So I’m thinking of upgrading, and strongly considering a powerboost. It’s a 2024 Lariat Powerboost, for those of you that have them, what are your thoughts on them so far?
Picked up a 24’ Lariat PB a few weeks ago. Came from a 2016 Lariat Ecoboost.
I’m a big fan of the hybrid powertrains for where we are in the infrastructure transition to an EV world. The truck is amazing. If you don’t need the extra payload/towing capacity, and want the onboard generator coupled with the perks of a hybrid… it’s a no brainer.
@Linden
PBs have some of the worst payloads due to the batteries and motors, but do tow well
Hayes said:
@Linden
PBs have some of the worst payloads due to the batteries and motors, but do tow well
Assuming 300lb pax/cargo, my Lariats at 10.5K towing. With, I believe, a hitch load of around 1K
I’ve a 24 Powerboost. If you do any camping at all, the generator function without running the engine constantly is an absolute dream. We’ve an electric space heater on the wall of the camper, an electric kettle, and can charge laptops and phones without trashing the oil without idling all day.
It’s also way quieter than my generator with eco idle off, so I don’t feel bad heating the camper before bed for the kiddos with other folks around.
It also just feels way nicer to drive, especially in the summer, as the AC works at a stop with the engine off, unlike the non-hybrids with auto stop that just turn everything off. The hybrid setup also makes up for a bit of the turbo lag when punching it for fun or necessity.
I feel the regen is even more useful when in the hills when towing somewhat light trailers, keeps a fair bit of load off the brakes and engine in the rollers and all that gets turned into energy for the next climb.
I’ve got a 2022 PB 302A with about 75k on the clock and around 1600 engine hours. I work in ag, so a lot of my miles are county roads and highway. Very little city driving. I love the power and the onboard generator! The torque is great and being able to run my camper or tools on the generator is a sweet feature. However, I’m not impressed with the mpgs. During the summer I can get 20-21 mpg on county roads and 17-18 mpg on the highway at 72-74mph. In the winter I get 16-17 on the highway and 18-19 on county roads. I live in a pretty flat area so the majority of these numbers are based on driving on level ground. My truck is leveled and on 33s. I do carry a full toolbox so I have a decent bit of weight on me at all times.
I went back to driving my old 2018 302A with the 3.5 in it for a couple weeks recently and was surprised to see I got as good or better mileage out of it, and it has 35s and a full toolbox also.
Another consideration is how long you plan to keep the truck. I plan on getting rid of mine before 100k miles because I don’t want to get stuck with the cost of an out-of-warranty battery swap.
TLDR; if you want the Powerboost for the extra torque and onboard generator, get it. If you want it for the mpgs, it’s not worth it imo. YMMV
I have a 23 Lariat 502A. I only have 6000 miles on it. No issues so far. I really like it. Make sure you get the 7.2 kW onboard generator.
If you are gonna use it as a commuter truck, it will do just fine. If you are planning on hauling things or towing frequently I’d go with a V8 all day.
Maris said:
If you are gonna use it as a commuter truck, it will do just fine. If you are planning on hauling things or towing frequently I’d go with a V8 all day.
I’ve got a 3.5 now, and a few friends with 5.0’s. My 3.5 pulling nearly exact trailers up through the mountains ran circles around them… I’ll never go back to V8’s.
Really, I’m deciding between the regular 3.5 and the Powerboost.
But thanks for the thoughts!!
@Reagan
Exactly, 3.5 over 5.0 for towing. I’m used to a 3/4 ton and my 1/2 ton 3.5 pulls wonderfully (although you can feel the sway and stopping power differences).
@Reagan
It’s not really about the towing capacity as both engines, especially modern small turbo engines, can pull a lot. It’s more about reliability and ease of maintenance. I run a lawn care company and we tow 16-foot utility trailers with gear 5 days a week with our V8 F150s. I wouldn’t want to do that with a turbo engine, but that’s my two cents. For commuting, it’s a different story and the gas mileage savings are worth it.
@Reagan
In the mountains, you want those turbos over an NA V8.