Truck Buyers Snap Up 2014 Ford F-150 With V6 Engines

Just the Facts:

• A majority of truck buyers are choosing 2014 Ford F-150s with V6 engines, the automaker reported on Friday.
• In the past, V8 engines led truck sales.
• The 2015 Ford F-150 will be offered with a choice of three different V6 engines, "so the potential is there to go even higher," Ford noted.

DEARBORN, Michigan — A majority of truck buyers are choosing 2014 Ford F-150s with V6 engines, the automaker reported on Friday.

"More than 57 percent of Ford Motor Company's F-150 retail sales so far this year are powered by V6 engines — the highest six-cylinder engine mix in the industry since 1967 — and the company expects that trend to continue for the rest of the year," Ford said in a statement.

The Ford 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine represented 46 percent of F-150 pickup truck sales in February and the 3.7-liter V6 represented 11 percent, according to Ford.

In the past, V8 engines led truck sales.

"There is a new truck buyer out there who doesn't hold to the old notion that a truck must be powered by a V8 engine," said Doug Scott, Ford Truck marketing manager, in a statement. "Just five years ago, you would have had a hard time making a case for V6 truck engines. Not today. It's all about fuel effectiveness."

The 2015 Ford F-150 will be offered with a choice of three different V6 engines, "so the potential is there to go even higher," Ford noted.

The 2015 F-150 will add a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine in addition to the 3.7-liter V6 and the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.

The smaller engines offer better fuel economy. The 2014 Ford F-150 with the 3.5-liter V6 engine returns 16 mpg in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
The 2014 F-150 with a 6.2-liter V8 engine returns 13 mpg in city driving and 18 mpg on the highway.

The F-150 competes with the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan and Ram 1500.

Edmunds says: Ford picks up on an interesting trend among pickup truck buyers — something that shoppers may want to note.