lt1tyrell

Thinking about buying a newer body style f150. Maybe around 08-10. What year has the best transmissions for towing? Do they 6 speed auto seem to be reliable? Also, did ford fix the spark plug problems on 5.4 engines yet? What kind of mileage can you guys get out of a 5.4 4x4? Thanks!

360ci

Mileage empty for the 5.4 crew 4wd will be in the 14-16mpg range, if you're lucky, depending on axle ratio.

The 4V 4.6L can tow quite a bit with the 6 speed auto, so don't rule it out. The 5.4 is much torquier in the midrange. If you plan to tow more than three tons, get the 5.4. I believe TruckTrend had a long term F150 5.4 within the last few years if you run a search you'll find the test results.

The spark plug removal problem with the 5.4 is a mixed bag. Alloy heads also present some problems. Over torquing the plugs during install can strip the threads. Some shops when you take a vehicle in, don't allow ample cooling of the engine before they begin work on it. You would think that they would know metal expands in heat.... I'm not sure if the heads were changed (material, thickness, or both) when they went with the 4V engine or not. Run a search for more/proper info.

__________________
'00 Durango R/T 360ci 290hp (modded); 138,500m
'06 Pontiac G6 GT 3.5L 220hp; 44,000m
'12 Chrysler 200 Limited 3.6L 283hp; 13,000m
'99 Taurus 3.0L 2V Vulcan 145hp; 154,300m - Traded
Amsoil in all vehicles!