2015 Ford F-150 fuel economy tops competition

When Ford revealed the 2015 F-150 with its all-aluminum body, the big question was, would the lighter truck really save much gas? Now the company has announced final EPA fuel economy estimates and says that with the new downsized turbocharged 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 engine, the redesigned F-150 gets the best fuel economy of any gasoline-powered full-sized pickup: 22 mpg overall, 19 mpg city, and 26 highway.

Of course, Ford is quoting the maximum fuel economy for the truck: a standard-cab two-wheel drive model. And Ford isn’t the only truckmaker working to improve fuel economy.

Chrysler has taken a different tack with its Ram by offering the segment’s only diesel engine, which gets 23 mpg on the EPA combined cycle. (Consumer Reports got 20 mpg out of a four-wheel-drive Ram Quad Cab diesel—a substantially bigger, heavier truck.) But diesel fuel costs more than regular gas.

General Motors is taking a different approach with its new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon: downsizing the whole truck. GM spokesman Stephen Martin told me that the company’s research indicates that among pickup owners who tow, the vast majority only ever tow up to 4,000 pounds—so they don’t need the capability of a larger truck.

The smaller pickups, with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, tie the 2.7-liter EcoBoost F-150 in combined fuel economy ratings, but they can only tow up to 3,500 pounds. The F-150 is rated to tow 8,500 pounds. With its optional V6 engine, the smaller Colorado can tow 7,000 pounds, and it is EPA-rated at 21 mpg.

Chevrolet and Ram also offer gas V6s in their full-sized trucks, with combined ratings of 19 and 21 mpg, respectively.

So, the F-150 with its new high-tech engine comes out ahead, barely. But we found Ford’s older turbocharged six-cylinder couldn’t live up to its EPA mileage claims. So we’ll let you know how the truck actually performs (along with the Chevrolet Colorado) as soon as we have a chance to buy one to test.

^{Fuel cost based on EPA overall mpg, factoring $3/gallon, $3.60/gallon for diesel. All trucks rated with standard cabs and two-wheel drive.}

—Eric Evarts

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