EcoBoost, any good??

[Flipatron]

I'll soon be placing an order for one of these: -



My current connect has the standard TDdi 75bhp diesel unit which has been 100% reliable over the past 125k miles/8 years. Fast it isn't but it's fine for what I need it for.

The new Connect come as standard with either the 75 TDCi or the new EcoBoost 1.0 petrol. Now Ford claim around 60-70mpg for the diesel unit and around 50-60mpg for the petrol.

I'm tempted by the EcoBoost unit but a little worried as to the claimed mpg. Does come with a 6 speed box though. I'd also be saving 10p/litre over the price of diesel.

The diesel would probably be the safe bet again but do I really want the latest generation oil burner with all that can go wrong (DPF etc).

Obviously need to test drive both but would like a heads up before I decide.

So which is the better unit, EcoBoost or TDCi?

[GroundEffect]

Why do people keep saying that the DPF will fail? What figures are they using for this?

[Toaster Pilot]

Diesel isn't 10p/litre more than petrol is it? More like 4p.

[Dr Interceptor]

That might be what they claim. What you will get is 45-50mpg from the diesel, and 35-40mpg from the petrol.

I would stick with the diesel if you do enough miles to warrant it - I have the 1.6 lump in the workhorse Fiesta (45k miles in 2.5 years) and it's been utterly dependable.

Edited by Dr Interceptor on Monday 23 September 16:55

[Dr Interceptor]

Toaster Pilot said:

Diesel isn't 10p/litre more than petrol is it? More like 4p.

Difference is even smaller if you use a decent fuel card.

[Toaster Pilot]

Dr Interceptor said:

Difference is even smaller if you use a decent fuel card.

Didn't know that Find myself buying quite a lot of diesel recently, are there high admin costs with fuel cards? (of the kind a business with more than one vehicle would be able to make work, but a one man band not so much)

[Flipatron]

Toaster Pilot said:

Diesel isn't 10p/litre more than petrol is it? More like 4p.

You're right, it's about 4p.

[Rawwr]

Drive a 1.0 Ecoboost like a completely plum and mpg will, unsurprisingly, drop through the floor. Drive like a sane, rational person and you should average over 50mpg. Chances of averaging 60mpg are zero unless you drive motorways all day at 56mph.

[Toaster Pilot]

FWIW I like the sound of the EcoBoost unit but I'm not sure a van is the place for it - unless there is definitely a clear DPF related benefit when doing lots of short journeys around town and stuff like that.

Also not sure what the fuel economy will actually be like if you've got X hundred kilos in the back either.

[Dr Interceptor]

Toaster Pilot said:

Dr Interceptor said:

Difference is even smaller if you use a decent fuel card.

Didn't know that Find myself buying quite a lot of diesel recently, are there high admin costs with fuel cards? (of the kind a business with more than one vehicle would be able to make work, but a one man band not so much)

Lots to look at... but in essence, the fuel card company agrees price X with the oil company, and sells to you for price Y - which is typically 3-4p cheaper per litre than the pump price. Your price is fixed regardless of the pump price - we get an email on a Monday saying 'Your price for this week is YYYYYY'.

The only thing is, you only get the price at core/bunker sites (main A-Roads and Motorways), and you're tied to that one brand. No issue for me though, as all my vans pass a bunker garage 2-3 times a week.

[Rawwr]

I can't disagree with that. Having said that, the tri-cylinder sounds amazing

[Flipatron]

Toaster Pilot said:

FWIW I like the sound of the EcoBoost unit but I'm not sure a van is the place for it - unless there is definitely a clear DPF related benefit when doing lots of short journeys around town and stuff like that.

Also not sure what the fuel economy will actually be like if you've got X hundred kilos in the back either.

Luckily I don't carry much weight so it's probably going to be no heavier than a B Max.

[jfdi]

Flipatron said:

My current connect has the standard TDdi 75bhp diesel unit which has been 100% reliable over the past 125k miles/8 years.

Ford claim around 60-70mpg for the diesel unit and around 50-60mpg for the petrol.

do I really want the latest generation oil burner with all that can go wrong (DPF etc).

You appear to have answered your own question.

[Flipatron]

jfdi said:

You appear to have answered your own question.

Yes but my current Connect runs the old style TDdi engine, not much to go wrong tbh.

Also Like the idea of the petrol for a change, much smoother and nicer to drive.

[alangla]

Radical option - would one of these suit? http://www.renault.co.uk/vans/model/kangoo-van-ze/...
Obviously not going to work if you do lots of motorway miles or long journeys or if you don't have suitable parking but if it's city centre multi-drop you're doing & you return to base at night it could be a goer. My employer has a few, both vans & personnel carriers, that they use for stop-start local stuff & they seem to work fine as far as I can tell.

[h0b0]

Rawwr said:

Drive a 1.0 Ecoboost like a completely plum and mpg will, unsurprisingly, drop through the floor. Drive like a sane, rational person and you should average over 50mpg. Chances of averaging 60mpg are zero unless you drive motorways all day at 56mph.

I had the 2.0l Eco boost in an explorer. I was getting worse mileage than the V6. To make the car move you had to floor it. I hated the car so much I have given it back to my company and taken an old car.

The point being, the gas mileage quoted will be without a load. If you are carrying anything with weight your life will be miserable and the economy will suck

[Flipatron]

alangla said:

Radical option - would one of these suit? http://www.renault.co.uk/vans/model/kangoo-van-ze/...
Obviously not going to work if you do lots of motorway miles or long journeys or if you don't have suitable parking but if it's city centre multi-drop you're doing & you return to base at night it could be a goer. My employer has a few, both vans & personnel carriers, that they use for stop-start local stuff & they seem to work fine as far as I can tell.

Mind is made up on the Ford. Can't fault the last one.

[Chris Stott]

Not convinced by the new small capacity petrols so far.

I was discussing the 1.0 Ecoboost with my brother a few weeks ago as he had a Focus on hire for a few days fitted with the engine whilst his 320D ED was in for repairs.

He went to Scotland and back in it and was on the A1 at the time, in traffic that kept slowing and then picking up speed again (in the 50-75mph range)... it was averaging 33mpg for the journey. Not good given he had been doing 50mph for relatively long periods whilst inevitably waiting for the trucks to crawl past each other.

[Flipatron]

Chris Stott said:

Not convinced by the new small capacity petrols so far.

I was discussing the 1.0 Ecoboost with my brother a few weeks ago as he had a Focus on hire for a few days fitted with the engine whilst his 320D ED was in for repairs.

He went to Scotland and back in it and was on the A1 at the time, in traffic that kept slowing and then picking up speed again (in the 50-75mph range)... it was averaging 33mpg for the journey. Not good given he had been doing 50mph for relatively long periods whilst inevitably waiting for the trucks to crawl past each other.

Hmmm... that doesn't sound very promising.

[daydotz]

the 1.0 struggles for decent economy in a B-Max a van needs torque id stick with the TDCI