) I'm not sure we are going to enjoy that, but all the other trucks were just as big. Interestingly, the mpg seems to be about the same as the Explorers. We don't yet have enough miles on it to be definitive.

I will post more about it as we use it and learn more.

Bill
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Old 08-03-2014, 01:54 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill View Post
Second, the thing is HUGE. (Hence the name "The Moose".)
Size is relative. In England, the Toyota Prius we drive would be considered a mid to large size car.

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Old 08-03-2014, 03:06 PM   #4
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Bill,

Does your new Lariat have the 3.5L ecoboost, or the 5.0L V8?

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Old 08-03-2014, 07:14 PM   #5
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It is the 5.0 V-8. No particular reason, except that we had to choose from trucks that were in stock somewhere within a reasonable distance of us. No time to order from the factory. I was prepared to go either way, but the truck that met our needs had a V-8, and no acceptable truck had the Eco-Boost. From what I read, there isn't a lot of difference in mpg, but at high altitude, the Eco-Boost should outshine the V-8.

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Old 08-04-2014, 07:38 AM   #6
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I'm still a couple of years away from doing serious shopping, but I'm hearing from some folks that the ecoboost is a terrific engine for towing (lot's of torque) but horrible on mpg while doing so (and by horrible, I mean significantly less mpg than the 5.0L when towing).

Probably need to start a new thread on this, but it would be interesting to hear from TM owners with ecoboost.

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Old 08-04-2014, 07:51 AM   #7
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Just as a reference point I get 17-18 mpg at 65 mph in the Florida flatlands. A 3.6 V6 is ideal for me.
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Old 08-05-2014, 05:37 AM   #8
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Alas, Padgett, it is a Texas state law that every household must own at least one pickup truck and one gun. When I do get around to replacing my F150, it'll have to be with another pickup. Of course, in the next two years, more 1/2 ton trucks might be introduced with diesel engines, and that will be something consider as well.

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Old 08-05-2014, 07:59 AM   #9
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A number of '14 Ram 1500s are available with the EcoDiesel. Texans are allowed topper shells aren't they ?
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Old 08-05-2014, 12:20 PM   #10
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The ecodiesel does look interesting. I'll see how it does over the next couple of years. Ford's solution to the ecodiesel seems to be to make a downsized version of the ecoboost (2.7L) for 2015. It will be interesting to see how those two compare for mpg while towing.

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