GM Tops Ford EcoBoost With More Efficient 5.3 L EcoTec3 Engine

GM’s new 2014  GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck comes with a 5.3 liter V8 engine which, according to GM, offers better fuel economy and towing capacity than Ford’s F-150 equipped with the EcoBoost V6.

Ford has invested a lot into their EcoBoost engines, which replace displacement and cylinders with turbochargers. Rated 16 city and 22 highway, the EcoBoost-equipped F-150 has proven popular with consumers, though GM is looking to usurp the throne.

The GM 3.5 L V8 EcoTec3, which was initially announced in December 2012, has now surpassed its fuel economy by one highway MPG, but the city MPG is the same. The EcoBoost engine that the EcoTec is being compared to is the 3.5 L with 365 HP, and 420 foot-pounds of torque, which far exceeds that of the EcoTec3′s 383 foot-pounds. However, the EcoTec engine has 355 horsepower, and can tow 200 pounds more than the Ford, for a total towing capacity of 11,500 pounds.

There are two other new EcoTec3 engines. One is a 4.3 L V6, and the other is a 6.2 L V8. All three engines are matched with six-speed transmissions, and are equipped with direct-fuel injection, variable valve timing, and cylinder deactiviation, all of which are designed to save fuel. While 23 mpg in a V8 pickup is great, the V6-powered Ram 1500 remains the undisputed mpg king, capable of 25 mpg highway.

Ford is betting consumers won’t mind a downsized engine, so long as it is capable. But the EcoBoost motor comes at a premium price, whereas the GMC Sierra is arguably most cost effective. Consumers have more powerful and fuel efficient pickup options now than they ever did before. But will GM’s new engine pay off? Or will the Ford EcoBoost continue to dominate? And will Ford really up the ante by 3 mpg with their next-gen trucks?

Source: Green Car Congress