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Good points by everyone. Ford has come a very long way with their whole product line. My experience with some of the worst of Ford products comes from working at a Ford dealership in the early 1970s when quality was very poor. I was the person who was called upon to cure quality defects which in the extreme examples actually were sabotage of produced vehicles by union workers on the assemble line. Intentional destruction of the product without question when you read the note from the worker who drilled a hole into the main oil gallery in a brand new vehicle before it left the assembly line, days before a UAW strike.
When you see this you know quality of that product will always fall short of a competitor that works with a team philosophy to provide the purchaser with real value for their hard earned money. Customers burned by poor quality will not be repeat customers for decades if they ever become repeat customers.
I like the ecoboost engines. Will they pass the test of time? That depends on what you consider the test to be. Sure you can put a huge displacement IH diesel in a F series truck and it will last a very long time if decently maintained. Replacing it with a more efficient, much smaller displacement engine, places a much more strenuous requiremnent for proper maintenance. The ecoboost designs would have never lasted with the oil quality available 40 years ago, possibly not even 20 years ago.
It would be great to see the combination of the ecoboost engine with the 8 speed transmission. Might even push 30 MPG if the gearing was right. You also need to limit maximum loads in order to maintain durability as well as prevent destructive abuse.
Today I see Fords products as competitive with anything produced anywhere on the planet. Considering the history I have with their product that is quite an endorsement and my garage reflects that belief.
regards
Mech
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