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Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force

Knickell

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THE TWIN-TURBO PICKUP WARS: FORD'S 3.5 ECOBOOST V6 VS TOYOTA'S I-FORCE 3.5 V6
This week Toyota took the wraps off the new next generation Toyota Tundra—one of the most anticipated full-size pickup trucks in a long time. Of the many updates and improvements to the new model, one of the biggest departures comes under the hood of the ‘22 Tundra. The old 5.7 liter naturally aspirated V8 has been replaced with a new 3.5 liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 22-tundra-06


A 3.5 V6 with a pair of turbos? That sounds familiar. That’s also happens to be a similar engine setup that Ford has been putting into top trims of its best-selling F-150 pickup for more than a decade now.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force on-the-trail-lippincott-mine-road-4


Even more fitting, is that Toyota will also have an optional hybridized "i-Force Max" version of this new 3.5 twin turbo V6 available in the 2022 Tundra—just as now Ford offers an electric-assisted "Powerboost" version of the 3.5L twin-turbo F-150.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force ford-toyota-07


And while it will still be a few more months before the new Tundra starts hitting the streets, an on-paper comparison between Toyota's and Ford's twin turbo 3.5L V6s is quite interesting.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 1633965202907



Turbo Choices: i-Force or EcoBoost
Ford offers several different engine options for the current F-150, but the 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6s are considered the flagship engines. And today's iterations are more powerful than ever.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force ford-toyota-06


There are actually three different versions of the 3.5 EcoBoost available in the F-150 range. The "basic" version makes 400 horsepower and 500 pound feet of torque, and it's that torque figure which helps it outperform the also-available 5.0 liter V8.
Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 1633965067110


Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force ford-toyota-04


In the Tundra, the old V8 has been phased out completely, with new 3.5 twin turbocharged i-Force V6 being standard across the range. It makes 389 horsepower and 479 pound feet of torque.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 22-tundra-10


So on paper it's down about 10 horsepower, and 20 pound feet of torque from the Ford EcoBoost, but it's hard to tell if those differences will be noticeable in the real world.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force ford-toyota-03


It should also be mentioned that Ford offers a higher output version of the 3.5 EcoBoost V6 in the 2021 F-150 Raptor. In Raptor trim, the 3.5 makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound feet of torque.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 2021-raptor-04


Hybrid Options: More Power and Less Gas
Along with the ambitious all-electric F-150 Lightning, Ford has also been working on adding electrification and hybrid tech to gasoline trucks—and the 3.5 liter twin turbo "Powerboost" hybrid is the top-of-the-line engine in the non-Raptor F-150.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force all-new_f-150_003-copy


With its small electric motor-generator unit mounted to the EcoBoost V6, the F-150 hybrid makes 430 horsepower and 570 pound feet of torque. These are noticeable jumps from the non-hybrid engine, and they also bring a small but noticeable improvement in fuel economy.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force all-new_f-150_22-copy


Toyota uses similar technology for the Tundra's i-Force max powertrain. Like the Ford it adds a small motor-generator unit to the twin turbo V6 and it raises output to 437 horsepower and 583 pound feet of torque.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 22-tundra-01


Interestingly, while the non-hybrid Toyota V6 is slightly behind the Ford in horsepower and torque, and the hybrid version has advantages in both departments, making seven additional horsepower and 13 extra pound feet.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force 22-tundra-03


Again, those advantages may be hard to detect in the real world, and the bigger question will likely be how much it costs to add the hybrid option to the Tundra. What's clear though, is Toyota is not fooling around with the next gen Tundra.

Ford F-150 Twin Turbo Pickup Wars: EcoBoost vs. I-Force on-the-trail-lippincott-mine-road-8


The introduction of turbocharging to the Tundra, should also open up the door for aftermarket upgrades that unlock serious power. This is something Ford EcoBoost owners have been enjoying for a while.

Whether you are a Ford fan, a member of the Toyota faithful, or someone just looking for the best pickup you can get—there's never been a better time to be a full-size truck buyer.

MORE FROM DRIVING LINE: https://www.drivingline.com/article...ords-35-ecoboost-v6-vs-toyotas-i-force-35-v6/
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jeffcrum

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Oh, Toyota. I thought iForce would be Apple ?
 

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If the Toyota Hybrid cannot use full electric over 18 mph like I have heard, it will be a total bust. The PowerBoost MPG really shines at 35-40 mph full electric.
 

b4hand

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If the Toyota Hybrid cannot use full electric over 18 mph like I have heard, it will be a total bust. The PowerBoost MPG really shines at 35-40 mph full electric.
Current reviews are showing that it can go full electric at highway speeds
 
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JerseyGlock

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Toyota Highlander EV mode limited to 25 mph and hybrid cut off at 40 mph, based off my 2013 model.
Lexus 2018 RX450h EV mode limited to 25 mph and hybrid cut off at 41 mph.
F-150 PB can go beyond 45 mph on electric, pending road condition.
 
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Oxford_Powerboost

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Toyota Highlander EV mode limited to 25 mph and hybrid cut off at 40 mph, based off my 2013 model.
Lexus 2018 RX450h EV mode limited to 25 mph and hybrid cut off at 41 mph.
F-150 PB can go beyond 45 mph on electric, pending road condition.
I’ve seen reviews of the PB cutting off over 70 (briefly)
 
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ColoradoHunter

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That could be true. I've done it beyond 70 mph on electric, going downhill (on highway) and gently tap the brake.
I've did it at 70+mph the first day I had it, interstate, downhill for over a half mile. We do have a lot of long downhill runs here in Colorado. One spot I frequent I can run 55-60 for 10 miles and 90% on electric. If limited to 25 or 35mph my mpg overall would be much lower.
 
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gtotco

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I've did it at 70+mph the first day I had it, interstate, downhill for over a half mile. We do have a lot of long downhill runs here in Colorado. One spot I frequent I can run 55-60 for 10 miles and 90% on electric. If limited to 25 or 35mph my mpg overall would be much lower.
Curious what your overall fuel economy looks like in CO. I ended up with the 3.5 ecoboost because I couldn’t find a PB and 80% of our driving is going from Denver to our cabin near Salida so figured “highway” isn’t that different anyway. Around front range I suspect it isn’t but the 3.5 isn’t as great in the mountains, though still fine (I typically average around 21 mpg going to cabin and back). Curious how that changes with PB. I’m running basically stock with the only difference being stock sized Duratracs tires which I think probably take off around 1 mpg from overall economy.
 

TBondu

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Curious what your overall fuel economy looks like in CO. I ended up with the 3.5 ecoboost because I couldn’t find a PB and 80% of our driving is going from Denver to our cabin near Salida so figured “highway” isn’t that different anyway. Around front range I suspect it isn’t but the 3.5 isn’t as great in the mountains, though still fine (I typically average around 21 mpg going to cabin and back). Curious how that changes with PB. I’m running basically stock with the only difference being stock sized Duratracs tires which I think probably take off around 1 mpg from overall economy.
I'm in Fort Collins and my overall average is around 22mpg city/highway/towing. Trip to Steamboat this spring w/o my camper averaged ~26mpg for the week (there/back, around town for a week). Towing I get 10-12mpg which is about what I got with my 2017 3.5EB. As others have said, that ~40mph cruising is the sweet spot for electric-only from what I can tell. Trips to Horsetooth and back I'll easily see 30mpg+ since it's mostly 35-45mph steady state.
 

gtotco

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I'm in Fort Collins and my overall average is around 22mpg city/highway/towing. Trip to Steamboat this spring w/o my camper averaged ~26mpg for the week (there/back, around town for a week). Towing I get 10-12mpg which is about what I got with my 2017 3.5EB. As others have said, that ~40mph cruising is the sweet spot for electric-only from what I can tell. Trips to Horsetooth and back I'll easily see 30mpg+ since it's mostly 35-45mph steady state.
That’s great - definitely still a bit jealous I didn’t hold out for a PB. I got a good deal on the EB buying off a lot in January (when vehicles were still somewhat available) so probably still wouldn’t have made up the difference in dollars but would love the extra MPGs and Pro Power!
 
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ColoradoHunter

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Curious what your overall fuel economy looks like in CO. I ended up with the 3.5 ecoboost because I couldn’t find a PB and 80% of our driving is going from Denver to our cabin near Salida so figured “highway” isn’t that different anyway. Around front range I suspect it isn’t but the 3.5 isn’t as great in the mountains, though still fine (I typically average around 21 mpg going to cabin and back). Curious how that changes with PB. I’m running basically stock with the only difference being stock sized Duratracs tires which I think probably take off around 1 mpg from overall economy.
I have a very hard time knowing my overall MPG. I have been using a generator almost every day for the past month. Running two campers off of it about half the time. That figures into the overall MPG. It shows 17.5mpg for the life of the truck. Before I was at 22 MPG and still climbing. I'd say overall I'm very close to the 24. I had the 3.5 in my last truck, this one seems to get 4 -5 mpg better under the same driving conditions. A trip from Colorado Springs to Gunnison through Canon City it got 22.8mpg. The same trip back through Woodland Park got 25.9mpg. That was on just the second tank of gas. The Powerboost really like those downhill runs if you play the brake to get it into electric. 2 to 3 light taps on the brake pedal will put it into electric. I just wish there was some way to cut the overall mileage calculation off when running the generator and the truck is sitting in neutral.
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