This post is sponsored by 5 Star Tuning. Visit their site now and get the most out of your truck!
Does the good old V8 still have a place in a turbocharged world?
If you’re in the market for a Ford F-150, you currently have three different powertrain options for your truck. Among those is the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, as well as two versions of Ford’s EcoBoost engine – either a 2.7-liter unit or the larger 3.5-liter. These days, more manufacturers are turning to smaller turbocharged engines for the sake of efficiency. That said, the EcoBoost engines still manage a healthy amount of horsepower, while also providing the same or more torque as the 5.0-liter V8.
But what happens when you tune each of the engines? Firms like 5 Star Tuning can extract an even greater amount of horsepower and torque from Ford’s whole range of engines. As for how much difference that extra power can make, Andre tests out three F-150s, each a 4×4 model with the 2.7, 3.5 and 5.0-liter engines. You can see the difference in the video above!
For these tests, all reflashing was done using an HP Tuners nGauge device, with a customer 5 Star Tuning file onboard.
Horsepower and torque: Stock vs. tuned
For this test, 5 Star Tuning also provided dyno graphs that show stock versus tuned performance figures:
| Engine | Stock HP | Stock Torque | Tuned HP | Tuned Torque |
| 2.7L EB V6 | 295 hp | 361 lb-ft | 370 hp (+75) | 452 lb-ft (+91) |
| 5.0L V8 | 345 hp | 313 lb-ft | 401 hp (+56) | 363 lb-ft (+50) |
| 3.5L EB V6* | 270 hp | 244 lb-ft | 454 hp (+184) | 411 lb-ft (+167) |
With the 3.5-liter EcoBoost, 5 Star’s 93 octane performance tune builds power a little bit later than the stock engine. However, once you get close to redline at 5,800 RPM, the tune delivers substantially more horsepower and torque than its stock equivalent.
0-60 times: Stock vs. tuned
| Engine | Stock 0-60 | Tuned 0-60 | Difference |
| 2.7L EB V6 | 6.15 sec. | 4.83 sec. | -1.32 sec. |
| 5.0L V8 | 6.94 sec. | 5.44 sec. | -1.5 sec. |
| 3.5L EB V6 | 6.32 sec. | 4.36 sec. | -1.96 sec. |
Check out 5 Star Tuning’s website for all the tuning options and other aftermarket accessories available for your truck. Stay tuned to TFLtruck.com for more news, views and real-world stock versus tuned truck reviews.
