2018 Ford F-150 Powerstroke Diesel Review: Is it Worth the Money?

Ford was the second brand behind Ram to bring diesel back to the half-ton truck space with the 3.0-liter Powerstroke, and we wanted to further investigate whether or not this engine is truly worth the extra upcharge. 

In the United States, the Powerstroke is a $4000 option while in Canada it is $7500 extra. The other major factor when it comes to cost is that Ford has limited the diesel to its Lariat and higher trim trucks, so the brand has made it essentially a luxury option. The cheapest F-150 diesel you can buy in the US is about $45,000, while in Canada it sits at about $58,000.

ALSO SEE: 2020 Ford F-150 Hybrid to be Built in Dearborn

So right off the bat, your 3.0-liter Powerstroke truck isn’t going to come cheap. So where can you save with a diesel? Fuel consumption is the probably the biggest one.

Fuel economy is rated at 22 mpg combined and 25 mpg highway for the 3.0-liter diesel with four-wheel drive, while the two-wheel drive version does manage 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. In Canada, the truck is rated at 10.7L/100KM combined with four-wheel drive.

We did some basic calculations to see how much the diesel saves over other engine options in the F-150.


F-150 Diesel Fuel Consumption Comparison

Driving 10K Miles a Year
Diesel Price @ $3.20
Gas Price @ $2.87

3.0L Diesel 4×4: 22 MPG Average = $1454 per year
3.5L EcoBoost 4×4: 19 MPG Average = $1510 per year

3.0L diesel savings over 3.5L EcoBoost: $56 a year


Versus 2.7L EcoBoost

Driving 10K Miles a Year
Diesel Price @ $3.20
Gas Price @ $2.87

3.0L Diesel 4×4 : 22 MPG Average = $1454 per year
2.7L EcoBoost 4×4: 21 MPG Average = $1366 per year

3.0L diesel savings over 2.7L EcoBoost: – $88 a year



2WD Diesel versus 4×4 3.5L Ecoboost

Driving 10K Miles a Year
Diesel Price @ $3.20
Gas Price @ $2.87

3.0L Diesel 4×2: 26 MPG Average = $1230 per year
3.5L EcoBoost 4×4: 19 MPG Average = $1510 per year

3.0L diesel savings over 3.5L EcoBoost: $280 a year



Driving 10K Miles a Year in Mississippi (currently the State with the cheapest gas in the US according to AAA)

Diesel Price @ $2.92
Gas Price @ $2.56

3.0L Diesel 4×2: 25 MPG Average = $1168 per year
3.5L EcoBoost 4×4: 19 MPG Average = $1347 per year

3.0L diesel savings over 3.5L EcoBoost: $179 a year



Long distance comparison

Driving 25K Miles a Year
Diesel Price @ $3.20
Gas Price @ $2.87

3.0L Diesel 4×4: 22 MPG Average = $3636 per year
3.5L EcoBoost 4×4: 19 MPG Average = $3776 per year

3.0L diesel savings over 3.5L EcoBoost: $140 a year


F-150 Diesel Fuel Canadian Consumption Comparison

Driving 16K Kilometers a Year
Diesel Price @ $1.29 per litre
Gas Price @ $1.25 per litre

3.0L Diesel 4×4: 10.7L/100KM = $2208 a year
3.5L EcoBoost 4×4: 12.6L/100KM Average = $2525 a year

3.0L diesel savings over 3.5L EcoBoost: $312 a year


So the savings going for a diesel engine over a gas unit aren’t substantial when you look at fuel economy differences, especially considering that diesel is more expensive than gasoline right now according to AAA. And that doesn’t even factor in the cost of DEF fluid, which Ford says needs to be refilled every 7500 to 10000 miles. Oil changes are also more expensive on diesel engines, so over the lifetime of the vehicle, the cost of owning this diesel in particular isn’t going to save you much.

It seems that if Ford had of put it into a lower trim, work-oriented truck, the Powerstroke could have looked more attractive. But where it’s positioned in the lineup, it ends up being expensive and offering very few advantages; it can’t tow the most in the F-150 lineup and it doesn’t haul the most payload.

All that being said, this certainly isn’t a bad truck. It’s quiet on the inside, smooth riding down the road and features all of the technology that Ford has to offer including adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-keep assist, a full suite of cameras and more.

In a vacuum, there is little wrong with the Powerstroke, but this engine’s biggest downfall is how good the EcoBoost engines are, and how little of a fuel economy penalty you take for choosing one.

Now, you can’t only look at the math though. Money is clearly important to the equation, but most of us buy with our hearts as much as our heads, so are there other reasons to like this diesel outside of the fuel economy benefits? Watch the video above as I try and work it all out.