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If this is the F-150's last V-8, it isn't going quietly
Aaron Gold - Author - Motor Trend
Dec 21, 2020
It doesn't seem that long ago that buying a pickup truck without a V-8 engine was like omitting the bed or the cab. Oh, how times have changed: The all-new 2021 Ford F-150's engine lineup consists almost exclusively of V-6 engines, with only a single V-8 on offer. Last month we strapped our test gear to the top-of-the-line F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, and now we have a full instrumented test of the 5.0-liter V-8—possibly the last V-8 to ever be offered in the F-150.
Like the rest of the 2021 F-150, the V-8 appears at first glance to be a carbon copy of the previous generation, but there are changes, subtle though they may be. Its 5,038-cubic-centimeter displacement is unchanged (that's 307 cubic inches, by the way, a figure that's bound to amuse fans of classic Chevrolets), but horsepower rises by 5 to an even 400 at 6,000 rpm, while torque increases by 10 lb-ft to 410 at a lower 4,250 rpm. Oil and coolant capacities are down slightly (by 1.1 and 2.0 quarts respectively, if you must know), and the engine is once again backed by a ten-speed automatic transmission.
2021 Ford F-150 V-8: Ready To Haul
How does that translate to acceleration? Zero to 60 mph on our F-150 King Ranch 4x4 SuperCrew test truck came up in 6.2 seconds. That's 0.9 second behind the twin-turbo hybrid PowerBoost V-6, but 0.1 second quicker than the last previous-generation F-150 V-8 (also a V-8 SuperCrew) we tested. The five-point-oh ran the quarter mile in 14.6 seconds at 96.3 mph, arriving 0.8 second later and 5.8 mph slower than the PowerBoost truck.
Of course, there's more to a launch than numbers, and our test team liked the way the F-150 got away. "This truck knows what's up," associate road test editor Erick Ayapana said. "Consistent launches, great engine note, and smooth, quick gearshifts. How is a pickup truck more fun to launch than a Lexus IS F-Sport?"
It's worth lingering on the engine note, which is one of the best reasons to opt for the 5.0 liter V-8. Everyone who drove the F-150 had something positive to say about the soundtrack, which has more than a hint of Mustang in its deep, throaty voice. It's a welcome change from the EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, which technical director Frank Markus says "manages to moan like a five-cylinder diesel UPS truck." (Apparently Markus is back to moonlighting.)
Price is another reason to opt for the V-8, as it'll save you $600 over the EcoBoost 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, which should help pay for what extra fuel you use: The EPA rates the F-150 at 16/22/19 mpg city/highway/combined, while the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is rated only slightly higher at 18/23/20 (both with 4WD). The twin-turbo six, sans PowerBoost hybridization, delivers the same 400 hp, though it adds an extra 100 lb-ft of torque.
2021 Ford F-150 V-8: (Not So) Hard To Handle
Handling? We don't expect much from a pickup truck, and with our expectations set low, the F-150 was bound to surprise us. Our V-8-powered F-150 managed 0.78 g of grip on the skidpad and looped the figure eight in 27.5 seconds at an average of 0.62 g.
"This isn't a good test for pickups," road test editor Chris Walton said, "but I gotta say, it performed quite well. Not a lot of tire-torturing wallow in this truck, and it really puts the power down well in Sport mode. Tires looked pretty good afterward. Quick-ratio steering (for a truck) means my hands weren't too busy. It sounds great, too."
Walton also noted the 2021 Ford F-150's strong brakes, though Ayapana, who ran the 60-0 braking test, wasn't quite as impressed. "Lots of dive as expected," he wrote. "Distances got longer after the first run. Strong brake smells. In order: 123, 125, 128 feet." Still, the F-150's best braking run bettered the last 2020 Chevrolet Silverado we tested (RST 2.7, 124 feet) by a little and the last 2020 Ram 1500 (Rebel EcoDiesel, 129 feet) by quite a bit.
Is the V-8 engine an endangered species? The 5.0 is the only V-8 among the six powertrains offered in the 2021 F-150, but Ford expects that one in four buyers will opt for it, so clearly the V-8 is far from dead. Still, we like that Ford has made the 5.0-powered F-150 something special—it may not be the fastest 2021 F-150 you can buy, but it sure sounds that way. If the era of V-8s in Ford pickup trucks is coming to a close, at least it's going out not with a whimper but with a roar.
Looks good! More details?
Aaron Gold - Author - Motor Trend
Dec 21, 2020
It doesn't seem that long ago that buying a pickup truck without a V-8 engine was like omitting the bed or the cab. Oh, how times have changed: The all-new 2021 Ford F-150's engine lineup consists almost exclusively of V-6 engines, with only a single V-8 on offer. Last month we strapped our test gear to the top-of-the-line F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, and now we have a full instrumented test of the 5.0-liter V-8—possibly the last V-8 to ever be offered in the F-150.
Like the rest of the 2021 F-150, the V-8 appears at first glance to be a carbon copy of the previous generation, but there are changes, subtle though they may be. Its 5,038-cubic-centimeter displacement is unchanged (that's 307 cubic inches, by the way, a figure that's bound to amuse fans of classic Chevrolets), but horsepower rises by 5 to an even 400 at 6,000 rpm, while torque increases by 10 lb-ft to 410 at a lower 4,250 rpm. Oil and coolant capacities are down slightly (by 1.1 and 2.0 quarts respectively, if you must know), and the engine is once again backed by a ten-speed automatic transmission.
2021 Ford F-150 V-8: Ready To Haul
How does that translate to acceleration? Zero to 60 mph on our F-150 King Ranch 4x4 SuperCrew test truck came up in 6.2 seconds. That's 0.9 second behind the twin-turbo hybrid PowerBoost V-6, but 0.1 second quicker than the last previous-generation F-150 V-8 (also a V-8 SuperCrew) we tested. The five-point-oh ran the quarter mile in 14.6 seconds at 96.3 mph, arriving 0.8 second later and 5.8 mph slower than the PowerBoost truck.
Of course, there's more to a launch than numbers, and our test team liked the way the F-150 got away. "This truck knows what's up," associate road test editor Erick Ayapana said. "Consistent launches, great engine note, and smooth, quick gearshifts. How is a pickup truck more fun to launch than a Lexus IS F-Sport?"
It's worth lingering on the engine note, which is one of the best reasons to opt for the 5.0 liter V-8. Everyone who drove the F-150 had something positive to say about the soundtrack, which has more than a hint of Mustang in its deep, throaty voice. It's a welcome change from the EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, which technical director Frank Markus says "manages to moan like a five-cylinder diesel UPS truck." (Apparently Markus is back to moonlighting.)
Price is another reason to opt for the V-8, as it'll save you $600 over the EcoBoost 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6, which should help pay for what extra fuel you use: The EPA rates the F-150 at 16/22/19 mpg city/highway/combined, while the 3.5-liter EcoBoost is rated only slightly higher at 18/23/20 (both with 4WD). The twin-turbo six, sans PowerBoost hybridization, delivers the same 400 hp, though it adds an extra 100 lb-ft of torque.
2021 Ford F-150 V-8: (Not So) Hard To Handle
Handling? We don't expect much from a pickup truck, and with our expectations set low, the F-150 was bound to surprise us. Our V-8-powered F-150 managed 0.78 g of grip on the skidpad and looped the figure eight in 27.5 seconds at an average of 0.62 g.
"This isn't a good test for pickups," road test editor Chris Walton said, "but I gotta say, it performed quite well. Not a lot of tire-torturing wallow in this truck, and it really puts the power down well in Sport mode. Tires looked pretty good afterward. Quick-ratio steering (for a truck) means my hands weren't too busy. It sounds great, too."
Walton also noted the 2021 Ford F-150's strong brakes, though Ayapana, who ran the 60-0 braking test, wasn't quite as impressed. "Lots of dive as expected," he wrote. "Distances got longer after the first run. Strong brake smells. In order: 123, 125, 128 feet." Still, the F-150's best braking run bettered the last 2020 Chevrolet Silverado we tested (RST 2.7, 124 feet) by a little and the last 2020 Ram 1500 (Rebel EcoDiesel, 129 feet) by quite a bit.
Is the V-8 engine an endangered species? The 5.0 is the only V-8 among the six powertrains offered in the 2021 F-150, but Ford expects that one in four buyers will opt for it, so clearly the V-8 is far from dead. Still, we like that Ford has made the 5.0-powered F-150 something special—it may not be the fastest 2021 F-150 you can buy, but it sure sounds that way. If the era of V-8s in Ford pickup trucks is coming to a close, at least it's going out not with a whimper but with a roar.
Looks good! More details?
| 2021 Ford F-150 4x4 King Ranch Specs(Super Crew 5.0L 6.5' Box) | |
| BASE PRICE | $61,750 |
| PRICE AS TESTED | $72,890 |
| VEHICLE LAYOUT | Front-engine, 4WD, 5-pass, 4-door truck |
| ENGINE | 5.0L/400-hp/410-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8 |
| TRANSMISSION | 10-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) | 5,687 lb (57/43%) |
| WHEELBASE | 157.2 in |
| LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT | 243.5 x 79.9 x 77.6 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 6.2 sec |
| QUARTER MILE | 14.6 sec @ 96.3 mph |
| BRAKING, 60-0 MPH | 123 ft |
| LATERAL ACCELERATION | 0.78 g (avg) |
| MT FIGURE EIGHT | 27.5 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) |
| EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON | 16/22/19 mpg |
| ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY | 211/153 kWh/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 1.06 lb/mile |
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