Ford Motor Co. is the only Big Three manufacturer that currently does not offer a six-cylinder engine in a full-size pickup. For next year’s F-150, however, Ford will reintroduce a V-6 as its base-level engine; to show it is really serious about V-6 power, the company will also offer a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine that claims to have the capability of a V-8 with the fuel economy of a V-6.
Does this sound too good to be true? As with any engineering exercise, performing multiple feats becomes a balancing act. We discovered as much during a Ford-sponsored test drive this month at the Texas Motor Speedway. Loaded or unloaded, the EcoBoost clearly delivered power akin to a V-8. Loaded up, however, the boosted V-6 seemed to lose its fuel-economy edge. We learned you can’t expect miracles of physics.