Carrying over from 2012 and offering both best-in-class towing capabilities and gas mileage, the 2013 F-150 engine lineup offers notable power and fuel economy, resulting in a truck that’s great for the working-class or a family on a long-haul road trip.
Key Points
- The 2013 Ford F-150 comes with four engine options: 3.7L V6, 3.5L EcoBoost, 5.0L V8, and 6.2L V8, all unchanged from 2012.
- All engines are paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ranges from 17/23 city/highway with the 3.7L V6, to 12/16 in the 6.2L-equipped Raptor.
- There is one alarming recall associated with the 5.0L and 6.2L engines’ power control modules that cause the transmission to unexpectedly shift into first gear.
- The F-150’s V6 offerings ultimately land as the best of the bunch, especially the twin-turbo EcoBoost, which can tow as much as 11,300 lbs. when properly configured.
2013 Ford F-150’s Base 3.7L V6 Puts Out an Impressive 302 Horsepower Coupled with a Money-saving 17/23 mpg City/Highway
The base 3.7-liter V6 engine is available in three 2013 Ford F-150 models, which each have more configuration options than you can shake a stick at. The 3.7L V6 is meant to be a crossover of sorts between powerful towing capabilities and fuel efficiency at an EPA-estimated 17/23 mpg city/highway that you don’t typically find in vehicles of this class—ideally meant for working-class types who are looking to haul some weight around without sacrificing fuel economy.
The engine is kept cool under duress by lower-end cooling jets that soak the pistons in oil when operating under extreme conditions, so you won’t have to worry about overheating if you try to test out the 6,700-pound maximum tow rating.
The XL model comes with either 4×2 or 4×4 capabilities and the option to upgrade from a 26-gallon fuel tank on the regular cab versions of the truck to a 36-gallon tank on longer wheelbase models that can net you up to a whopping 828 miles on a single tank.
With STX and XLT models come various interior upgrades, but the same 3.7L to six-speed transmission mating that you’ll find on the XL, which makes for excellent fuel economy all around. And when equipped with the larger gas tank, you can nearly drive across the entire state of Texas on a single fill-up at the gas station.
2013 F-150’s 3.5L EcoBoost Engine Comes Equipped with Twin Turbochargers that Offer a Major Boost in Performance while Sacrificing Little in Terms of Gas Mileage
What sets the 3.5L EcoBoost apart is its twin turbos, which rocket the 2013 Ford Limited models up to 365 horsepower at its peak. There are some minor setbacks in gas mileage with the 3.5L V6, which takes a step back to 16/22 mpg city/highway, respectively, but the benefits to performance seem well worth the single mile per gallon drop. The 2013 Ford Limited equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine can tow up to 11,300 pounds, depending on cab configuration, and delivers 420 lb.-ft. of torque at peak performance.
The 3.5L V6 EcoBoost is not totally outshined by the 3.7L V6. Although it can’t quite get you from Beaumont to El Paso, the Ford Limited’s long-wheel-base configuration with a 36-gallon tank can still take you over 750 miles down the highway before you need to stop for gas.
With the 2013 Ford F-150’s 5.0L V8s Come More Towing Capabilities, and Unfortunately, Less Performance
On the more luxurious end of the 2013 Ford F-150’s range of offerings come the V8 engines, which are not as well-equipped to handle the workhorse lives expected out of the 2013 F-150’s V6 models. The 5.0L V8 can be found equipped in six different 2013 F-150 models: the XLT, Fx2, Fx4, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum, respectively. But although these models may be upper-end, they don’t seem to offer the engine upgrades one would expect when paying many thousands of dollars more for a vehicle.
The 5.0L V8 boasts some impressive stats, with the ability to haul 3,120 pounds if needed, and has the same max towing capacity as the EcoBoost, but it drops off from the EcoBoost’s power, down to 360 hp from 365. The engine is more of a luxury cruiser compared to the V6s in Ford’s 2013 lineup, and you’d find yourself paying for more than just interior upgrades, as gas mileage falls to 15/21 miles per gallon city/highway. Torque takes a sharp decline as well to only 380 lb.-ft.
The 2013 Ford Raptor Gets an Engine Well-suited to Handle the Off-road Racing Expected of it in the 6.2L V8
Found only in the Ford Raptor trim for 2013, the 6.2L two-valve V8 delivers 411 horsepower from its cast-iron engine block. 434 lb.-ft. torque gives it the launch it needs to deliver on the track in Baja, as the Raptor is renowned for off-road racing.
As such, you shouldn’t expect to get much gas mileage out of this free-breathing behemoth; you’ll be looking at 12 miles per gallon in the city and 16 on the highway.
Ford’s 2013 F-150 Lineup has Few Recalls, but those they Do Come with are Very Concerning
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued three recalls for the 2013 F-150, two of which are found on the V8 models.
In 2019, the NHTSA issued two recalls on power control modules on the V8 engines, which can sometimes malfunction, causing the six-speed transmission to suddenly shift back into first gear regardless of the speed the truck is traveling at, which could lead to fatal wrecks.
On the 3.5L EcoBoost, the NHTSA has issued a recall as of 2016 on the brake master cylinder seal, which sometimes leaks from the reservoir and into the brake booster, which could then in turn cause brake failure. But drivers of these trucks have had over five years to address the recall, so few vehicles on the road are likely to have it when compared to the relatively recent recall on the power control modules.
If You’re Shopping for a 2013 F-150, You’re Better off Going with the Smaller, Safer, More Powerful, and More Affordable V6 Engines
Ford’s 2013 F-150 motor lineup has four engines that are all very capable of handling whatever job you throw at them. The V6 models, however, have better fuel economy, better performance (aside from the racing-oriented 6.2L V8), and a lower price tag. When you couple that with the alarming recalls the NHTSA has issued on the V8 engines, the V6 is the way to go. With the EcoBoost’s turbocharged engine, in particular, you would be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded and affordable truck in terms of power and gas mileage.
Photos: Ford
