I think a lot of the draw back from the Gen 2 is people expect the truck to have the v8 aggressiveness and linear torque curve. The ecoboost will never provide that. We have a new explorer sport with ecoboost, and the loaner truck I have right now while the Raptor is in the shop also has ecoboost, and while you can't deny its making a lot of hp from just 6 cylinders, its just not exciting in any way. Can you get moving? Sure, but its just not as exciting as the power being delivered by a loud v8.
I tend to find the gen 2 trucks as boring on the exterior too. The sides of the truck are about as flat and boring as it comes. I just think there is more dexterity to the gen 1.
Either way, when my current one reaches prime old age, we will see what the current raptor (probably gen 3 at that point) has to offer and go from there.
You want noise the V6 isn't going to do it.
Plain and simple, hands down my Gen 2 beats my Gen 1 engine and pleasurability wise.
V8 aggressiveness and linear torque curve.
While the V8 is yet revving to get up to peak torque ~5,000 RPM, the 3.5L V6 just blew past it at ~2,250 RPM!
Now the thing I am yet getting used to is too much torque too fast on the 3.5L V6. In a number of situations it's just too damn easy to break the tires loose, and in some of those scenes, especially when you don't want to break the tires loose the V8 wins. A few weeks ago I was offroad coming out of a steep grade that I normally handle just fine in 2WD in Gen 1. Well this time was in Gen 2, didn't hit it any different than normal but Gen 2 broke them loose. Hit it a couple of times just to see if it was me coming into it too slow or what. Could of gotten out as is with spinning, but didn't want to tear up the road so just put it in 4WD.
I love both of them, but I have a lot more fun driving my Gen 2. When I first got it thought it drove like crap, way to bouncy in the rear. After a hundred miles or so on the drive home from picking it up, finally pulled over and checked tire pressure, it was at max, 50 psi. Lowered to 38 and it rode better, but later lowered to 36 and liked it more. For driving around especially on road Gen 2 wins by far. Then towing, Gen 2 blows Gen 1 away. Now if your the type that likes to rev your engine while driving around Gen 2 just won't cut it.
As to your Ecoboost experiences, their is now 3 Ecoboost truck engines:
- 3.5L
- 2.7 L
- 3.5 L HO (Gen 2 2017 Exclusive Raptor Engine)
Speaking non Raptor F-150's - 2.7 L in my experience was very poor when compared to 3.5. Talked to a number of guys that complain about their Ecoboost not towing as well as they expected or performing, ask them what they have and they say "Ecoboost" "Which one?" They typically don't know but when they check/we check find out it is the 2.7L. As to the 3.5 and the 3.5 HO, there's a noticeable difference, but not huge.
