Ford Sold A Ton Of EcoBoost F-150s In Five Years

2016 Ford F-150 (Credit: Ford)

Plenty of people laughed when Ford slapped a turbocharged 2.7-liter direct-injection four-cylinder engine in the F-150 about five years ago. After all, who’d want such a tiny engine in a pickup? It stood against everything a truck is supposed to be about, with owners cursing as their F-150 struggled to climb hills or haul landscaping rock, or at least that was the reaction of critics.

Ford said that the future of trucks involved turbocharged, smaller engines, like the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 replacing a snarling V-8 option. Instead of just preaching the technology’s the future, Ford was able to prove it’s been paving the way to great fuel economy and capability by racking up one million F-150 EcoBoost sales in just five years.

That impressive feat should silence at least some critics. Add to that the fact that Ford’s competition is likely getting ready to replace engine cylinders with turbos for future trucks. Ford has also caught plenty of criticism for using high-strength aluminum alloys for the F-150’s structure, shedding weight and boosting performance considerably, yet competitors are making plans to follow the trend.

According to Ford, the EcoBoost F-150s are only growing in popularity. They make great sense for the average pickup owner who only occasionally hauls/tows big loads, and the rest of the time uses the vehicle as if it were a Camry.